The Central ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) information system SAP S/4 HANA, branded as AlkaSAP, is an integrated system for processing, monitoring and data management in "Alkaloid", for support and efficient functioning of business processes. Since its implementation, AlkaSAP is being successfully and continuously operating and upgrading. In general, it includes several modules and sub-modules, such as:
FI (Finance)
CO (Controlling)
MM/WM (Material Management / Warehouse Management)
SD (Sales & Distribution)
PP (Planning Production)
QM (Quality Management)
HR (Human Resources)
In addition to Alkaloid AD Skopje (as its head office), through special projects (so-called rollout) and specially formed project teams, AlkaSAP has been implemented and used in five other companies / subsidiaries of the group, located in four countries. The systems for each company (database, business processes and functionalities) are completely independent, adjusted to comply with the local regulations and the required adjustments. On a daily basis, more than 400 users from different organizational units continuously use AlkaSAP for different purposes and with appropriate, exact authorizations according to business processes, transactions and reports. The project for replacement of AlkaSAP with a new (S / 4 HANA) platform during 2020 was particularly complex. It was performed with the so-called big-bang approach for migration of all modules and companies at once, within a very short period of time - in less than five months, with previous complete replacement of the central infrastructure (hardware, operating system and database), together with two partners (for replacement and for reliability), with the support of the manufacturer, while conducted completely remotely (virtually). Of course, new planned projects for upgrading and improvement in several modules will follow.
The central support for AlkaSAP covers a system segment (for central equipment administration) and an application segment (separately by module and by business processes). The end-user support is divided so that the first level of support are the internal key (Keyuser’s) users, the second level is the internal central team (Superuser’s and BCuser’s), and the third level is the external partner.
Since its outset (during introduction and rollout), the overall AlkaSAP is validated in accordance with the pharmaceutical (European Good Manufacturing Practice and US Food and Drug Administration) regulations and is continuously maintained (planned, tested, documented, validated) with each upgrade and change. The support comes from a special internal validation team for AlkaSAP.
In order to ensure business continuity in case of incidents/disasters, a special solution (so-called BC/DR - Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery) "takes care". This solution, through a special communication link, continuously replicates/synchronizes AlkaSAP (along with other key corporate systems) on a special equipment, which is isolated and located at a secondary (disaster recovery) location. Here are some other key systems that communicate, use or exchange data with AlkaSAP:
DMS (Document Management System)
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
AlkaCDS (Chromatography Data System)
AlkaT&T (Track & Trace)
Pixel Proof
BMS (Building Management System)