Customer Case Studies
Case Studies
Sage have produced a selection of customer success stories to demonstrate how our range of software can benefit your organisation. The following is a Case Stduy based on Focus Pharmaceuticals Limited who upgraded from Sage Line 100 to Sage 200.
Client Profile
Focus Pharmaceuticals Limited is a fast-growing independent UK company, specialising in the licensing and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals. It dynamically tackles the product development which others find too challenging, developing niche generics which fall outside of the areas of expertise of the major generic pharmaceutical companies. Focus Pharmaceuticals has already achieved measurable success: within just two years of formation, it had 28 licences approved in the UK. Focus Pharmaceuticals offers its experience in bringing hard-to-register products to market as a service to the industry. As well as licensing the company's own products, the regulatory team also acts as a consultancy in UK and EU regulatory strategy for companies around the world. Having added new products to the market, Focus Pharmaceuticals uses its strong relationships and understanding of the distribution chain to maximise product sales to the UK health care sector, through large wholesalers, some 200 NHS hospitals, and pharmacy chains. Perhaps, not surprisingly, given its enterprising approach, the company has seen rapid growth, since it was established in 2003 as a management buy-out. Turnover is currently in the region of £10 million, of which more than £1 million is reinvested every year in research and development.
The Challenge
Finance Director Richard Grethe explains why Focus Pharmaceuticals started the search for a new business management solution: "We had been using Sage Line 100 and it was a good product for the size of the company at the time. But as our business grew rapidly and became increasingly complex, we outgrew its scope and needed to move onto bigger, more dynamic software." He adds, "A parallel driver, in looking for a replacement solution, was the need to demonstrate compliance within the requirements of the government regulations, through the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In the pharmaceutical industry, we place great emphasis on our batch traceability. We must be able to track the product from when and where it has been made, all the way to the point at which the patient will take it - and recall the product back through the whole supply chain, if necessary."
The Solution
Focus Pharmaceuticals were recommended an upgrade path in the shape of Sage 200 Commercial Packages. This would give Focus Pharmaceuticals the increased power and traceability required. With support from DCS, the Sage 200 Commercials package was implemented for six users, running under Windows 2003 Server, with a Microsoft SQL Server database. Richard praises the responsive approach of DCS during the planning and implementation phases, "They cleaned up our previous system, so that we were in good shape to make a fast, effective transition. Their consultants are extremely professional, knowledgeable and efficient throughout in resolving any issues." Focus Pharmaceuticals contracts out the hosting of its server and Sage 200 Commercials software to a bespoke financial processing firm in Bedford. Connection is through terminal services over a virtual private network.
The Benefits
The Sage 200 Commercials solution now provides all the functionality needed to run an effective business, in terms of sales order processing, purchase order processing, stock control, and sales and financial ledgers. Speed, performance and reliability have all improved, while SQL Server provides the database structure and resilience essential to managing a complex business. Focus Pharmaceuticals also has the all important ability to take swift action in the event of product problems or recalls. As Richard says, "As a direct result of the transition, we believe our processes are easier and we have the full traceability and batch tracking of our products required to pass any MHRA audits. This has proved a fundamental pillar of our subsequent business growth. It's normally something for which you would have to buy an Oracle or SAP product, but Sage 200 Commercials does it all for us." Sage 200 Commercials is now equipping Focus Pharmaceuticals managers with the essential, timely information to maintain control of a fast-moving business. Richard continues, "Everybody - board members, the sales team, the new product development team, our warehouse team and myself - we all want to know how the company is doing and how our particular part of the business is performing. Sage 200 Commercials is very easy to use and offers excellent reporting, and with the ability to extract, filter and present information into Microsoft Excel, it works well for our needs. The speed and quality of reporting are now exceptional: I can run off reports on daily sales and daily gross profit or management accounts in about fifteen seconds. In terms of sales, we can see what's up and what's down, analyse why, and take immediate pre-emptive action." Last year, the company distributed some 5,500 orders, comprising nearly 2.5 million packs of tablets, and Sage 200 Commercials assists in managing the high volumes of stock. Picking lists and delivery notes are emailed in PDF format to the warehouse in Bolton, Lancashire. Sell-by and use-by dates are recorded, so that stock can be rotated and product shelf-life is not exceeded. Sage Document Manager is also fully used for customer communications in invoicing and faxing. Richard explains, "This great part of the software is a very dynamic and useful tool. We work remotely as a business all over the country and a lot of the time we require purchase orders, sales orders and invoices to be emailed out. Sage Document Manager enables us to extract data out of the system, format into an official-looking document with the company logo and so on, and quickly email it over as a PDF to the customer or supplier."
The Future
Sage 200 Commercials is set to support the Focus Pharmaceuticals' business into the foreseeable future and the company is now looking forward to its imminent implementation of the next version, with the continued support of DCS. A forthcoming upgrade promises enhanced links to Microsoft Excel and an even more intuitive interface.
Solution Overview
Sage is a global provider of end-to-end business management applications for small to mid-size businesses. Look to Sage for fully integrated software that delivers high performance, advanced functionality, cross-product integration and unmatched freedom of choice. Sage provides companies with the solutions they need to enhance competitive advantage and increase profitability.
- Provides the full traceability essential to compliance with the government's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency standards.
- Fast access to quality business information for improved management control.
- Improved performance and resilience to handle complex business requirements.
- Room to accommodate the requirements of a rapidly growing business.