Advisory And Consulting 8

More insight and better quality assurance with Batch Flow Management

- Helene Holm Pedersen, Senior Consultant, NNIT

Many life sciences companies are still using manual systems and out-of-date tools, which often make batch releases time-demanding, risky and flawed. NNIT's Batch Flow Management is built on Microsoft's Power Platform, and it can replace these manual and time-consuming processes with effective control and insight.

In a modern life sciences environment, production and batch management have become a labyrinth of complexity. Many companies in the sector still have a welter of systems running across platforms in a fragmented technological infrastructure.

The combination of manual processes and high complexity is a serious risk factor that can have major consequences, both financially and for a company's reputation. It can lead to errors because of incorrectly interpreted data, delays in communication between departments, or inconsistencies with regulated standards.

Lack of insight restricts traceability

According to Helene Holm Pedersen, Senior Consultant at NNIT, the lack of insight is particularly restrictive for companies.

– Without a holistic view of a project, it is difficult to coordinate tasks between departments, ensure quality, and meet deadlines. This often leads to inefficiency, because one employee doesn't know what the other's doing, often leading to costly delays and problems in meeting quality and safety requirements, she explains, and she adds:

– We still see companies trying to keep track of their tasks in Excel spreadsheets. Companies rely on these spreadsheets to manage critical data, but the truth is that they are notoriously difficult to update and maintain across departments, in particular if the spreadsheets are not stored in the cloud and therefore not updated or traceable in real-time.

This documentation and data traceability are vital for life sciences companies, which are subject to stringent requirements and regulations, and where compliance is a hygiene factor. The ability to document every change, understand the reason, and trace each step in the process is not only just good practice – it is absolutely crucial.

All these challenges affect day-to-day operations and the ability of a business to innovate and react to the changing needs and requirements of customers and the outside world. So, there is a need for a solution that can simplify, streamline and automate work processes, collect data in a common overview, and ensure that all relevant legislation and documentation requirements are taken into account.

This is where Batch Flow Management comes into play. 

Centralized task administration with Batch Flow Management

Batch Flow Management is a solution based on the Microsoft Power Platform to ensure control and insight into tasks with respect to production of goods in batches, usually within the life sciences and production industries.

Helene Holm Pedersen explains:

– Batch Flow Management has been developed with deep understanding of the processes which make up the backbone of production and the issue of batches. The solution is based on a foundation of pre-defined templates that are not merely a compilation of rules, but which are best-practice procedures to ensure that every phase of a batch is performed consistently and correctly every time. This reduces human error and that, in turn, ensures the uniform production that is vital for both efficiency and safety.

Centralizing task administration is another key component in Batch Flow Management. Through the solution's simple and easy-to-read interface, all tasks and deadlines are gathered in one place and easily accessible across departments and employees.

Batch Flow Management can easily be integrated with other systems such as Veeva, D365 F&O and SharePoint. To facilitate migration and data sharing across different platforms, Batch Flow Management establishes a cohesive ecosystem in which information is available to all those who need it.

– An important part of the solution is rights management and task allocation. Making informed choices about who is to have access to specific information and tasks secures first-rate safety levels, and that all activities to be traced back to the relevant employees, says Helene Holm Pedersen.

With Batch Flow Management, NNIT has created a solution that brings order, efficiency and compliance to traditionally very complex procedures. The solution means life sciences companies are better equipped to meet all the demands and challenges from customers, the market and society.

3 tips: How to get ready for Batch Flow Management

With the many obvious advantages Batch Flow Management brings to the table, it may be tempting to embrace the solution immediately. But before you get started, a couple of things have to be well under control.

Before you take on a system like Batch Flow Management, it is important to carefully review and clean up your existing systems and data. Identify what data are relevant for your processes and cut out all the excess. What systems should be kept as they are? And which systems should be integrated into Batch Flow Management? This will ensure that the new solution consists exclusively of valuable data.

Successful implementation requires deep understanding and description of internal processes. Therefore, it is important to agree in-house on how batch releases work, and that processes have been documented and understood across departments. Regular steering-group meetings with representatives from different departments will help ensure the solution fits in with your actual procedures.

Once the clean-up and internal processes are in place, it is important to draw up a POC (proof of concept) to test the solution at small scale before you go all in with the solution. Train a number of super users about the system, who can then serve as ambassadors and trainers for the rest of the company. This will make sure that the transition to the new system is as efficient as possible, and that all users feel comfortable and competent in using the solution.

Let NNIT help you get ready

Would you like more information on how we can help you replace these manual and time-consuming processes with effective control and insight? Contact us below.