Choosing the Right Partner for Your Life Sciences ERP Needs

Earlier this year, Crescense partnered with Dermavant Sciences and SAP for a Midmarket ReferenceLIVE event where the CIO of Dermavant Sciences, Chad Berryhill, shared his journey of transitioning from their previous solution to SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud. With Crescense serving as their trusted partner, Associate Partner Peter Tzefronis also shared his perspective on choosing the right ERP in life sciences and the potential for digital transformation with SAP, along with the importance of choosing the right SAP partner.

BACKGROUND

Prior to making the switch to SAP, Dermavant Sciences had another ERP system in place. As they planned to launch a new non-steroidal treatment for psoriasis in 2022, they knew they needed to prep for its launch with a new SAP system. As Berryhill explained, “We knew at some point we were going to go to SAP. That’s just where you play if you’re in life sciences.”

With a goal to launch six months before the product launch, Dermavant brought in four vendors for SAP help. With previous experience partnering with the Crescense team, Dermavant selected Crescense’s 8-9 month go-live timeline that was tailored to their exact asks and needs.

Tzefronis expanded upon Berryhill’s sentiment, saying, “SAP really is, we found in our experience and my experience, the best tool for life sciences companies – it’s not only the history of the tool and the capabilities that are inherent, but it’s also supporting global operations.” 

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNER FOR YOUR LIFE SCIENCES ERP NEEDS

Experts at Crescense knew that SAP was the best fit for Dermavant’s needs. There was an aggressive timeline, which is why they focused on best practices and leveraged their SAP Life Sciences Accelerator. Crescense’s team delivered a solution on time and ahead of their commercial launch. Tzefronis emphasized, that within “48 hours [after] receiving approval [of the new system], we were able to ship products leveraging SAP.”

Berryhill stressed the importance of choosing the right implementation partner. He said, “They’re going to be there on the late-night call. If you don’t have somebody that’s invested in your success and willing to take those late-night calls and go, ‘You know what, I hear your concerns. Here, let’s work through them.’ Your chances of success are very minimal. And [Crescense] has always been that partner for us.”

Berryhill further emphasized that Crescense helped challenge the team, facilitated productive, honest, and open dialogues, and most importantly, enabled the team to understand how to take the implementation step by step to avoid burnout. Now, two years post-launch, the Dermavant team is happy with their decision.

Watch the full client testimonial here.

LOOKING AHEAD

As the life sciences sector faces significant challenges requiring a focus on security and regulatory compliance, understanding how to leverage digital technologies like SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud can be a game-changer. Selecting a solution tailored to your unique needs and challenges within the Life Sciences industry is key, and while migrating to SAP can be a big lift, implementation partners can make all the difference.

If you’re a life sciences organization interested in learning more about partnering with Crescense for your ERP needs, click here.