Customer Testimonials

Just over a year before going independent from Sanofi, Euroapi, a company specializing in the development and manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients for the healthcare sector, began deploying Axiscope. A tool that offers a great deal, as it is much better adapted to the company's needs and size.

When it came to tools, Euroapi purchasing department (and its 200 employees) had two choices: to use the same purchasing tools as Sanofi, or to design a new one more in line with the company's size and needs. "The first option was almost the easy choice: we were operating in the same environment, with the same interfaces. Users could then keep their good habits. But in reality, it's not particularly suited to our challenges and our size", explains Maohua Wang, Head of procurement excellence and corporate procurement.

After finally choosing the second option (relying on a new tool) and a period of tendering, Euroapi selected Axiscope. The purchasing system seemed to be the one best suited to the group's processes, needs and size in terms of indirect purchasing for the current phase of Euroapi's development. From the outset, master users were involved in the choice of solution. They were invited to take part in presentation sessions. A questionnaire was submitted to them to gather their feedback. The Axiscope tool is designed to be easy to use, and stands out for its flexibility. An essential point for Maohua Wang, in his quest for a better user experience.

The deployment lasted fifteen months. This may seem a long time, but in the final analysis it was a very short one, because it was imposed. "We had an extremely tight deadline. This change was a major gamble, a constant challenge that demanded a great deal of boldness. We not only had to simplify and adapt our processes, but also all our interfaces between our ERP systems and end-users", describes Maohua Wang.

An essential detail when it comes to the change management dimension of this purchasing IS project. "The project doesn't just involve Purchasing, which is linked to many other departments within the company, such as Finance and IT," explains Maohua Wang. And it's not just Euroapi that is affected, but the entire upstream value chain. "As far as suppliers are concerned, some have accepted the change more easily than others. We exchanged a lot with them, provided them with support, and brought the most important ones on board first", he adds.

Moreover, there was a technical difficulty, and one question in particular: how to interface the tool with other business applications and the ERP? "We were faced with major technical challenges, because at the same time, we had embarked on a project to harmonize our ERPs", continues Maohua Wang. For Purchasing, the essential thing was to continue delivering as if things hadn't changed radically. Business continuity was therefore prioritized, leading Purchasing to focus initially on the essentials. A successful approach that has enabled the department to move forward.

The Axiscope tool includes modules for :

• management of calls for tender
• order placement
• supplier relationship management

Despite the maturity of Euroapi's purchasing function, which was already fitted with the right tools, Maohua Wang notes a real increase in power. Another point of satisfaction for him is that, with Axiscope, Euroapi has found a structure capable of evolving with it. It is a partnership that really helps Euroapi, and has resulted in numerous technical improvements. "Since the tool was implemented, two version upgrades have been carried out. Axiscope is constantly improving its technical performance. For our part, we are very attentive to our end-users' needs, so that we can make improvements wherever possible, such as in a process or a perimeter", says Maohua Wang.