THE CHALLENGE
Driving change and delivering excellence for a Global Pharmaceutical Company
In the past 20+ years, the pharma industry has observed rising healthcare costs and an increase in the time it takes to conduct clinical studies, despite shorter regulatory approval timelines. In the early aftermath of COVID-19, the potential for faster drug launches was evident, and our client decided to invest significant efforts in tackling this challenge.
Our client identified several critical hurdles, with patient safety, compliance, and delivery at the center. A large outcomes focused team identified and addressed a number of pain points in areas such as:
- early planning and study startup,
- site footprint and interfaces,
- vendor management and engagement,
- data collection and automation, and
- the technology landscapes.
Once the key roadblocks to success were identified, the company mobilized more than 250 FTEs of which c. 10% were fully allocated to a global project that kicked off in the last quarter of 2021.
A global transformation office was established to orchestrate and empower a comprehensive global program with the objective of aligning all functions, reducing bottlenecks, addressing interdependencies up-front, and establishing a lean team focused on supporting a rapid and efficient execution. The team also had to ensure minimal disruption in day-to-day operations.
OUR SOLUTION
A One Team approach to drive Global Transformation
a-connect was brought in by the client during the last stage of design and supported the project all the way to Go Live. The size of our team was ramped up and down as required by the nature of the efforts and allocated where its impact was maximized. Between five and 10 transformation professionals with different subject matter expertise and tenure supported the organization to address the complex challenges of up to 25 work packages across 60+ functions. A One Team approach (of clients and consultants in collaboration with other third parties) allowed each group to leverage their experience managing global transformation programs. As a result, we were able to create and implement a strategic approach to manage the ever-evolving scope, mitigate risks (local and global), and ensure sustainable change.
The result of 24+ months of focused efforts and true partnership, where discipline and flexibility needed to be managed, the joint team delivered meaningful change including:
- Supporting the design and implementation of a New Operating Model at global scale: clarifying roles, responsibilities, and workflows to streamline decision-making and improve cross-functional alignment.
- Effectively embedding dedicated project management capacity and curated capabilities to the efforts: working with each functional area, ensuring ongoing alignment, monitoring progress, and driving accountability and impact. All while keeping close collaboration with the central Transformation office and onboarding new team members throughout each phase of the program.
- Managing the risks and introducing operational safeguards: implementing key safeguards to address potential resistance and maintain momentum. These measures helped minimize operational disruptions and set the stage for sustained success post-implementation.
- Focusing on sustainable change: by fostering transparency and empowering teams, we ensured that the new model would be embraced and sustained across the organization and would create the adaptation of the culture required.
THE RESULTS
Supported the client in achieving the transformation objectives while keeping operational stability
The company successfully implemented its new operating model on time and within budget, providing the clarity and efficiency needed to streamline clinical operations, adding speed and enhancing predictability.
The new organization went live within the two year-timeline and delivered significant operational savings. In addition, the following outcomes were also realized:
- A new Leadership Team was established.
- 5000 positions were recruited for the new organization.
- Thousands of units of training were prepared and delivered.
- Key Capabilities (people, system, knowledge) were built.
Furthermore, all processes were mapped, updated and communicated once all compliance requirements were fulfilled, achieving a smooth transition and strengthening business continuity.
a-connect supported the client to establish a reinforced organization dedicated to bringing life-saving drugs to market more efficiently while also ensuring it was able to meet both current and future demands.
