How to update and maintain your regulated standard operating procedures, when migrating ERP systems.
INTRODUCTION
Updating a huge number of SOPs during an ERP migration
Our client is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that creates life-saving innovative medicines.
They client approached TWi as part of their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) migration project, moving from Oracle to SAP.
Our client needed to update 100s of standard operating procedures (SOPs) before their go-live date. These process documents needed to be updated so that end users could adopt the new systems and processes when the systems change over to SAP.
If you have a similar ERP migration project, that has a mountain of content and processes that you need to update, we can support you through the migration and take your content worries away.
Contact us to book a complimentary discovery session where we can discuss the scope of your project and provide you some solutions.
Talk to us about your content challenges
THE CHALLENGE
Tight timeframes, regulation and a mountain of content
Implementing a new ERP requires significant documentation updates with large-scale organisational impacts.
As a life-sciences organisation producing biopharmaceutical therapies, it was critical for our client to maintain consistent quality in their documentation across the business units for sustainable productivity and compliance.
- The client had an SAP go-live date window of only 3 months away.
- There were 100s of SOPs that need to mirror new ERP processes.
- There was no consistency in format of existing process documentation.
- There were potential time delays due to the:
- Lack of a process to prioritise content updates.
- Lack of a process for uploading content and training end users on new processes.
- Lack of time with subject matter experts (SMEs) for document review, especially with annual leave.
- All documents had to be compliant with regulatory requirements with document change control being managed using Veeva Vault.
- With a project touching so many parts of a business, it was important to keep all stakeholders informed of approach and progress.
- This content had to be ready so end users in our client’s businesses were able to adopt the new processes required by the ERP system change.
THE ACTION
TWi brings calm, confidence and processes that allow us to approach a huge amount of documentation updates
As seasoned technical writers, we pride ourselves on producing effective content. TWi concentrate on tailored processes to help reduce your costs and increase efficiency.
Our process:
- Discovery & Initial pilot
We use a robust content strategy process to scope out all the content you need to update as part of your ERP migration. An initial pilot project allows us to demonstrate our fit, and our client to assess their state of readiness. - Prioritisation processes
We triage and prioritise all document updates according to the client’s requirements. Where we identify content duplication across multiple documents, or encounter documents that require increased effort, we plan and resource accordingly. - Reducing time needed from your subject matter experts (SMEs)
We have researched, developed and tested solutions to dramatically reduce the needed to take busy SMEs out of their day to day. Our simple processes frees up SMEs to be interviewed in short bursts using the tools they are used to, so our team can get all required information from them to create the SOPs. - Scaling content production as needed
As part of this project, TWi were able to scale to meet the demands of our client. We brought a fully trained team of both full-time and part-time expert technical writers. All writers are experienced in a coaching style of collaboration, always providing full coverage of hard and soft skills in the project. - Introducing sign-off and review processes
To ensure we met the go-live date, and to avoid challenges of SMEs being unavailable or out of office when we needed them. We set up a robust process for review and sign-off of new SOPs. - Increasing efficiency, and reducing costs
Our expert content strategists ensure that whilst working on a project like this, not only do we review, edit and peer review all the required SOPs, we also work on structuring your content. We look for duplication, and then identify opportunities for single sourcing content that may be reused across many processes and training documents later. - Stakeholders kept informed throughout
All stakeholders (including end users) have been communicated with closely throughout this project to ensure it landed as intended. - Outside expertise
As an external partner with expertise in technical writing, TWi was able to bring an unbiased analysis and provided a fresh perspective that cuts across departments, and silos that may have formed.
THE IMPACT
Meeting the SAP go-live date, with all the SOPs updated and future-proofing business process documentation for our client
- Our client was able to go-live on their required SAP launch date.
- Users have the right information and are able to do their job.
- Users are able to adopt and complete new processes in SAP at launch.
- Users can now find the process documents in the quickest time possible.
- SOPs are written in clear, concise, and user-friendly language making them easier to understand.
- Our client has achieved improved efficiency with standard templates for all SOPs going forward.
- Ultimately, this project led to a direct return on investment of their SAP implementation.
- Our client is now able to measure the savings their move to SAP had made in man hours due to the process changes.
KEY FIGURES
Languages:
- English
Volumes:
- 1,000,000+ words approximately
- 450+ documents
Services:
- Project planning
- Consultation and content strategy
- Extensive SOP updates during ERP migration
- Document formatting
- Editing and technical writing
- Veeva Document Management
Impact:
- Go-live date was met.
- SOP process future-proofed.
- When new ERP went live, all documentation was updated and compliant with regulations.
- Training was provided to internal teams so they use new processes to handle internal business processes documentation efficiently.
Click HERE to learn how we can help your business migrate 100s of SOPs on a tight turnaround.
