ERP implementation in the life sciences industry places high demands on both operations and technology. SVAR Life Science operates globally and offers products, diagnostic services, and customized solutions to customers in the life sciences sector.

As the business continued to grow, there was an increasing need for better support for integrated processes, improved monitoring, and an enterprise resource planning system that could meet future requirements for efficiency, quality, and traceability. Anchor Management Consulting was part of the journey from the very beginning, which resulted in increased transparency, improved data quality, and a stable foundation for the future.

We’re meeting with Jenny Segerlund, Head of Supply Chain; Cecilia Björklund, CFO; and Filiz Ibraimi, COO at SVAR Life Science to discuss the project.

A long-term partnership

How SVAR Life Science carried out its ERP implementation

The digital transformation, including the implementation of the business system at SVAR Life Science, has been a carefully planned process based on Anchor's methodology.

SVAR and Anchor began the project with a Quick Assessment—that is, a structured preliminary study—in which we analyzed and determined the current situation, strategic direction, and needs. We then moved on to a Business Preparation phase.

Through a business analysis and Anchor’s Search and Select method, the right solution and partner were selected while a roadmap for SVAR’s digital transformation journey was established and the implementation project was prepared. At the same time, future work processes were also defined, along with the processes that the business system would support.

During the nine-month transformation phase, Anchor led the project management, change management, and validation efforts. The project team collaborated with Systemstöd, which was selected as the partner for the technical implementation of the Sage X3 business system.

Thanks to a clear structure and the strong commitment and hard work of the entire project team, the project was delivered on schedule.

A solid foundation that makes things easier for the entire organization

As a result, SVAR gained a new and validated business system, improved data quality, and a clearer information structure. SVAR also achieved its goal of modernizing its operations, increasing efficiency, and adopting a more cohesive and integrated way of working, thereby enhancing transparency and enabling better monitoring.

The next step in the digital transformation journey

At the same time, this is just the first major step in SVAR’s digital transformation journey. In the short term, continued development of the business system is at the top of the agenda, which will include, among other things, the French subsidiary. In the longer term, plans also call for greater integration with the current CRM system.

Why Anchor

To wrap up this interview, we asked the sponsorship team to share a few thoughts on their partnership with Anchor.

Overall, our collaboration with Anchor was excellent throughout the entire project. We in the sponsor group felt very confident having access to experience and specialized knowledge in ERP implementation projects, in the form of a Business Analyst and a Project Manager. The support that the entire project team received during those nine months was crucial to the project’s success.

In addition, beyond the implementation itself, we received valuable assistance with the validation of the ERP system—a critical component for a life sciences business. Having an internal project manager who could also act as an intermediary with the ERP vendor wasn’t entirely a given from the start. In hindsight, however, it became clear that this was essential given the number of resources we had at Svar.