Accenture helped Astellas Pharma Inc. create a cloud-based core IT platform that serves as the foundation for an advanced, data-driven management model for the company’s global operations. The new platform has been rolled out in Japan, the Americas and EMEA, with plans for further deployments.
The flexibility of the cloud enables Astellas to rapidly incorporate new and emerging technologies, accommodate business expansions such as mergers and acquisitions, and quickly deploy business continuity plans.
Based on SAP S/4HANA® and running on Microsoft Azure, the new platform will consolidate and integrate data from Astellas’ supply chain, human resources and purchasing and accounting operations into a single view. Previously, this data was spread across countries, locations and departments.
It also includes SAP® SuccessFactors® solutions, human capital management software, that rather than solely focusing on transactional HR processes is designed to enhance employee productivity and agility globally to drive innovation.
This represents a step forward for Astellas to build an “enterprise digital twin,” which can simulate, predict and model the dynamic functions of an entire organization to explore potential business opportunities and highlight potential risk factors. This will enable Astellas to visualize information in a centralized manner to enhance decision-making.
In parallel with the development and implementation of the new platform, Accenture is delivering business process services to strengthen the agility of Astellas’ global-scale operations. The data gathered by the new IT platform and operations services will be combined with digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and analytics to streamline its enterprise processes. This should help Astellas optimize sales and administrative expenses; accelerate efforts to expand its research capabilities; and foster greater innovation —ultimately enabling the company to generate additional resources for drug discovery.
“We were able to move to a full-cloud platform with the help of Accenture, which has extensive experience in implementing core platforms for global operations,” said Shinya Suda, senior vice president and head of Information Systems at Astellas. “The success of the project was due to Accenture’s ability to bring together a wide range of experts from around the world for a truly ‘one-team’ approach with Astellas. We can centralize data and make the best use of this technology to create a business platform that supports visualization and bold data-driven decision-making. In collaboration with Accenture and other internal and external partners, Astellas will continue to focus on creating innovations that contribute to the health of people around the world.”
Motoki Fujita, vice president and head of Global Business Services at Astellas, added, “The new platform will accelerate our Global Business Service efforts to integrate operations on a global scale. This will create an environment that contributes to the business by optimizing selling and administrative expenses and creating an environment that allows employees to focus on high value-added work. We will leverage AI, RPA, and other digital technologies to thoroughly visualize and automate operations, and drive toward the goal of Intelligent Operation.”
Mitsuru Nagata, Senior Managing Director and Intelligent Platform Services lead for Accenture Technology in Japan, said, “I am pleased to be able to support this significant project that will accelerate the ‘One Astellas’ vision. By bringing together the talent of both companies from around the world and thanks to the strong commitment of Astellas’ top management to complete the project we were able to set up this core platform. Accenture will continue to support Astellas’ innovation efforts by leveraging our deep knowledge of the life sciences industry and our global network.”
