Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology is proactively delivering value in multiple sectors, with early adopters reaping the benefits of the technology and gaining early traction. Many enterprises are implementing RPA by establishing a clear framework, goals, and vision.
The robotic bots tackle multiple menial administrative tasks that don’t require human intervention. The Pharmaceutical industry consists of several such processes that can be easily automated. RPA enables seamless collaboration across the supply chain and increases operational efficiency while reducing costs.
Moreover, leveraging robots to execute repetitive tasks frees up employees to focus on more complex, and meaningful work, such as increasing customer engagement.
Here are the key Pharma processes to automate via RPA-
1. Clinical trial processes
Drug clinical trials entail various mundane tasks such as trial data validation, patient data entry, and regulatory consent to compliance auditors.
RPA automates such tasks to accelerate clinical trial processes, including:
- Patient data entry.
- Patient matching to applicable trials based on collected clinical data.
- Cross-checking patient records against Electronic Health Records (EHR).
- TFM (Trial File Master management) e.g. file transfers, data entry.
- Scheduling appointments and sending out notifications.
- Clinical trial reports generation.
2. Compliance processes
It is extremely important to comply with legal frameworks overseeing drug production as they directly impact the health and wealth of the community. RPA solutions in pharmaceutical help engineer transparent and acute compliance by:
- Validating if the documentations comply with the policies and regulations.
- Keeping up with policy modifications by grazing through regulatory websites.
- Automating regulatory submissions to auditors.
Additionally, the automated processes leave audit trails that are analyzed by audit authorities for generating transparency reports.
3. Inventory management
Pharma inventory management faces various challenges including poor planning for peak seasons (e.g. flu season, EoY) or trouble in tracking drug shipments.
RPA bots improve inventory management by:
- Shipment tracking automation.
- Invoice automation.
- Order management process automation (e.g. order-to-cash, source-to-pay).
- Notifying warehouse managers about the drug expiration date.
- Warehouse and drug storage temperatures management with the help of data provided by IoT devices.
4. Supplier onboarding automation
Supplier onboarding processes include collection of supplier data, performing an audit for assessing compliance approach and risks, drafting and signing a contract, and transferring the data into the organization’s supplier management platform. A thorough onboarding process in Pharmaceutical companies is crucial to bring down the risks and avoid lawsuits relevant to the vendor’s compliance.
RPA bots execute monotonous tasks in supplier onboarding and reduce errors to ensure regulation. Some of these include:
- Accumulating and feeding data from vendor’s records (e.g. emails, PDFs, contract details).
- Cross-checking the fed vendors’ data across different resources or platforms.
- Updating vendors’ data in the supplier management software and database.
- Reporting irregularities or inconsistencies between rules and regulations and vendor’s records.
- Sending out emails or notifications to vendors when a contract is authorized or when updates are available.
There are substantial use cases of robotic process automation for all industries, and the highly regulated Pharmaceutical sector is no exception. RPA solutions help organizations comply with regulatory guidelines while facilitating automation and innovation.
However, to reap the maximum advantage of the technology, you need specialists who can imagine the change for you and make automation happen. Neebal believes in a secure, rapid, and agile transformation. Contact us today to bring about innovation with automation!
Topics: RPA Solutions