Data Integration strategies

One way to do this is to invest in a so-called data lake, but it is a costly, resource-heavy investment that takes time to get right. In our experience however, Microsoft business intelligence tools offer a faster and more effective solution that enables you to use varied data sets from across the organization.

Improving efficiency across the product lifecycle

A powerful tool in the Microsoft suite is Power BI. Among other things, it enables you to visualize processes using data from a wide range of sources. We developed a Power BI solution for an international pharmaceutical company to help them increase transparency in the organisation and distribute their production plan to many departments.

It consolidates data from various systems to provide a unified view of production that supports more informed decision-making than their previous system could do. Users can see high-level views of production and click through to more detailed data, such as material requirements.

One significant benefit is that planning production and plant maintenance is now easier, which helps ensure the manufacturing unit runs at optimal capacity. Other departments have since recognized the potential of it and the Power BI solution has been scaled to enhance the planning of raw material sourcing, tracking batch status, and much more – contributing to significant costs savings.

Innovative ways to leverage data and save costs

In addition to combining data from different systems, Microsoft Power Platform can also be invaluable for companies seeking to organize and structure their data effectively.

We helped an international pharmaceutical company streamline operations at their Packaging and Delivery department by developing an Information Hub in Microsoft Power BI. Due to the type of product and medical regulations in different countries, a shipment requires separate packaging boxes, labels and delivery reports, etc. Previously, operators needed to gather this information from many different documents, which slowed down order fulfilment.

Thanks to the Information Hub’s data gathering and filtering capabilities, the information is now easily accessible from one user interface. What could take up to an hour now takes minutes, saving the company thousands of hours a year and simplifying the onboarding process for new employees.

In total, the solution savings amounted to 50 percent of an employee’s time per annum. The solution has been so successful that the pharmaceutical company is now looking for similar areas of the business to roll out the Information Hub.

Start making sense of your data

If you spend valuable time searching for data in different systems, bringing it together in one platform will streamline your operations and deliver valuable insights.

We have plenty of experience in developing smart integrations that make your data go further and make a big difference to your operations. Don’t assume it won’t work for your operations. Get in touch today, and let’s find a solution for your needs.