At Boehringer Ingelheim Laboratories, keeping cutting-edge research running while renovating a sprawling facility is no easy feat. But for Project Manager Andrew Winget and his team of logistical masterminds, it’s just another day at work.
Think of their job as the ultimate game of Tetris, where every move has to be carefully planned, every piece has to fit perfectly, and the stakes are much higher than just beating a high score. With three massive construction projects happening simultaneously—and research that can’t be paused for even a second—Andrew and his team are pulling off an incredible feat of engineering, planning, and good old-fashioned problem-solving.
The Challenge: Renovate While Keeping Labs Operational
With research that can’t pause, Andrew’s team is orchestrating a carefully planned shuffle of scientists and workspaces across multiple buildings:
- Building 7 → Building 2 – Researchers move into upgraded labs in Building 2, while infrastructure upgrades take place.
- Building 6 Becomes a Holding Zone – A 6,000-square-foot space serves as a temporary home for researchers during renovations.
- Resetting Building 7 – Once vacated, Building 7 is restored to its original state to accommodate future moves.
- The Final Move: Building 1 Renovation – With scientists now in Buildings 6 and 7, the team can fully renovate Building 1, modernizing one of the facility’s key research spaces.
- Once completed, the entire facility will have modernized labs, upgraded infrastructure, and a more efficient workspace for groundbreaking research—all without shutting down operations for a single day.
The Secret to Success: Precision, Planning, and an Amazing Team
Executing a multi-building renovation without disrupting scientific research takes incredible coordination, and Andrew Winget has built a team of logistics experts who thrive under pressure.
His approach? Plan everything like a game of Tetris—ensuring every move is strategic, efficient, and perfectly timed. His team has mastered the art of “temporarily permanent” solutions, allowing workspaces to shift seamlessly while keeping research on track.
Their efforts have not only kept the projects running smoothly but also saved time, money, and unnecessary disruptions—something that previous project managers struggled to do.
The Takeaway: Engineering a Masterpiece of Logistical Precision
At the end of this three-year master plan, Boehringer Ingelheim Laboratories will have state-of-the-art research facilities without ever hitting pause on their critical work.
Thanks to Andrew Winget and his brilliant team of logistical problem-solvers, the research never stops, the labs keep running, and what might seem like chaos to an outsider is actually a perfectly choreographed dance.
So, the next time you find yourself playing Tetris or scrambling for a chair in musical chairs, remember—somewhere out there, Andrew and his team are playing the real-life version, and they’re absolutely winning.