Exploring Software Solutions in the Pharmaceutical Industry – A Case Study

Software solutions for the pharmaceutical industry primarily involve systems responsible for streamlining the operation of drug warehouses, logistics, and orders. While off-the-shelf solutions are sufficient to ensure the continuity of work for small pharmaceutical entities, they may have certain limitations for larger enterprises. Dedicated software provides an incredibly flexible response to all the needs of the pharmaceutical sector. Let’s discuss the entire process with a specific example of projects implemented for our clients.

Software Solutions in the Pharmaceutical Industry – Client’s Business Needs

The most urgent need was to find a modern and flexible tool that would enable the integration of various areas of collaboration with the brand and streamline the process of placing retail orders by customers.

Limitations of the software used previously: The existing system implemented in the company only allowed checking details of selected product offers, and the actual order had to be placed outside the system, for example, by contacting a hotline.

To provide a quick response to emerging customer inquiries and needs, the brand decided to develop dedicated software that would not encounter scaling issues in the future and efficiently address current supply requirements. Through this approach, a system was created, which practically became an assistant to every pharmacist. It intuitively guides customers through the entire ordering process. The platform was developed as a web application, responsive to mobile devices, to expand the accessibility of the offer to users of this channel.

Functional Solution

The response to the client’s business needs involved the development of a system that enables, among other things:

• Flexible order search – gathering information about orders and related documents directly associated with them. This allows tracking the status of order fulfillment and individual order lines.
• Flexible notification search – receiving information about new orders and planned deliveries, and creating notifications for the user.
• Gathering information on the turnover of individual pharmacies collaborating with the brand. Additionally, it allows tracking partner loyalty towards the company.
• Order synchronization and complaint handling.

Technical data:

• Technologies: Java, Spring, MongoDB, Angular, Docker
• Number of simultaneous users on the system: Approximately 150 users
• Methodology: Agile, Scrum
• Project team supporting tool: Jira, Confluence
• Number of team members from Opsenio: 6
• Roles on the Opsenio side: Project Manager, Technical Architect, two Backend Developers, Frontend Developer, Tester

The project utilizes a modern technology stack, including Java and Spring for the backend, MongoDB as the database, Angular for the frontend, and Docker for containerization. The Agile and Scrum methodologies ensure a flexible and iterative approach to development, allowing the team to adapt to changing requirements and deliver incremental updates.

The team’s collaboration and project management are facilitated by Jira, a popular issue tracking tool, and Confluence, a knowledge-sharing and documentation platform. The Opsenio team consists of six skilled professionals in various roles, ensuring a well-rounded and capable team for successful project execution. The roles include a project manager overseeing the project, a technical architect designing the system’s architecture, two backend developers responsible for server-side development, a frontend developer handling client-side development, and a tester ensuring the quality of the delivered software.

Sample business process

Software for the pharmaceutical industry must effectively achieve the objectives defined during the initial stages of the project. It is worth indicating a sample business process that can be efficiently carried out thanks to the new system:

• The customer logs into the system and accesses the product offers module.
• The customer selects the type of offer from the available options (Full Product / Promotional / Emedicines / Short Expiry Date / Damaged Products).
• The customer adds the chosen products to the shopping cart and specifies the desired quantity.
• After completing the shopping cart, the customer proceeds to the order summary.
• The customer places the order.
• At the end of the process, the customer is informed about the final status of their order and any changes related to product availability.

Software for the pharmaceutical industry – Benefits for the client

Software for the pharmaceutical industry, which offers detailed gathering of information about partners and their generated turnovers, as well as streamlines the process of placing orders and handling potential complaints, improves not only customer service but also operational efficiency. Additional benefits include better control over process execution and optimized analytics, thanks to data collection and presentation in the form of user-friendly reports.

Let’s examine the profits brought by each of the previously discussed functionalities of the new software:

• Increased operational efficiency – flexible search of notifications and orders streamlines logistics processes and communication with pharmacists. Objective: Swift response to market demands, avoiding potential delays, and efficient order processing.
• Optimization of partner management – tracking partner loyalty and analyzing their generated turnovers allows for accurate identification of key partners and better alignment of collaboration conditions with the most effective entities. Objective: Making strategic decisions regarding partnerships based on reliable data.
• Improved control over orders and complaints – through order synchronization and quick handling of potential complaints, the brand maintains full control over order status and quality, ensuring customers receive efficient service fully tailored to their needs. Objective: Improving customer satisfaction, building a professional corporate image, and increasing loyalty.
• Market understanding – a system enabling smooth analysis of gathered data on turnovers and customer preferences allows for a better understanding of the entire pharmaceutical sector’s dynamics. Objectives: Making informed investments and business decisions based on data.
• Increased efficiency of customer service processes – faster and more accurate order processing significantly reduces the time needed to fulfill orders from partners. Objective: Enhancing customer satisfaction, increasing competitiveness, and achieving higher revenues.

Summary

Knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry is the key to properly aligning the functionalities of new systems with market requirements and user needs. Our knowledge, acquired from completed projects, proves its practical value. If you want to improve your business with customized programming, we encourage you to get in touch. We are happy to answer all your questions and tailor a project to meet your expectations.

If you wish to learn about other opinions from our clients, you can find them here.