Eli Lilly, a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company based in Indianapolis, Indiana is developing a computer system that integrates the SQL Server 2008 database with other Microsoft collaboration tools such as Exchange and SharePoint to share critical data on a world-wide basis. The company’s IT department plays an important role in drug studies by managing mission-critical data-reporting and collaboration applications.
The current Oracle database is preventing scientists, doctors, and vendors from easily sharing pharmaceutical information for important drug studies. They are experiencing long wait times for accessing critical data and, as a result, their collaboration on complex drug development projects is ineffective. To improve this core competency, Eli Lilly is currently migrating from Oracle to SQL Server 2008.
Situation
Eli Lilly, located in Indianapolis, Indiana has been in business for 132 years. The company performs clinical research in more than 50 countries, manufactures drugs in 13 countries, and conducts pharmaceutical research and development in 8 countries. They have
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We asked ourselves where we want to be 5 years from now, and the Microsoft solution was the best solution. We wanted a single platform for over 200 scientists and doctors. We wanted them to better communicate, and help them do their work. They need to concentrate on drug studies, and (SQL Server 2008) can make it happen. |
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Martin Rafalski
IT Manager, Eli Lilly |
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about 39,377 employees worldwide, with approximately 7,241 employees engaged in research and development. In 2009, the company’s revenue was close to $22 billion dollars.
The IT department at Lilly Research Labs (LRL) was charged with finding a better solution for collaboration among scientists, doctors, and vendors working on long-term drug studies. There is a large amount of data involved in drug studies that needs to be readily available to enable collaboration of scientists and vendors in all parts of the world.
The IT department (Global External Research and Development) is currently supporting two Oracle legacy systems that are hosting the drug study applications. These applications are called Rocket and Voice. They are older systems that are no longer able to support the needs of the 200 doctors, scientists, and clinical managers in the field, who are running studies on drugs that are still being in the R&D phase. LRL conducts studies with extensive drug cycles that can reach up to $300 billion dollars in research costs.
Martin Rafalski, Eli Lilly’s IT Manager, explains: “Currently, we are on an Oracle database. It is used to store content information such as reports, data, spreadsheets, and other documents. There is data for the individual studies and compounds. We are looking to migrate all that information to a single platform, SQL Server.”
The IT department wants to leverage the current license agreements with Microsoft for SQL Server 2008 and SharePoint. They are planning to execute a migration project, over the next 2-3 years, up to 2015, that will provide a system that is easy to maintain, cost effective, and does not require re-engineering the legacy Oracle systems. They will use SQL Server 2008 as an out-of-box solution with only minor customization. They wish to avoid writing custom code and performing custom maintenance that is currently required for the legacy Oracle systems.
The scientists and doctors at Lilly Research Labs conduct a large number of studies worldwide, testing drugs for their effects on ailments such as migraine, cancer, arthritis, and diabetes. They are continuously updating the studies’ data and analyzing reports with the latest trial information in order to support critical decisions about the drugs’ efficacy. The scientists and doctors are demanding more usability and availability of these mission-critical applications. They are looking for more efficient collaborative methods to share information on the drug studies, including better visualizations of drug testing.
Eli Lilly already has large Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint systems in place, with many current licenses. The fact that Oracle does not support interoperability with SharePoint or Microsoft Outlook, and does not have the ease of integration that SQL Server 2008 provides, was another reason for migration.
Solution
The IT team looked at SQL Server 2008, and how it interfaces with other Microsoft solutions deployed in the company. Martin
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I am very impressed with Microsoft and the analysts, and the experience they are bringing to the table for the system. It’s Microsoft’s job to bring IT and the medical side together and to create a final solution. Microsoft is doing a great job at it. |
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Martin Rafalski
IT Manager, Eli Lilly |
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Rafalski elaborates: ”We realized that, instead of having another set of completely independent systems 5 years from now, it makes much more sense to consolidate the existing applications onto a single platform, the SQL Server.”
Updating the legacy systems would be very cost intensive and there would be no gain in functionality and support of business user needs. “We will use SQL Server, CRM, and SharePoint as the new platform. For cost effectiveness, and utilizing current licenses, better reporting and proper management, (scientists will) be able to log onto a new system, and see a global picture,” states Martin Rafalski.
Another main reason for migrating from Oracle to SQL Server 2008 was integration and interoperability. The fact that Eli Lilly is standardized on Microsoft products for its desktop clients contributed to the selection of SQL Server as the underlying platform.
Microsoft and its partners play a key role in the migration project, working onsite with Eli Lilly’s IT staff. The partners first worked with the executive business team, and brought in pharmaceutical industry experts to advise Eli Lilly on the business issues. Microsoft analysts are applying real-world pharmaceutical industry knowledge to the platforms they help Lilly build. The solution is the kind of comprehensive business and technical solution that Lilly was seeking.
“I am very impressed with Microsoft and the analysts, and the experience they are bringing to the table for the system. It’s Microsoft’s job to bring IT and the medical side together and to create a final solution. Microsoft is doing a great job at it”, says Martin Rafalski.
The Oracle to SQL Server 2008 migration is considered a medium-sized project for LRL, with about 300 gigabytes of data. The volume of data is carefully managed, as it will escalate quickly once the project team includes all data, documents, reports, and other supporting information for the drug studies.
Compliance with FDA rules is a vital issue for the Global External Research and Development department. The fact that managing drug studies on the new system will make it much easier to comply with regulatory rules is of vital importance to Lilly’s business. The new system will also manage different record management activities, and the flow of global information.
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We realized that, instead of having another set of completely independent systems 5 years from now, it makes much more sense to consolidate the existing applications onto a single platform, the SQL Server. |
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Martin Rafalski
IT Manager, Eli Lilly |
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In addition to migrating data directly supporting the development of new drugs, the IT department is also planning to take advantage of all the desktop applications Microsoft provides, and bring them onto one system, SQL Server 2008. The users will be able to use a single log-in to access Word, Outlook, SharePoint, Internet Explorer and other Microsoft productivity and collaboration tools.
Benefits
Once the data is migrated to SQL Server 2008, over 200 doctors and scientists will use the new system, along with 2,000 vendors working on the drug studies. The research teams will be able to use a single platform to store all the information from the drug studies, making their collaboration much more efficient. Another important benefit will be the ability of the users to manipulate and model the data themselves, without a need to involve IT development resources. Because the application will match the business processes much more closely, it is anticipated that the time to complete a drug study will be compressed.
Improvements in visualization of the drug study information will provide additional benefit. Scientists will be able to take graphical representations, statistical analysis, and product information, and use it to model their drug studies faster, and more effectively.
By using SQL Server 2008 with Microsoft Outlook, the project team will be able to receive instantaneous notifications when new information is added. They will be able to tell, at a moment’s notice, when new data is available, and who created or modified it. As a result, it will be far easier for scientists in different parts of the world to model experiments together.
Another advantage of SQL Server 2008 is its better reporting capabilities and business analytics as compared with Oracle. With SQL Server, the scientific community will be able to get information in a much shorter time, and enjoy a more in-depth look at the drug study progress and results.
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One of the main advantages we are looking at in the new SQL Server platform is the ability to have our e-mail (Outlook) integrated with the database, sharing data. You just log in once and there are all your applications. |
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Martin Rafalski
IT Manager, Eli Lilly |
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As Martin Rafalski states, “One of the main advantages we are looking at in the new SQL Server platform is the ability to have our e-mail (Outlook) integrate with the database, sharing data. You just log in once and there are all your applications.”
The new SQL Server platform will bring scientists, doctors, and vendors together in a much more efficient way, and provide them with capabilities they have never had before.
With streamlined information flows, the user community will be able to exchange data in real time, thus shortening the decision making cycle. The new platform, integrated with Outlook and other Microsoft collaboration and productivity solutions, will be able to support all that within the application. “The whole concept of improved communication and collaboration, documents being used by multiple users, that is the efficiency we are hoping to get out of the new system,” concludes Martin Rafalski.
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 delivers higher scalability for mission-critical environments, more efficient IT, and expanded reporting and analytics through self-service business intelligence.
For more information about Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, go to:
www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/R2-editions.aspx%20
For More Information
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www.microsoft.com
For more information about Eli Lilly products and services, call (317) 276-2000 or visit the Web site at: www.lilly.com
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