Accelerated implementation approach

Our client, a FTSE100 pharmaceutical company embarked on a global supply chain project to reduce inventory and improve demand and supply management across their global business. Their selected DRP (Distribution Requirement Planning) software was Manugistics. As part of an aggressive change programme including implementation of new financial and forecasting systems, there was a requirement to integrate the Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets to the supply chain using a new, faster and less resource intensive implementation methodology. 3Peaks was approached to design and deploy an accelerated implementation approach for this region.

The challenge

The key requirements of the integration of the major CEE markets into the established global supply chain were:

• Faster implementations.
• Reduced costs.
• Adherence to strict quality requirements.
• Achievement of common VMI and CMI ways of working.
• Alignment of standard processes with suppliers.
• Implementation in line with change programme for financial and forecasting systems.

The solution

To support the key requirement of a significantly faster implementation time, in addition to achieving all the other quality and process requirements, an accelerated implementation approach was used.

The standardisation of systems and processes across the CEE region enabled the supply chain implementation to manage a number of functions and requirements such as standard interfaces centrally. This eliminated the requirement for local IT support and individual market by market acceptance testing.

Supply Chain education and training was traditionally delivered on site to many users whereas markets within the CEE region often only one or two users. Sites were implemented in groups with a combined training workshop held centrally prior to any on site deployment; ensuring users were trained together in common ways of working.

Data collection processes were re-designed to allow central data collection and population of the database to take place, again centralising a task previously undertaken in market. Also a single, region wide benefits case was made to remove the need for each market to produce a case. Standard operating procedures were written centrally and circulated to the region ensuring common ways of working were adopted.

The accelerated implementation approach was piloted in Romania. The results were reviewed and enhancements were incorporated into the remaining implementations. As a result of the standardisation of the processes and the number of centrally delivered activities, the implementations were less complex. One consultant only was required on site for each implementation, as opposed to a team to 3-4.

The benefits

The accelerated implementation approach realised significant benefits;

• Reduction in implementation timescales enabled the implementation of 12 sites in 3 months.
• Management of resources centrally required less support from on site resources.
• Realisation of significant cost reductions.
• Accelerated implementation enabled the business to realise benefits much sooner.