<doi_batch xmlns="http://www.crossref.org/schema/4.4.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" version="4.4.0"><head><doi_batch_id>85214176-d440-4e65-b853-fee4cb763e99</doi_batch_id><timestamp>20210928030035702</timestamp><depositor><depositor_name>wseas:wseas</depositor_name><email_address>mdt@crossref.org</email_address></depositor><registrant>MDT Deposit</registrant></head><body><journal><journal_metadata language="en"><full_title>WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT</full_title><issn media_type="electronic">2224-3496</issn><issn media_type="print">1790-5079</issn><archive_locations><archive name="Portico"/></archive_locations><doi_data><doi>10.37394/232015</doi><resource>http://wseas.org/wseas/cms.action?id=4031</resource></doi_data></journal_metadata><journal_issue><publication_date media_type="online"><month>1</month><day>8</day><year>2021</year></publication_date><publication_date media_type="print"><month>1</month><day>8</day><year>2021</year></publication_date><journal_volume><volume>17</volume><doi_data><doi>10.37394/232015.2021.17</doi><resource>https://wseas.org/cms.action?id=23258</resource></doi_data></journal_volume></journal_issue><journal_article language="en"><titles><title>Applying a System Dynamics Approach for the Pharmaceutical Industry: Simulation and Optimization of the Quality Control Process</title></titles><contributors><person_name sequence="first" contributor_role="author"><given_name>Evripidis P.</given_name><surname>Kechagias</surname><affiliation>School of Mechanical Engineering National Technical University of Athens Zografou 15780, GREECE</affiliation></person_name><person_name sequence="additional" contributor_role="author"><given_name>Dimitrios M.</given_name><surname>Miloulis</surname><affiliation>School of Economic Sciences National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Athens 10559, GREECE</affiliation></person_name><person_name sequence="additional" contributor_role="author"><given_name>Georgios</given_name><surname>Chatzistelios</surname><affiliation>School of Mechanical Engineering National Technical University of Athens Zografou 15780, GREECE</affiliation></person_name><person_name sequence="additional" contributor_role="author"><given_name>Sotiris P.</given_name><surname>Gayialis</surname><affiliation>School of Mechanical Engineering National Technical University of Athens Zografou 15780, GREECE</affiliation></person_name><person_name sequence="additional" contributor_role="author"><given_name>Georgios A.</given_name><surname>Papadopoulos</surname><affiliation>School of Mechanical Engineering National Technical University of Athens Zografou 15780, GREECE</affiliation></person_name></contributors><jats:abstract xmlns:jats="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/JATS1"><jats:p>As countries interact more and more, technology gains a decisive role in facilitating today’s increased need for interconnection. At the same time, systems, becoming more advanced as technology progresses, feed each other and can produce highly complex and unpredictable results. However, with this ever-increasing need for interconnected operations, complex problems arise that need to be effectively tackled. This need extends far beyond the scientific and mechanical fields, covering every aspect of life. Systemic Thinking Philosophy and the System Dynamics methodology now seem to be more relevant than ever and their practical implementation in real-life industrial cases has started to become a trend. Companies that decide to implement such approaches can achieve significant improvements to the effectiveness of their operations and gain a competitive advantage. This research, influenced by the Systemic Thinking Philosophy, applies a System Dynamics approach in practice by improving the quality control process of a pharmaceutical company. The process is modeled, simulated, analyzed, and improvements are performed to achieve more effective and efficient operations. The results show that all these steps led to a successful identification and optimization of the critical factors, and a significant process improvement was achieved.</jats:p></jats:abstract><publication_date media_type="online"><month>9</month><day>28</day><year>2021</year></publication_date><publication_date media_type="print"><month>9</month><day>28</day><year>2021</year></publication_date><pages><first_page>983</first_page><last_page>996</last_page></pages><publisher_item><item_number item_number_type="article_number">91</item_number></publisher_item><ai:program xmlns:ai="http://www.crossref.org/AccessIndicators.xsd" name="AccessIndicators"><ai:free_to_read start_date="2021-09-28"/><ai:license_ref applies_to="am" start_date="2021-09-28">https://wseas.com/journals/ead/2021/b845115-039(2021).pdf</ai:license_ref></ai:program><archive_locations><archive name="Portico"/></archive_locations><doi_data><doi>10.37394/232015.2021.17.91</doi><resource>https://wseas.com/journals/ead/2021/b845115-039(2021).pdf</resource></doi_data><citation_list><citation key="ref0"><doi>10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06161</doi><unstructured_citation>Bashan, A., &amp; Kordova, S., Globalization, quality and systems thinking: integrating global quality Management and a systems view, Heliyon, Vol.7, No.2, 2021, pp.1-16. </unstructured_citation></citation><citation key="ref1"><doi>10.3390/systems8030023</doi><unstructured_citation>Hossain, N. 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