More changes in store for Glaxo than the move to the Navy Yard

Among the many changes in the works for drug giant GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C., most of its Center City workers will move by next year to a new building at the Navy Yard, and they won't have office cubicles to retreat to when they get there.

Sales representatives no longer get bonuses based solely on commission. Scientists have been shifted so they can share knowledge.

Starting 2012 on a profitable note after several years of struggle, Glaxo leaders are pushing forward with changes they hope will drive efficiency, collaboration and, eventually, greater and more consistent profits.

Glaxo has laboratories in Collegeville and King of Prussia, manufacturing or related facilities in Conshohocken and Marietta, and facilities in Parsippany and Clifton, N.J. All are part of the discussion.

For some people, the changes have meant job losses, and there might be more cuts. The company has about 5,000 employees in the region. Of the approximately 1,300 in Center City, it was unclear whether all would still have jobs when the moving vans arrive. For others, change will mean giving up a specific desk.

Those moving to the Navy Yard will work at tables with phone and computer connections when they are present and will store their belongings in file cabinet-like lockers when away on vacation or at off-site meetings. If they need privacy, conference rooms will be nearby. There will be fewer printers, to discourage paper use and encourage electronic file-keeping.

Parts of two floors at the Center City office have been reconfigured to match the planned Navy Yard setup, so employees can see the future. North American pharmaceuticals president Deirdre Connelly, who marked her third anniversary on the job last week, and some colleagues are working in those portions now.

"I don't think people are as scared of me," Connelly said and laughed, suggesting the reason was having more commonplace conversations on the tidbits of life.