Pharmascience

“When we want to review the SOPs, it’s important for us to have a very precise procedure and to be sure that we have a controlled environment to change an SOP,” said Denis Beauchemin, head of IT for Pharmascience. “You want to be sure that you have well-defined security and an audit trail.”

More than simply replacing paper with digital documents, Pharmascience needed a reliable Enterprise Content Management solution augmented with authorization and workflow capabilities that could be integrated into existing systems.

Integrated digital document management

In Canada alone, more than 45 million prescriptions per year are filled with Pharmascience products. In 2017, the pharmaceutical company established its own prescription for an effective document management solution: a central, compliant repository with integrated workflow across all users and locations.

Pharmascience deployed OpenText™ Content Suite and OpenText™ Regulated Documents in November 2017, working with OpenText™ Professional Services to implement the integrated solution and OpenText™ Managed Services to run the environment.

“We checked different software vendors,” said Beauchemin, “but the decision was easy to make after the evaluation of the cost benefits and also because OpenText provides smooth integration with SAP® and our other systems.”

Production employees now view digital SOPs in realtime. “Employees access recipes and procedures while they are doing the job. By bringing the SOPs on the floor directly we are able to see a big difference,” Beauchemin noted.

The right information is now accessed at the right time, avoiding duplication and ensuring compliance through standardized documentation of changes—crucial for adhering to CGMP (current good manufacturing practices) regulations.

Gathering all documentation into one place with Content Suite became critical to Pharmascience operations. It serves as the foundation and connects other enterprise applications, including LMS, QMS (learning and quality management systems) and OpenText™ Extended ECM for SAP® Solutions, aligning the company’s SAP environment with manufacturing best practices.

Pharmascience relies on Regulated Documents to manage SOPs throughout a controlled lifecycle. Authorized access ensures security and electronic signatures simplify approvals. Workflow capabilities enable classification and automated progression from revision through expiration and archiving all drive GxP compliance.

In all, OpenText content management reduces issues while speeding time to market. “Our OpenText document management system is now key in maintaining the quality of our products,” Beauchemin said.

Fewer deviations, faster delivery

Following the OpenText implementation, Pharmascience experienced fewer changes and faster time-to-market. “By following more precisely the recipes and the SOPs, we have less deviation,” Beauchemin stated. He noted that easy information access, improved collaboration and version control eliminated document duplication and delays. “It is a mix of different gains, but the result is a very big impact for Pharmascience.

Pharmascience production floor employees, at first reticent to change, are now requesting the addition of more documents to the OpenText platform. “The OpenText document management solution is very powerful because employees are able to complete searches immediately,” Beauchemin said.

The pharmaceutical company encouraged adoption with a change management team, which included a representative from OpenText. Pharmascience developed a strong partnership with Professional Services to implement the system and Managed Services for day-to-day operations.

Professional Services

“OpenText is a real partner,” Beauchemin noted. “During the project we faced a couple of issues, but they were there to find a solution… the service they brought to the table was not only the knowledge of the application, but also all the project management. They knew how to deliver this project.”

During the implementation phase, both OpenText and Pharmascience were able to learn from one another. “That’s why it’s a partnership, because we bring the regulatory environment that they know but don’t have to face day-to-day. Thanks to our teamwork, we would not do the next project without them,” said Beauchemin.

Managed Services

With an eye to IT efficiency, Pharmascience relies on Managed Services to control the infrastructure, platform and customizations based on established SLAs. “We transferred the cost to Managed Services, but, at the same time, the level of service and expertise is much higher than we would have with our internal resources,” stated Beauchemin.

While Pharmascience would face challenges attracting and retaining ECM expertise, Managed Services handles updates globally to enhance ease and improve cost-efficiency. Pharmascience IT experts can instead concentrate on the needs of its front office.

Among top-tier business priorities, deepening SAP integration and predictive analysis are now within reach. Beauchemin plans to transfer captured data from OpenText to SAP for decision-makers to order more supplies and handle other manufacturing needs. His team also plans to use greater insight into production status to drive predictive analysis for rapid reaction to market changes.