CordenPharma obtains IT as a service from a GxP-compliant Swiss enterprise cloud
Following the takeover of three production sites from Vifor Pharma, CordenPharma had to give up the existing IT services with their employees for the three sites and restructure the division. Managing everything alone was not an option. When evaluating a suitable managed service partner, CordenPharma opted for ITpoint. How did the whole process go?
What was the experience?
An insight.
The CordenPharma Group has invested in three sites in order to expand its business in the manufacture of pharmaceutical dosage forms such as tablets and capsules. Growth through acquisition. The transaction between Vifor Pharma and CordenPharma involved the Fribourg, Ettingen and Lisbon plants. As we all know, an acquisition is followed by the real challenge: the smooth operational integration of the workforce and their work processes. Supporting information technology is indispensable. And this is where ITpoint came into play.
The three new CordenPharma production sites: Fribourg, Ettingen and Lisbon (from top to bottom).
Requirement: rapid transition, high quality and GxP compliance
Outsourcing the infrastructure IT services was essential so that CordenPharma could concentrate on the business integration of the three sites and the associated processes and specialist applications. The plan was for an external service provider to provide the IT for the three sites as a service and largely take over operations. When evaluating an IT service provider, CordenPharma focused on four decision criteria:
1. speed
Prompt provision of infrastructure, software and operation services and rapid transition to orderly operations.
2. adaptability
Where project parameters can change constantly, even after the order has been placed, a high degree of flexibility is required.
3. quality
Proven project staff, a high-quality IT environment with established availability and security mechanisms and an operating concept with a high level of maturity were required.
4. compliance
In the strictly regulated pharmaceutical industry, an IT service provider must be able to demonstrate conformity with the guidelines for "good working practice" (GxP = Good x Practice).
CordenPharma's requirements were tricky, but feasible. Unlike the organizations of the big players, the ITpoint team has the flexibility and dynamism to adapt to individual customer situations. This was an important decision criterion for CordenPharma when selecting the service provider.
Solution: Managed IT services from the ORIA Enterprise Cloud
ITpoint's managed service concept "ORIA" offers customers a choice of three cloud models: "Private Cloud", "Hybrid Cloud" and "Enterprise Cloud". CordenPharma opted for the latter. The ORIA Enterprise Cloud is a highly available, geo-redundant environment in two Swiss high-security data centers.
Following a catalog of requirements drawn up with CordenPharma, the ITpoint team initially provided such resources for the approximately 400 employees at the three sites:
- Redundant gigabit Internet access between the CordenPharma sites and the two data centers
- A large number of individually configured virtual servers (VM) for the future operation of all applications (specialist applications, security and system applications)
- Various Microsoft SQL and Oracle database clusters
- Several terabytes of redundant file services for the secure storage of files
- Active Directory Services as the basis for user and access management
- Desktop virtualization for secure, location-independent access for all users from any end device
- Replication and security mechanisms according to high industry standards to optimize availability and security
As is usually the case with cloud approaches, the virtual private resources defined for CordenPharma can also be changed quickly and at any time with the ORIA Enterprise Cloud. Billing is based on actual usage. And of course, ITpoint's cloud model is also open to seamlessly integrating public cloud applications such as Microsoft 365 into the overall concept.
ITpoint's "ORIA Enterprise Cloud" provides CordenPharma with a complete portfolio of virtual private resources with maximum flexibility on a highly available IT environment.
Transition: challenging but at eye level
When moving to a new IT landscape of a new company with different processes and taking GxP compliance into account in a short space of time, it was understandable that the conceptual planning developed iteratively. But when two small teams without a hierarchical structure work together in direct communication at eye level, hurdles and stumbling blocks are easier to overcome. This was also the case in the collaboration between the CordenPharma and ITpoint project teams.
In short: not everything always went according to plan, but the goals were always achieved. Despite a few bumpy phases, the first IT services were running productively on the ORIA Enterprise Cloud six months after the start of the project. And the most important thing: the IT users were never distracted from their work.
"I really enjoy working with ITpoint. It's a partnership, solution-oriented and a close, direct exchange. It's not a classic customer-supplier relationship. The productive operation got off to a pleasantly smooth start. Everything runs smoothly. There are direct contacts who tackle any issues that arise immediately."
CordenPharma International GmbH
Operation: clear responsibilities and direct communication
During the transition phase, CordenPharma and ITpoint had already defined which party would take responsibility for which IT components. While a small team at CordenPharma continues to be responsible for the specialist applications, the local network, the end devices and end user support, ITpoint operates all other elements from the ORIA Enterprise Cloud. ITpoint uses so-called "service operation packages". ITpoint assumes full operational responsibility for the services to which the packages are applied. This includes service desk, second-level support for troubleshooting and operational services including monitoring and reporting with a comprehensive service management and governance model.
The team at CordenPharma is not dealing with an anonymous construct when it comes to operational cooperation. Quite the opposite. All the people with operational responsibility at ITpoint are tangible, known by name, part of the ITpoint crew and always ready to communicate directly with CordenPharma representatives and implement suggestions and changes.
About CordenPharma
CordenPharma is a CDMO partner that supports biotech and pharma innovators of complex modalities in advancing their drug development cycle. Leveraging the collective expertise of teams across its globally integrated network of sites, CordenPharma provides customized outsourcing services for the entire supply chain. From the early clinical development phase through to commercialization.
With scientific expertise and partnership at its core, CordenPharma offers its customers high quality end-to-end services with a strategic focus on peptides, oligonucleotides, customized lipid excipients, lipid nanoparticles, sterile injectables and the extensive range of small molecules (both high potency and normal potency).
The CordenPharma Group consists of 12 facilities in Europe and North America.
A big thank you to CodenPharma and especially to the project team for the partnership-based, solution-oriented collaboration. We have learned a lot that will help us move forward!
Solutions for our customers
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When Erich Jau talks about the "Exchange Online / Office 365" project, this migration sounds like child's play. The prerequisite was careful preparation and implementation with the support of ITpoint. The bonus: The useful collaboration tools from Microsoft.
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