Microsoft-based solutions for life sciences manufacturing and supply chain
While supply chain management and enterprise resource planning solutions have delivered cost reductions in recent years to a wide range of industries, supply chain expenses in the pharmaceutical industry have remained relatively static. According to the National Wholesale Druggists Association's Industry Factbook, supply chain costs have hovered around 9 percent of the cost of bringing a drug to market for the last decade. The problem: Production planning, scheduling, and monitoring information is stored in isolated, proprietary systems, or even in paper documents, making it difficult to respond with speed and accuracy when conditions change or problems occur.
Knowledge Driven Life Sciences provides a framework for integrating drug formulation data with plant capability information. This enables pharmaceutical companies to develop chemical, manufacturing, and production models that can be used to define optimized manufacturing processes that reduce production costs. Once a drug has moved into the manufacturing stage, real-time monitoring capabilities help to ensure that production meets scheduling requirements and quality standards. Built-in compliance features can streamline the collection of data needed to meet regulatory mandates. This infrastructure also enhances the ability of plant managers to evaluate and query historical production information so they can refine processes and achieve new levels of efficiency.
In addition, Knowledge Driven Life Sciences opens the door to tighter integration not only among a pharmaceutical company’s marketing, operations, and finance departments, but also outside the organization to pharmaceutical wholesalers and distributors. The result is a newfound ability to understand purchasing patterns, monitor inventory levels, and develop forecasting models that reduce the risk of both overstocking and understocking merchandise.
These new capabilities can help pharmaceutical companies enhance Speed to Insight through more rapid development of optimal production processes and more accurate forecasting of demand and inventory. Value for Cost benefits include increased manufacturing efficiency, optimal use of production resources, and an improved ability to match production to demand.
Supply chain case study: Pfizer
To maximize productivity at its Brooklyn manufacturing plant, Pfizer developed a solution using Microsoft .NET that provides complete access to information for everyone involved in the production planning process. Accessible from any location through a Web browser and a secure network connection, the new solution enables plant operators to better meet delivery requirements set by Pfizer's supply chain and marketing groups. By embracing .NET and using its extensive pre-built functionality and tools, the company expects to increase developer productivity by 25 to 50 percent.
Supply chain and manufacturing technology partners
To deliver solutions that will enable pharmaceutical companies to improve supply chain and manufacturing processes, Microsoft is collaborating with leading technology companies, software developers, and systems integrators that provide both extensive technical experience and a deep knowledge of the specific requirements of the pharmaceutical industry.
Technology partners providing supply chain and manufacturing solutions include:
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard provides global technology solutions to consumers, businesses, and institutions. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services, and imaging and printing. HP’s solutions for the healthcare industry can help pharmaceutical companies improve workflow efficiencies and optimize resource utilization to drive a more predictable cost model and improve the quality of healthcare.
Manhattan Associates
A global leader in supply chain execution and optimization solutions, Manhattan Associates enables operational excellence through warehouse, transportation, distributed order management, reverse logistics, and trading partner management applications. Manhattan Associates solutions use state-of-the-art technologies, innovative practices, and extensive domain expertise to enhance performance, profitability, and competitive advantage.
Merit Solutions, Inc.
(630) 510-3238
Merit Solutions is a leading business consulting and software development firm helping mid-market clients plan and leverage their technology investments to gain a competitive advantage. Merit Solutions has been twice recognized as a Microsoft Excellence Partner for working successfully and collaboratively with customers and partners across the U.S. In addition to providing consulting and support services, Merit Solutions develops and markets business applications built on the Microsoft platform to efficiently automate the business processes of companies in regulated industries.
OSIsoft
OSIsoft delivers performance management software to life sciences companies where real-time operational metrics fuel performance. Providing comprehensive visibility into operations, the OSIsoft platform enables timely analysis that can help business professionals make informed and profitable decisions.
Tectura
A global provider of integrated business solutions to mid-market companies and large enterprise divisions, Tectura specializes in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions built on Microsoft Business Solutions software and integrated with leading-edge Microsoft products and technologies. Tectura Life Sciences is a comprehensive and flexible ERP solution that offers integrated modules specifically designed to meet the needs of the life sciences industry.
Additional information
For more information about Microsoft Knowledge Driven Life Sciences and related Microsoft products, technologies, and industry partners, please contact your Microsoft representative today.
