SAPinsider Issue 3 2020

chain. To prevent unexpected, adverse effects on the processes its clients depend on, rapid and rigor- ous testing is required for a massive system migra- tion, such as a move to SAP S/4HANA. For this reason, McKesson recognized that a testing trans- formation must be an integral part of its broader digital transformation. With advanced test automa- tion ensuring the continued integrity of core busi- ness processes, McKesson can move quickly without the risk of disrupting core business processes. Combating the Complexity That Underlies Healthcare Processes and Systems McKesson’s business has four core components: ■ Providers : Helping healthcare providers navigate an evolving landscape and make smarter deci- sions about business operations and healthcare ■ Life sciences : Working with life sciences com- panies to help develop and deliver advanced medical treatments that lead to improved care and outcomes ■ Pharmacies : Supporting the missions of pharma- cies by expanding the range of medical supplies and services they can offer customers ■ Health systems : Providing pharmaceutical dis- tribution services that are customizable and scalable for hospitals and health systems of all types and sizes — from small rural facilities to academic medical centers to multi-site integrated delivery networks Each segment of the organization processes a large volume of daily transactions. McKesson deliv- ers one third of all pharmaceuticals in North Amer- ica, and each of the company’s distribution centers can process an average of around one million line items per day, or 60,000+ line items per hour, during peak business ordering times. To get a sense of the complexity driving these transactions, consider how McKesson takes and distributes a health system’s order today. A hos- pital worker places an order for gauze pads and insulin, either through a standard customer rela- tionship management (CRM) interface or the hos- pital’s custom user interface (UI). From there, the order moves through McKesson’s order processing and delivery processes, navigating a combination of SAP, non-SAP CRM, and multiple warehouse management systems. Along the way, various sup- porting processes involving distribution centers, security, operations, and more are triggered. Each of these supporting processes are connected by different integration technologies (see Figure 1 ). Now, imagine that you are McKesson and one of your clients asks you to start holding 30% of Figure 1 McKesson operates a complex network of distribution centers, with SAP software as the core, that each can process as many as 60,000+ line items per hour during peak times 32 SAPinsiderOnline.com