How a multinational healthcare company empowered its teams and created a better work environment with ActiveControl
Overview
About CardinalHealth
An American multinational health care services company and one of the highest revenue generating company in the United States. The company specializes in the distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical products, serving over 100,000 locations.
Challenges
Using manual, resource-intensive processes for delivering changes within SAP
The healthcare company operates in a highly competitive, regulated environment, requiring the need for digital transformation of its core systems
Lack of visibility regarding changes and the risks associated with them
Potential system downtime due to risky changes, especially those involving core SAP systems, which could freeze the system or bring it down
High stakes with FDA regulation, requiring careful management to avoid outages that could affect service levels and just-in-time inventory
Solutions
Automating changes to reduce the level of risk associated with changes
The company needed a tool that would provide automation and quality without compromise, enabling them to scale while minimizing risk
ActiveControl has enhanced risk management capabilities with a scoring system to identify and manage risk
The healthcare firm has improved efficiency by reducing manual reviews and interventions
Downtime is reduced and service disruptions are reduced by carefully managing when changes are deployed
Tech teams feel unburdened by manual, laborious processes, empowered to make the changes that will have the biggest impact
Results
Reducing time spent on ‘busy work’ and empowering teams with ActiveControl
Through the power of automation, developers are empowered to innovate, reducing the time it takes them to deploy change considerably
The work environment improved, making it more pleasant and rewarding for SAP practitioners
The quality and consistency of change outcomes are improved, reducing risk and enhancing service reliability
Customer testimonial
Embracing automation to empower SAP teams with ActiveControl
A multinational healthcare company used ActiveControl to empower its change and release teams and create a better working environment that champions continuous improvement
Executive Summary
A multinational healthcare firm needed to improve efficiency and innovation within its SAP operations while managing risks associated with manual processes. Operating in a highly competitive, regulated environment with tight margins and strict requirements, the company sought to enhance its SAP operations by addressing inefficiencies and risks.
To tackle these challenges, the company engaged Basis Technologies to implement ActiveControl, automating SAP change management, reducing manual effort, and enhancing system reliability. The tool streamlined its processes, mitigated risks, and empowered its teams.
The Challenge
The healthcare firm faced several significant challenges within its SAP operations. First, the processes for delivering changes within the SAP system were manual and resource-intensive, consuming substantial time and effort from the team. This manual approach also resulted in a lack of visibility and difficulties in identifying and managing risks associated with changes, particularly those involving core SAP systems that could potentially lead to system downtime or outages.
Additionally, operating under FDA regulations, the company required careful management to prevent outages that could affect service levels and just-in-time inventory.
These challenges were further compounded by the company’s need to maintain efficiency in a low-margin, high-revenue environment. They needed a robust solution that would automate change processes, minimize risks, and improve operational efficiency.
The Solution
To address these challenges, they implemented ActiveControl. The tool provided automated change management capabilities, significantly reducing the need for manual interventions and enhancing overall system reliability.
The tool’s sophisticated risk scoring system enabled its teams to proactively manage and mitigate risks associated with changes, thereby enhancing risk management capabilities.
The automation of routine tasks through ActiveControl allowed for significant efficiency gains by reducing the time spent on manual reviews and interventions. This enabled teams to focus on more strategic initiatives, driving further improvements in their operations.
The Result
The implementation of ActiveControl brought about substantial improvements for the firm. One of the most notable benefits was a significant reduction in manual work, saving approximately 6,000 hours per year that were previously spent on “busy work.” This freed up resources, allowing teams to engage in more value-added activities.
Service restoration time was also significantly reduced, reflecting a decrease in downtime and improved reliability of the SAP systems. The quality and consistency of change outcomes improved, further reducing risk and enhancing service reliability.
Most importantly, the automation of routine tasks positively impacted the work environment for SAP teams, making their jobs more pleasant and rewarding. They became more empowered, finding the tool easy to use and highly efficient, which enhanced their productivity and satisfaction.
ActiveControl fostered a culture of continuous improvement within the organization, enabling teams to challenge and refine existing processes. This culture shift not only improved operational practices but also met the needs of the wider organization, driving operational excellence.
Looking ahead, they plan to continue leveraging automation to enhance efficiency and innovation. The future roadmap includes exploring further opportunities for robotic process automation (RPA). By focusing on continuous efficiency and innovation, the company aims to support ongoing operational activities effectively while remaining competitive in its market.
Overall, the healthcare firm successfully automated its SAP change management processes, reduced risks, and improved both efficiency and the work environment for its teams. The company is now well-positioned to continue its journey toward operational excellence and digital transformation, supported by tools like ActiveControl.
About ActiveControl
ActiveControl from Basis Technologies automates the end-to-end SAP change and release process to massively reduce manual effort and protect systems from downtime. Built specifically for SAP, it delivers a fundamentally new approach that enables companies to manage change on their terms.
