SAP for Pharmaceutical

Validated SAP upgraded without a gap in support, serialisation kept running, and change control that is written down before the auditor asks.

Where we have done this

A pharmaceutical manufacturer's S/4HANA upgrade on AWS, serialisation and batch traceability for a blood-products organisation since 2016, and design oversight for a medical-device company. Validated systems, serialisation deadlines, and change control that has to exist on paper as well as in the system.

What we do here

  1. We upgrade validated S/4HANA without a gap in support.

    An S/4HANA 1609 to 2020 upgrade on AWS done with a proof of concept, a parallel landscape and a full production dress rehearsal, so the live system stayed supported throughout. Delivered on time and under budget; hypercare was quiet.

  2. We keep serialisation running.

    Advanced Track and Trace for Pharmaceuticals (ATTP) and Global Batch Traceability (GBT): serial numbers, batches, aggregation and the reporting the regulators expect, supported by people who know that a stopped serialisation server is a stopped packing line.

  3. We document change the way validation needs.

    Change-controlled documentation, release windows and evidence produced during the change, not reconstructed for the audit. Every upgrade completed first time inside its window.

  4. We host regulated SAP on AWS.

    Validated landscapes on AWS with the backups, replication and recovery that a regulated system needs, and monthly availability reporting that says so.

  5. We support the whole stack.

    ECC and S/4HANA, Solution Manager 7.2, HCM, portal authentication kept current, and the integrations between the packaging line, serialisation and the ledger.

  6. We oversee design when you build new.

    S/4HANA design project oversight for a medical-device company, so the system is built for validation from the first blueprint rather than retrofitted.

The result: validated systems kept supported, serialisation that never stops the line, and change records ready before the auditor asks.

Where SAP landscapes go wrong in pharmaceutical manufacturing

The same four things, at almost every landscape we take over in this sector.

  1. Upgrades postponed because revalidation looks bigger than the risk of staying on an unsupported release.
  2. Serialisation treated as an IT system rather than a line-stopping one.
  3. Change records assembled for the audit instead of during the change.
  4. A hosting provider who has never heard of a validated system.

Processes and systems

What we support for pharmaceutical and medical-device manufacturers, from the packing line to the audit.

SAP processes

  • Production and batch management
  • Quality Management
  • Serialisation and aggregation
  • Batch traceability and recalls
  • Materials Management and Sales and Distribution
  • FI/CO
  • SAP HCM

Platforms

  • SAP ECC and S/4HANA
  • SAP ATTP
  • SAP GBT
  • SAP Solution Manager 7.2
  • SAP HANA
  • SAP on AWS

Integrations

  • Packaging-line serialisation systems
  • Regulatory reporting exchanges
  • Portal authentication and single sign-on
  • Replication between production, QA and sandbox

Governance and reporting

  • Validation documentation and change control
  • Release windows and dress rehearsals
  • Hypercare
  • Monthly availability reporting
  • Security patching
  • Audit evidence

Signs you need us

If more than one of these is true, it is time to talk.

  • Your release is out of maintenance and the revalidation plan is a blank page.
  • Serialisation errors are found at the packing line.
  • Audit evidence is assembled the week before the audit.
  • The last upgrade’s hypercare is still open.
Talk to an SAP consultant who knows pharmaceutical manufacturing

You can find us here

We have a strong global presence, marking our commitment to delivering tech excellence in key markets worldwide.

Colorado
14133 Downing Street Brighton,
Colorado 80602
Contact us
Cape Town
Regus Business Center, 1st Floor,
Willowbridge, Cape Town
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Haarlem
Frame Offices B.V.,
Haarlem, Netherlands
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Governed AI for validated systems

The ETZ AI Platform answers questions about batches, serial numbers, changes and systems, with SAP-grade authorisation and an audit trail on every action.

  • Runs in your own SAP BTP subaccount. SAP data never transits ETZ.
  • Your SAP authorisations decide what it may see and do, not the AI.
  • Every action lands on an append-only audit record.
Available on the SAP Store (opens in a new tab)