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Process Optimization

Factors Influencing Chemical Inventory Management
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Major Influencing Factors in the Chemical Inventory Management
Major Influencing Factors in the Chemical Inventory Management 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Understanding the Issues

From maintaining accurate inventory records, monitoring chemical warehouse safety requirements of raw materials in inventory, keeping up with fluctuating demands, and working with changing commodity prices, chemical companies today face numerous obstacles that can have a big impact on chemical inventory management, which is already a complex and dynamic task, by industry standards.

To minimize the impact of these challenges it’s important that chemical companies are able to identify and understand what issues exist before they cause too much damage. Unfortunately, keeping an eye on every aspect of inventory management could be the biggest challenge if you don’t know where to start. Here are 4 key things to focus on that can help businesses stay ahead of the competition, and respond quickly to changes in requirements.

1.Accurate Warehouse Inventory Chemical companies cannot accurately plan for changes in the supply and demand of their products if they do not have the latest status of their inventory. When it comes to managing the complex inventory often seen in the chemical industry, even small problems in the warehouse can lead to bigger organizational challenges. To prevent this, it’s important that everything is accurately labeled and stored in the correct locations to efficiently fulfill orders and manufacture products. Effective chemical warehouse management can help companies to save up on a lot of costs.

2.Occupational RequirementsAside from ensuring no harm comes to end users, chemical companies have a huge responsibility for the health and safety of their employees, this starts with knowing exactly what chemicals and raw materials are present at all times, and what hazards they might pose. Company’s need to properly track hazardous materials as well as educating employees on precautions and procedures for handling goods. Hazard communication has repeatedly ranked at the top of OSHA’s list of most-cited violations every year.

3.Fluctuating DemandAnother challenge faced by chemical companies is unplanned fluctuations in the demand for their products. Big jumps in demand can result in either the expiration of raw materials and products, or the inability to produce enough when required, with both scenarios having significant impacts on business operations and revenue. Being able to quickly react to changes in the market, as well as supply chain disruptions can help minimize the impact of these situations and more.

4.Volatile Commodity PricesChemical companies are also forced to deal with wildly fluctuating prices for the raw materials they use. For many products, crude oil and other petroleum products account for about 50% of the material’s production costs. Due to the volatile nature of oil prices, economic factors such as politics, tariffs, and fluctuations in currency value are just a few of the things that play a role in the price of raw materials. One key aspect of chemical inventory management is accurately predicting trends so that companies purchase raw materials efficiently and at cost-effective prices. When chemical companies have enough insight into their own inventory, they’re able to place more focus on buying the materials they need to meet the demands of their customers.

Figure: 1Benefits of a chemical inventory management system

Benefits of a chemical inventory management system

Final Thoughts

While there are a number of other challenges that impact businesses in the chemical industry, not knowing where to focus makes it difficult to efficiently address issues as they arise. Understanding the 4 key factors covered above can help get companies focusing on the right performance metrics, and better positioned to navigate the unexpected ups and downs that go along with the industry.

Often, the best course of action to manage these complex inventory management challenges includes technology-driven solutions that help chemical companies in in-depth chemical inventory tracking, eliminating the issues of not knowing where materials have been stored, keeping track of their safety information, and analyzing inventory trends to better prepare for the demand of customers without keeping too much inventory in stock.

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how to choose the right erp system
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Choosing the Right ERP System for Increasing Business Outcomes
Choosing the Right ERP System for Increasing Business Outcomes 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

While demand for an effective ERP system is the highest in the manufacturing industry, more and more companies are leveraging the right ERP software to increase collaboration and streamline operations. Here’s an overview of how helpful a modern ERP software can be.

Choosing the Right ERP System for Increasing Business Outcomes

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4 KPIs that impact the growth of a Chemical company
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4 KPIs that impact the growth of a Chemical company
4 KPIs that impact the growth of a Chemical company 700 500 Xcelpros Team

At a Glance

  • Quantifying progress is important for any industry to know they’re on the right path. The chemical industry should focus on specific KPIs to measure its growth and to make sure it is moving in the right direction.
  • Continuous improvement is important, understanding which KPIs to focus on will ensure that companies are able to assess their performance and make adjustments wherever necessary.
  • KPIs should be communicated by upper management so that employees fully understand their tasks and everybody has a clear set of goals.
  • While the chemical industry might be seen as having fairly standard KPIs, it’s essential to understand that every company is different and will likely focus on different information.

The chemical industry has always operated within certain conventional settings and boundaries. With digital technology advancing so quickly, however, more and more chemical companies are thinking outside of the box in an effort to become more agile. These thought leaders are looking for better ways to quantify their manufacturing KPIs, generate insights and boost revenue.

According to the American Chemical Council (ACC), the US economy is expected to grow by up to 3.7% in 2021 and that chemical production will rise by as much as 3.9%. With this kind of growth expected, it’s more important than ever for chemical manufacturing and distribution companies to recognize and prioritize the most important KPIs for the chemical industry. While every performance marker is important there are a few KPIs that can have a greater impact on the overall production and aftermarket aspect of the business. C-level executives from these companies need to look closely at which performance measures make the most sense for them. Below are 4 KPIs in the chemical industry that could have a huge impact on a business’s bottom line.

1.Operational KPIs

It’s important to be able to measure the operational performance against benchmarks to achieve the desired results in manufacturing, including both quality and maintenance. Measuring important KPIs like scheduled uptime vs. total scheduled operational time lets organizations to calculate things like manufacturing schedule compliance, percentage of quality compliant products, and production rate per product type against the planned demand. This helps organizations achieve a high Overall Equipment Effectiveness(OEE) and optimize costs.

2.Regulatory KPIs

Adherence to local and global regulations is one thing chemical companies should never compromise on. KPIs for regulation compliance enable chemical manufacturing companies to record, measure and maintain records required for various rules and requirements. It’s imperative for chemical companies to set up and follow KPIs related to Regulatory Affairs (RA) in order to determine the long-term efficiency of their compliance processes.

Figure: 1 Primary Areas with Impactful KPIs: Chemical Industry

Primary Areas with Impactful KPIs: Chemical Industry

3.Inventory Utilization KPIs

While maintaining higher than usual inventory levels adds to overall costs, stock-outs can create even greater bottlenecks in production. This is the main reason it’s so important to maintain optimal inventory levels. Adhering to throughput rate and buffer levels can help chemical companies consistently achieve the inventory levels required to keep production going without increased inventory costs. Inventory KPIs also help in maintaining consistent inventory turnover rates.

4.Customer Experience KPIs

This measurement is now growing extremely popular in every industry, including chemical. More and more companies are looking to connect directly with their end-users in order to understand buying habits, trends, and ultimately determine what their customers want. This lets companies focus on producing the right products for their target markets.

Bonus – Environmental impact and sustainability KPIs

A lot of conventional chemical manufacturing methods and processes are still highly resource-intensive, with the potential to cause serious damage to the environment. Moving forward, chemical companies need to research and invest in greener, more sustainable models of working. This can be achieved by setting up KPIs and ensuring proper governance.

According to their website, BASF (the largest chemical producer globally) has the goal of growing CO2 neutrally until 2030.

Similarly, the Dow Chemical Company has plans to stop the waste by 2030, by enabling 1 million metric tons of plastic to be collected, reused, or recycled through its direct actions and partnerships. The company invests and collaborates with partners who have similar interests and can provide infrastructure and technologies to accelerate global recycling.

Focusing on these performance markers and goals not only helps in showcasing strategies for chemical companies to go greener but can also set an organization on a much shorter path to success. By protecting the environment and offering a better customer experience, along with producing and managing products much more efficiently will help companies in this sector achieve new heights.

Key Takeaways

  • Utilizing customer experience KPIs can help companies better understand their customers’ buying habits along with market demand and the impact of their efforts.
  • Chemical manufacturers need to set up KPIs not just for the production chain, but the entire lifecycle- from procurement of raw material to end-user.
  • Organizations need to be more conscious of resources and the impact on the environment. Chemical companies are taking note of this and the right step in this direction is to set up environmental goals and KPIs.

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Rising Data Security Risks in Chemical Plants
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Rising data security risks in chemical plants
Rising data security risks in chemical plants 700 500 Xcelpros Team

At a Glance

Digital security threats are increasingly targeting industries—including the chemical sector—to the point the Department of Homeland Security is now issuing cyberterrorism guidelines. Among the protection and detection resources a few chemical softwares available are:

  • Free detection and protection tools for small and midsize chemical companies from Homeland Security.
  • A free report to help companies detect abnormal behavior in a computer network before damage occurs from the National Institutes of Science and Technology (NIST).
  • Several ways to protect distributed data on Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform.

Introduction

Using technology to automate factories has the potential to revolutionize the biochemical and pharmaceutical industries. The same technology permitting rapid development and customization, though, also exposes these factories to new risks from outside actors.

Factory technicians have the ability to track progress at every stage, permitting adjustments when required. Whether it’s creating a new drug virtually and using technology to anticipate how it will perform, and then tweaking it to get the right results, or producing medicines customized for a single patient, all of these methods share common tools: computers.

These same smart factory methods permitting efficient manufacturing also open the facilities to new vulnerabilities in the form of undesired computer modifications, known colloquially as hacking.

Potential Threats to Production Facilities

Connecting sensors and devices, along with accessing vital systems and information remotely, “results in manufacturing networks with greater vulnerabilities to cyberattack,” a recent article in Quality Digest states.

The most recent example occurred April 11 at Iran’s Natanz nuclear processing site. A power system used by centrifuges required to process uranium was demolished, requiring an estimated nine months of work to bring it back online. Another example cited in a 2014 The Wall Street Journal article explained how a targeted email sent to a German iron plant allowed intruders to cross into the production network. The result was an inability to shut down a furnace normally, causing severe damage to the entire system.

Types of Cyber Attacks

Cyberattacks can come in several forms depending on the attackers’ goals. These include:

  • Stealing sensitive and important information, such as materials covered by patents.
  • Installing malicious software, allowing attackers to control critical systems.
  • Damaging production control systems

Cyber attackers usually have one of two goals in attacking anyone or anything, including a biochemical or pharmaceutical production facility. The goals are:

  • Money in the form of a ransomware attack demanding payment to release control of these systems.
  • Sabotaging machines with the goal of hurting a plant or company.
  • Political motivations (e.g., Iran claims the April 11, 2021 attack was caused by Israel)

 

3700customer records were taken from LC Industries in June 2015

40,000 research files were taken from DuPont by a former employee

900,000customer records stolen from Hanes Brands in mid 2015

$54 million was stolen from aircraft manufacturer FACC in early 2016

Source: Digital Guardian

Monitoring Industrial Systems

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently released its “Securing Manufacturing Industrial Control Systems: Behavioral Anomaly Detection” report, which is available free.

Behavioral anomaly detection (BAD) monitors industrial systems for unusual events and trends. Using smart factory technology such as the industrial internet of things (IIoT) sensors, BAD looks for real-time evidence a system is being compromised. Instead of reacting to an attack already underway, or finding evidence a cyberattack happened in the past, BAD monitors industrial control systems and operational technology (OT). This lets factory technicians monitor what is happening.

When an operator sees signs of an unauthorized connection or device, the operator can stop it. One example cited in the Quality Digest article is knowing what communications are allowed with the programmable logic controller (PLC) common in many industrial machines. Unauthorized connections can generate an alert, letting the human operator know intervention may be required.

Figure: 1 An example of computer alerts in the Cyber X console (courtesy NIST)

computer alerts in the Cyber X console

Tools and Resources for the Chemical Sector

“Securing these chemicals against growing and evolving threats requires vigilance from both the private and public sector,” the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) states in an article on the Chemical Sector. This sector includes pharmaceuticals. Tools and resources are available to small and midsize chemical facilities through the CISA designed to aid chemical facility owners and operators, risk managers, business continuity planners and others.

CISA states these resources are not to be confused with the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS), which focuses on high-risk chemical facilities. The program identifies and regulates high-risk facilities, reducing the risk of hazardous chemicals being weaponized by terrorists.

NIST also has tools available through its Cybersecurity Framework webpage.

Azure Has Tools to Fight Cyber Attacks

While many small and mid-sized businesses lack the financial resources to fight cyberattacks, commercial tools do exist. One advantage is they remove much of the computing burden from on-site servers and move it to the cloud. Especially in a business environment where many employees and managers work remotely, possibly in different countries with varying degrees of cyber security, the ability to protect data and operations becomes critical.

One of the top products of this type is Microsoft Azure, a cloud computing platform with services including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS).

Using remote data servers (i.e., cloud computing), Microsoft uses a layered approach to ensure its physical facilities storing data from remote factories are secure. Access approval is required at the facility’s perimeter, the building’s perimeter, inside the building and on the datacenter floor. Customer networks are isolated in Azure. Per Microsoft the isolation improves performance and security.

Physical access to computer hard drives is not a typical security issue for most companies. Stealing or damaging the data on them, though? Worrying about that can lead to sleepless nights. One benefit of using Azure is its ability to accept data from Microsoft Office 365 programs such as Access and Excel. Microsoft Azure Sentinel provides intelligent security analytics. The Azure data security platform also provides other forms of security. This includes:

  • Structured query language (SQL) authentication
  • Multi Factor authentication by users
  • The ability to lock various computer resources
  • Constant security updates automatically applied to the overall system by Microsoft

Multi Factor authentication, for example, sends a code to a user’s email account or cellphone. The user must input this code to gain access. Azure also has its own Security Center that provides an overview and recommendations for making each subscriber’s virtual network and virtual machines more secure. Reports are exportable in a format readable by programs such as Microsoft Excel. Azure’s Security Center also provides:

  • Details on security incidents with recommended actions to prevent similar issues
  • Built-in remediation proposals, requiring only mouse clicks to activate them
  • A wealth of information based on industry-specific policies for a specific country or region

Final Thoughts

Cyber attacks on industries are increasing worldwide and a better infrastructure without the maintenance hassle is the direction that more companies are preferring. Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform includes many security features designed to protect data when using a distributed workforce.

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Challenges of biotechnology to resolve banner
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The Challenges of Biotechnology to Resolve
The Challenges of Biotechnology to Resolve 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

With the new strains and mutants of the COVID-19 virus being reported from countries all across the globe, the biotechnology industry is facing immense pressure to churn out the right vaccinations and provide effective medical assistance. While the industry had been booming exponentially before the pandemic, new challenges arise as they move to the ‘new-normal’. Here are the top biotechnology industry challenges to solve.

Challenges in Biotech

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ERP competitive advantage
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Rethinking your ERP strategy for gaining a competitive advantage
Rethinking your ERP strategy for gaining a competitive advantage 700 500 Xcelpros Team

At a Glance

  • Investing in an effective ERP solution today is essential for the smooth operation of any business.
  • A prediction by Statista estimates the global ERP market to grow to $28.8 billion by 2022 growing with a CAGR of 8%. cv
  • Your ERP system manages various aspects of your business like materials, inventory, sales, distribution, and even your accounts, making it essential to focus on a smooth transition from legacy systems to the cloud.
  • As there is so much sensitive data hosted on the cloud, the transition from on-premise systems to the cloud should be done carefully, taking several factors into consideration. Steps taken to ensure a smooth transition can range from prioritizing applications to the geographical constraints and regulations put on data sharing.
  • According to a prediction by Dell, companies that invest in big data, cloud, mobility, and security tend to see a 53% revenue growth as compared to their competitors.

Investing in a good ERP system is the biggest responsibility for any company. Choosing the right ERP system is not only a huge financial responsibility but as large companies like Oracle and SAP announced plans to phase out support for the older versions of their ERP software, business executives everywhere are forced to rethink their own ERP strategies.

What today’s companies need instead of just a flexible system is one paired with rapid responsiveness to customer needs and which can lead to increased business opportunities. The next generation of ERP implementation strategies is likely to have a smaller core of critical business processes and easily manageable connections for industry data that lives on the cloud including third-party solutions.

According to Statista, the overall ERP market is expected to grow to $28.8 billion by 2022 depicting a compound annual growth rate of 8%. Companies are rapidly moving from legacy systems to the cloud to reap its benefits. In fact, a recent report by SelectHub showed that the global cloud market is expected to reach $411 billion by 2020.

ERP in Core Operations Management

An ERP software manages essential information for different departments of a company. They provide software assistance in most areas like –

  • Materials and Inventory: Managing stock levels, material requirements, and vendor requirements.
  • Manufacturing and Assembling: Helping in planning, scheduling, and forecasting production and material requirements.

Figure: 1Must-Have ERP Modules

Must have ERP Modules

  • Sales and Distribution: Ensuring real-time data tracking for increased visibility on customer orders and distribution requirements.
  • Accounting: Managing essential back-office processes, tracking all transactions, and supporting financial reporting.

Most companies need stable and multitask-capable systems to work on to meet the needs of their customers at a faster pace to stay at par with the competition. The only real solution is to adopt a legacy system replacement strategy using flexible microservices which can offer a competitive advantage.

Enterprise Resource Planning – On-premise and cloud

Currently, most ERP systems run on either on-premise or private clouds. According to a report by Panorama in 2018, 15% of companies use on-premise ERP solutions, 64% of companies use SaaS whereas 21% use cloud-based ERP solutions. On the other hand, in the year 2017, 67% of companies used on-premise ERP solutions, 6% used cloud and 27% used SaaS.

Figure: 2On-premise vs Cloud

On-Primise Vs Cloud ERP

The rapid increase in cloud solutions adoption shows that companies are slowly becoming comfortable with moving to the cloud and working on cloud-hosted systems. Cloud computing makes it much easier for vendors to deploy rapidly changing technologies using the internet of things (IoT), artificial learning, machine learning, and data analytics to keep their systems updated. This is the paramount reason for the cloud to dominate in the future. As and when this happens, the cloud will not only provide you efficiency and deliver valuable insights but will also enhance predictability.

This is not an overnight change because customers and users take time to mature and invest in current systems, the change is yet inevitable.

Steps to take before embarking on ERP modernizing journey

Moving to the cloud is a big step which means certain things should be done very carefully –

  • Prioritizing applications – Separating applications that help in business expansion and staying on par with the competition is essential. Applications like email, messaging, calendars, and other Office-supported apps are lower priorities compared to other business-critical software. Companies can make do without these less important apps for short periods. This helps in gaining a clearer understanding of which apps should immediately be moved to the cloud and which ones can wait.
  • Workload levels and demand levels – As many see the cloud as a solution for applications with major shifts in demand, public clouds offer increased server support when required. Running workloads with rapidly changing demand on the cloud increases efficiency and increase the financial support offered.
  • Importance of customization – When considering a shift to the cloud, workloads which require customer architecture require customization if performance is heavily dependent on a specific configuration. In cases where your internal organization has limited features and configuration capabilities, the cloud helps by increasing flexibility and provides resources necessary to identify workloads for optimal conditions.
  • Geographical and regulatory variables involved – Regulations can complicate your data framework immensely. Hybrid architectures help you successfully host your sensitive data and alleviate these challenges. Understanding these hurdles beforehand can save a lot of time and money. The regulatory requirements in different geographical areas also play a key role in moving data to the cloud. The broad presence of the cloud gives you the redundancy, content delivery network (CDN) capabilities and supports customers at any location that they access the data from without any additional costs. This also helps you by easing the complexity of operating geographically dispersed on your own.
  • Security threats – Security is a focus point for both private cloud providers and ERP software. Cloud providers operate at a larger scale, with increased security experts on staff and more experience protecting tenant data from new threats. When transitioning to the cloud, conducting a thorough assessment of both existing vulnerabilities and potential risks associated with service provider facilities before making your decision is extremely essential.

Better performance with modern ERP systems

Following the steps above can help companies go on to transition from their on-premise software to the cloud. They can effectively plan to modernize their ERP and transform their organizations. The experience of leaders who have been a part of such a transition shows that effort leads to significant gains including better and more secure access to data and increasingly efficient use of resources at reduced operational costs.

One particular benefit was seen by an industrial company with operations spread across the globe. They aimed to reduce operational costs by improving performance. They planned to do this by effectively managing their financial transactions. The easiest solution to this was to improve the connections between their ERP systems and the data being circulated both internally as well as externally. This in turn improved decision-making using automated data flows reducing the time that the company spent in gathering data and boosting the company’s financial intelligence.

Key Takeaways

No transformation of such a large scale can be easy or convenient. It’s not wrong to fear these kinds of transitions but it’s essential for companies to step up and take control so they can reduce their operational costs, increase connectivity and host sensitive data on more secure platforms. Moving data from on-premise software to the cloud can be made easy by answering the questions about the scope and nature of the upgrade. Adhering to a few simple and practical guidelines can also make this process simpler. Once this transition takes place, executives can manage the risks of modernizing their ERP solutions to gain a competitive edge in the market.

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How Modern Digital Tools Can Help Transform Biotech companies
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How Modern Digital Tools Can Help Transform Biotech Companies
How Modern Digital Tools Can Help Transform Biotech Companies 700 500 Xcelpros Team

At a Glance

Technological changes are impacting Biotechnology now and in the future to come. New-age companies are leveraging modern biotech tools to aid business productivity and growth.

Some key aspects involved in the transformation of the biotech sector are:

  • Machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and ERP systems residing on a unified platform.
  • The combination of these technologies is reducing the time it takes to create and produce diagnostic procedures and medicines.
  • The impacts of these technologies on operational excellence is reducing failure rates and permitting the production of therapies tailored to specific patients.

A Short History of Vaccines

According to The World Health Organization (WHO)’s History of Polio Vaccination, the first polio epidemic struck the U.S. in 1894. The polio virus wasn’t identified until 1908, and Jonas Salk’s first vaccine tests started in 1952. Polio wasn’t declared eliminated from the Americas until 1994.

Using modern biotechnology, Operation Warp Speed was announced on March 30, 2020. Moderna published its initial Phase I/II trial data on July 14, 2020, followed by Pfizer on Aug. 12. The previous record for vaccine development was four years for mumps, a BioSpace article states.

Machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and other next-generation computing tools are among the changes expected to have a big impact on the biotechnology manufacturing processes now and into the future.

How will improvements in computing technology impact the biotech sector? By reducing the time it takes to bring new products such as medicines and testing methods to market, an article on Northeastern University’s Graduate Programs Blog states.

The advent of other digital tools such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) means sensors on various biotech production devices are now measuring and adjusting the rate of chemical flows, temperatures and other variables previously monitored by people.

“Robot scientists using AI can test more compounds and do so with improved accuracy and reproducibility and exhaustive, searchable record keeping,” Steve Oliver, a systems biologist with the University of Cambridge, said in May 20, 2018 Nature article ‘How artificial intelligence is changing drug discovery”’.

Using AI, scientists can create and analyze large quantities of outcome data, highlighting differences between healthy cells and those damaged by diseases such as cancer. “We are turning the drug-discovery paradigm upside down by using patient-driven biology and data to derive more-predictive hypotheses, rather than the traditional trial-and-error approach,” Niven Narain, co-founder of Berg, a biotech firm near Boston, said in the Nature article.

The bottom line of using AI and machine learning is improving biotech firms’ profits by dropping the failure rate from its current 90 percent and reducing the cost of developing new drugs.

Cloud computing and virtual meetings permit sharing information and making informed decisions. In terms of analyzing data, the physical location of a scientist, manager or worker is no longer a barrier to their contributions to a biotech effort. Online collaboration also allows smaller firms to share information and gather insights from academic organizations and government research organizations, permitting access to many more stakeholders, the Northeastern article states.

The strength of a company surfaces when all of these different applications work together through seamless integration with an ERP platform, without creating security threats or data integrity issues.

Tech and Clinical Trials

As clinical trials migrate to better service levels for all patients, clinical trials become more about converting data into actionable intelligence, Michael Kleppinger of Syneos Health said in an XTalks article.

Other biotech leaders stated that clinical trials are now using master protocols, basket design and adaptive trial design, all of which require computing power to make it work. This includes virtual trials that expand the potential patient population, Ken Light of OmniComm Systems told XTalks.

“If you think about it, if you’re only getting partial data, be it from a CRO (contract research organization) or EDC (electronic data capture) system or CTMS (clinical trial management system) or your financial systems or wherever that data is housed and sitting, how are you able to make informed decisions on partial data? In my mind, it’s like trying to throw darts with a blindfold on,” Joe Erline of Saama Technologies told XTalks.

Modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems combine data from departments such as purchasing, inventory and finance. The software allows chief financial officers and other top executives to make better decisions by seeing a larger picture using multiple data streams.

Non-traditional data sources are also broadening access to some data types

Among the recent products cited are internet-connectable smart watches including Apple iWatches ™ and Fitbit ™ exercise trackers, all of which obtain and record physiological data. Running the data through machine learning algorithms allows top executives to predict how well certain therapy molecules will work and determine the molecules’ toxicity and treatment effectiveness, all much faster and more economically than in the past.

Figure: 1 Medicine at FDA: The Scope & Significance of Progress in 2020

Medicine at FDA: The Scope & Significance of Progress in 2020

Tech and Personalized Treatment

One area directly benefiting from computer advancements is the cost of personalized genetic testing to consumers. These tests are now down to the range of $100 -$2,000 depending on the nature and complexity of the test, MedlinePlus states. For comparison, the 1990’s Human Genome Project cost $2.7 billion.

In terms of biotechnology companies, this major price reduction means personalized treatment plans are now realistic options. Using drugs based on a specific patient’s genetic and molecular makeup, the theory is these individualized medicines should be more effective at treating that patient than a more broad-spectrum drug, a different XTalks article states.

More than one-third of all new drugs approved in 2020 were personalized. This was the third time in the last four years this approval level was reached, the Personalized Medicine Coalition mentioned in PR Newswire.

In 2020 alone, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 19 personalized therapies, one cell-based immuno-therapy and eight diagnostic applications the agency’s “Personalized Medicine at FDA: Scope and Significance of Progress in 2020” states. One of them was the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell-based immuno-therapy for treating patients with refractory mantle cell lymphoma. This method holds promise for better cancer care.

The FDA also released seven guideline documents related to the manufacturing and clinical development of gene and cell-based therapy products. Another highlight of the 2020 report was the approval of a pan-tumor liquid biopsy next-generation sequencing-based test as a companion diagnostic device for multiple biomarkers in cell-free DNA isolated from plasma specimens. The method permits testing without using more invasive methods in some patients.

Updated Biotech Can Boost Food Production

Variations of the same general gene-editing tools of biotechnology used to develop therapies for treating humans can also be used to create more robust crops. Among highlights cited in March 2020 BCC Research report “Agricultural Biotechnology: Emerging Technologies and Global Markets” is that DNA sequencing, RNA interference, synthetic biology tools, and gene editing will all have an impact on growing that market through 2024 and likely beyond.

The effect will be the ability to provide higher yields with equal nutritional value for humans and livestock in smaller spaces. At the same time, improved biotech methods applied to agriculture will permit growing crops in harsher climates than those currently farmed.

The Bottom Line

Emerging and evolving computer technologies such as AI, when combined with enterprise business applications, are helping biotech companies work faster, creating new products in less time and with dramatically lower costs, than ever before.

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Role of technology in optimizing the pharmaceutical supply chain banner
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The Role of Technology in Optimizing the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
The Role of Technology in Optimizing the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

The pharmaceutical industry is a rapidly growing industry with strict regulatory requirements. The COVID-19 pandemic has put immense pressure on these companies to meet the changing demands of the market. Meeting these high demands while adhering to requirements can be one of the biggest challenges for these firms. With more and more industries going fully digital, technology is helping these companies overcome challenges as they arise to stay in business. Let’s find out how!

Tech in Pharma Supply Chain infographic

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5 Key Reasons Why Distributors Should Invest in a Robust ERP
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5 Key Reasons Why You Need ERP Software in Distribution
5 Key Reasons Why You Need ERP Software in Distribution 700 500 Xcelpros Team

At a Glance

  • As a distributor, your investments can be severely impacted due to operational or management issues with your transportation system; The day-to-day operations of most wholesale distribution companies can take advantage of optimized systems to avoid inventory stock-outs, transportation bottlenecks, and more.
  • Most operational problems can either be resolved quickly or avoided altogether with ERP software designed for distribution companies.
  • Today, more and more supply chain distribution and transportation companies looking for an advantage are investing wisely in ERP software.

Distribution management, supply chain and logistics planning can be few of the most challenging areas for any wholesale distribution company. If not properly monitored, common occurrences of events like rapidly increasing volumes of new information, varying timelines, and unplanned scheduling issues can become large challenges to overcome. This goes for unforeseen factors that can’t be planned for as well, like breakdowns, natural disasters, and unexpected disruptions to transportation channels. To minimize the impact of these scenarios and more, distribution companies can choose to leverage smart business management software platforms such as ERPs. These solutions designed specifically for distribution companies focus on simplifying operations and shortening the cash cycle with robust out-of-the-box and customizable solutions.

For years, distribution companies have been on the short end of the stick when it comes to implementing IT infrastructure capable enough to support their unique needs and requirements. While a quick search might indicate a majority of wholesale distribution companies operating on a similar model, a more in-depth investigation would highlight numerous differences and intricacies. An effective wholesale distribution ERP software can recognize specific requirements and provide solutions to address them based on the scale, geography, and operating model of a specific organization. This all points to ERP being essential for distribution channel management, boosting overall operational efficiency, and reducing costs.

Below are 5 more important reasons why the right ERP is a must-have for organizations looking to boost distribution and transportation networks

1.Increased agility With today’s market more dynamic than ever before, end-users are not only more aware of what they want but are able to access a growing number of options. This change in behavior requires manufacturers and wholesale distributors alike to rethink their approach. With the right ERP solution in place, both sales and distribution pipelines become much more dynamic, allowing distribution companies to communicate changes in requirements in real-time to simplify the order-to-shipment process.

2.Enhanced Data Management For any distribution company, managing inventory inflow and outflow is an enormous task, susceptible to repetition, recurrence, and multiple errors. This can be avoided by implementing a comprehensive ERP platform to automate data entry and facilitate high-end data and insight generation. The right ERP software in distribution offers significantly enhanced visibility and complete transparency for information being managed in a distribution network.

Figure: 1Why Do Distribution Companies Need ERP

Why Do Distribution Companies Need ERP

3.Efficient Inventory Management Properly managing today’s distribution operations includes actively monitoring supply chains, logistics, and inventory, which, when not managed effectively, can produce a significantly lower ROI. This is where ERP software for a distribution company can make a huge difference with things like built-in automation to track multiple items, real-time monitoring of goods to avoid stock-outs, and improved communication between stakeholders.

4.Streamlined Supply Chain Management To avoid disruptions in supply chains, companies need to take proactive measures to streamline operations and minimize the impacts of any global phenomenon that can potentially disrupt the supply network. An ERP software in a distribution company helps ensure a steady flow of goods, fortified communication amongst stakeholders, and complete visibility of the supply chain.

5.Improved Customer Relationships Today’s wholesale distributors are expected to anticipate their end user’s needs as market demands rapidly change. This helps organizations stay ahead of their competition, and able to respond quickly to their customer’s dynamic requirements. The strengthening of these customer relationships leads to an improved cash cycle, which further helps to avoid overstock. This leads to other, more conventional industries looking to improve customer retention with the right ERP.

Final Thoughts

Modern ERP software in distribution has evolved into complete end-to-end platforms designed to promote growth and improve both suppliers’ and distributors’ ability to do business under quickly changing conditions. Especially today, implementing the correct solution has become much more affordable, offering significantly improved response times, increased efficiency, and stronger customer relationships.

Key Takeaways

  • Choosing the right ERP for distribution is more crucial than ever in making your supply chain and distribution network highly dynamic, leaving your business in a much better position to respond to rapidly-changing market demands.
  • The main focus of ERP isn’t just operations management but also improving supply chain and strengthening customer relations.
  • Overall, sales and distribution cycles become much more profitable when the right ERP solution is in place.

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Importance of Robust ERP in Sustaining Manufacturing
  • Xcelpros Team
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Importance of Robust ERP in Sustainable Manufacturing
Importance of Robust ERP in Sustainable Manufacturing 700 500 Xcelpros Team

At a Glance

  • ERP has been critical to the manufacturing sector, from business strategies to meeting increased demand for specific products.
  • While the manufacturing industry has long been reliant on ERP systems for effective business operations, recent events have highlighted their importance.
  • Experts are looking at comprehensive ERP products that can help them meet rising demand and elevate their business platforms for success in the future.

If the manufacturing industry had to describe 2020 in one word, most might go with ‘unprecedented’. Things like disruptions to Supply Chains, wildly fluctuating changes in demand, and shortages of materials have led to a state of disarray for organizations of every size. These organizations are looking to maneuver efficiently through these challenges and meet changing demands while remaining in compliance. This means that manufacturers’ top management bodies weigh options to reshuffle their business processes and strategies to accommodate sudden changes.

Going forward, businesses will need to change their production plan from top to bottom as the demand for certain goods like automotive, non-essential goods, and construction materials have gone down. In contrast, things like chemicals, ventilators, sanitizers, hygiene products, PPE, and various pharmaceutical raw materials have dramatically increased. This shift in demand calls for realignment and systematic operational implementation of business processes with a fortified ERP system.

53%

of the manufacturing industry expect COVID-19 to impact operations.

Source: National Association of Manufacturing (NAM)

Shown below are some of the biggest concerns the manufacturing industry has at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic:

  • Disruption of supply chains due to travel restrictions
  • Low or no availability of raw material
  • Skeleton crews on the production floor owing to the fear of exposure to the virus
  • Loss of revenue due to stalled production all over the world
  • Realignment of the workforce to accommodate working from home
  • Rapid change in demand patterns for certain consumer goods
  • Downward or backward fiscal growth.

The future sustainability of organizations of all sizes in the manufacturing sector will depend on current investment in tools, software, and systems to streamline, realign, and effectively manage business and production operations. Sustainable manufacturing practices can surely help companies boost their profits.

Figure: 1Challenges Faced by The Manufacturing Industry Due to Covid-19

Challenges Faced by Manufacturing Industry Due to Covid-19 Pandemic

The resulting wake of Covid-19 has compelled decision-makers from businesses in the manufacturing sector to reevaluate their business processes and automation to deal with supply chain bottlenecks effectively. This is where the implementation of an effective ERP system comes into play.

Listed below are just a few key strategic ways that a comprehensive ERP system like Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Supply Chain and Finance can help fortify the end-to-end manufacturing life cycle for companies in this industry.

1.Addressing Bottlenecks in the Supply Chain ERP systems have proven essential to optimizing the supply chain and providing top-to-bottom visibility of production cycles to avoid situations like stock-outs, inventory glitches, and logistical issues. Enterprise Resource Planning tools have become highly critical to businesses as global supply chains are disrupted. ERP systems help mitigate damages by overhauling the demand-to-supply strategy and optimizing the supply chain accordingly. ERP systems are also highly crucial in collating and classifying production data for complete visibility to workers on the shop floor and beyond.

2.Boosting Automation to Compensate for Skeletal Workforce Thanks to restrictions still in place, many factories continue to operate at 50% workforce or even less to maintain social distancing to mitigate exposure risks. This means that more manual operations are becoming automated, requiring planning, changes in hardware and software, training, and proper deployment of automation protocols. This can all be managed with the help of a robust ERP system.

3.Managing Change in Demand Since the pandemic, there has been a swing in need for certain commodities, such as automobiles, sanitizers, hygiene products, and ventilators. These rapid changes in the market require an ERP system that helps streamline raw material purchases, billing cycles, payroll solutions, last-minute logistical changes, generating a bill of material, and much more.

Boosting Manufacturing with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Comprehensive platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance or Supply Chain help Improve efficiency and productivity for businesses in the manufacturing industry. The systematic tools assist with planning, logistical management, change analysis, data collation, capacity requirement management, and responding to rapidly changing needs.

Figure: 2Boosting Manufacturing with Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP System During Covid-19

Boosting Manufacturing with Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP System during Covid-19

Key Takeaways

The numerous changes that developed since the onset of Covid-19 have created significant setbacks for any business in the manufacturing industry; Savvy organizations that can use the right ERP software while investing in intelligent solutions will be in the best position for growth when this is all over. Here are some final points to remember when you think of ERP in the manufacturing industry.

  • The top executives and decision-makers in the manufacturing sector need to invest in smart manufacturing ERP software solutions to combat the changing demand and supply patterns.
  • Analyzing global and local goods and commodities requirements will be essential for running a manufacturing plant.
  • Manufacturers need to rethink their supply chain and inventory management strategies and implement proven and systematic resource planning tools.

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