Performance Measurement Models in the Biopharmaceutical Sector. The Tableau de Bord Approach: a Case Study

The purpose of the paper is to analyze the definition and the use of the TdB in the context of a medium sized company: Kedrion SpA. Kedrion is a family-owned Italian biotechnology company, specialized in the development, production, and distribution of plasma derivatives. Kedrion is present in many international markets (www.kedrion.com) and its established position on the domestic and international markets increases the interest on the analysis of the company’s performance measurement models (PMM). Some research questions emerge from this analysis: 1) what is the role of TdB in the implementation of the Kedrion’s strategy and what is the contribution to the achievement of leadership position? 2) What are the reasons for the Kedrion’s choice of the TdB model? 3) What are the benefits in the context of strategic planning and management control systems? The methodology used is the case study research approach, following the methods recommended in the literature. The aims of the paper are: 1) analysis of the possible differences between the TdB model, developed by Kedrion, and the earlier version of the TdB; 2) analysis of the operational consequences derived from the implementation of the TdB, which is popularized only in the French business context.The contribution of the paper to the literature is motivated by the lack of surveys in non-French companies about the TdB implementation. Moreover, the pharmaceutical sector is principally analyzed in the accounting field (for example studies on investments in Research & Development) or in the corporate governance thematic area (in particular, researches on Corporate Social Responsibility) than in the context of performance measurement models.The performance measurement system adopted by Kedrion group constitutes an interesting case of implementation of the TdB. Nowadays Kedrion group largely benefits from the adoption of the TdB, which represents a useful tool in controlling business results, supporting the decision making process and consolidating the vision of the group in order to achieve strategic goals