SAP Implementation in Biotechnology – Rentschler ROOT goes SAPril!

Heidelberg - May 17, 2010

On April 1st, 2010, a new era of integrated information processing started with the new business year at Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH as well as at the other companies of the group. The Going Live of SAP ECC 6.0 as new central ERP system is both starting and centre point after less than one year’s time of implementation in order to introduce ROOT projects productively.

Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH is a worldwide acting full-service contract manufacturing organisation with more than 30 years of experience in development, production and authorisation of biopharmaceutical active ingredients. The Laupheim-based company meets international standards of good manufacturing practice (GMP) and has more than nine independent GMP suites with a volume of 30, 50, 250, 500 and 2,500 litres to produce material for clinical studies (Phase I-III) and market supply. Furthermore, Rentschler offers regulatory consultancy, protein analytics, quality control and the sterile filling of syringes as well as of injection vials.

ROOT – Rentschler Optimization in Organization and Technology – is an IT project portfolio whose aligned components will control corporate processes of Rentschler integrated:

  • ROOT BASE: Setup of a new server and hardware landscape for Rentschler
  • ROOT SAP: SAP implementation as central ERP system
  • ROOT EPM: Introduction of a central enterprise project management system with interface to the
  • PS module of ROOT SAP
  • ROOT MOSS: Introduction of a central document management system which is based on Microsoft Sharepoint Server with interface to ROOT EPM and ROOT SAP
  • ROOT LIMS: Introduction of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) with interface to the ERP system
  • ROOT EQMS: Introduction of a new enterprise quality management system
The concept is focused on integrated planning, management and controlling of project tasks in connection with the supply chain of the company. Florian Heimerl, i+o Partner and ROOT SAP Project Manager reports: “By introducing the projects ROOT BASE, SAP, EPM and MOSS successfully on April 1st, 2010, many manual interfaces had already been replaced in the very first days by an integrated processing – a starting point to continue to optimise the organisation as well as supporting the successful growth of the company“.

The formula for success for implementing on schedule was a project management with defined roles of team management, specialist divisions and IT experts. “In particular, methods of change management had already been of importance at an early project stage in order to convince the staff of the advantages of the new solutions. The go live preparations were focused on communicating with all staff members, looking beyond one’s own horizon and providing technically simple solutions for extraordinary discerning processes“, says Reinhold Elsaesser, Head of Information Systems.