Lonza's Digital Journey
From spreadsheet to Batch Release Dashboard in just six weeks
The healthcare manufacturer Lonza needed to improve their batch release process. A dedicated team of specialists from NNIT designed and implemented a solution that provided a better overview for all stakeholders and reduced Lonza’s daily batch release management tasks from several hours to just a few minutes.
When NNIT says “we make a mark,” it reflects more than just delivering technical solutions. It’s about applying an understanding of business processes and life sciences industry needs to help customers improve their operations. Proximity to the customer and industry insight were key drivers behind this project with long-term partner Lonza.
As a preferred global partner to the pharma, biotech, and nutrition industries, Lonza works to enable the production of innovative medicines. When the delivery of a new product required a significant ramp-up of production, Lonza was ready to meet the challenge.
A complex process
To meet increased production demands, Lonza needed to accelerate and improve their batch review and release process. The batch release process was complex, involving collaboration and coordination across multiple IT systems. Managing batch releases kept many people busy in meetings, digging through emails, referencing different systems, and constantly asking, “are these numbers updated?” or “what is the status of this task?”
Previously, teams at Lonza compiled information from various sources into Excel spreadsheets to track batch status. However, it was not feasible to scale the volume of manual input from multiple teams, external stakeholders, and different systems such as Lonza’s LIMS and batch release system.
The Lonza staff already spent around two hours per day managing the batch release process. With the planned production ramp-up, that manual effort would have increased by a factor of fifteen requiring the team to repeat the process up to 120 times per day. It became clear that the tools supporting this process needed to be upgraded.
Applying the right solution
Initially, Lonza asked NNIT to improve the process by adding automation and alert functions to the Excel spreadsheet at the center of their coordination. Although these upgrades were relatively easy to apply, they would not have addressed all the underlying needs. The Excel spreadsheet could only bring in limited external data and would not be able to support the production at full scale.
To develop the right solution, NNIT assembled a small, highly specialized team that combined digital expertise with pharmaceutical production experience and the ability to see the problem from a new perspective.
New uses for well-known technologies
Working closely with key stakeholders from Lonza, the NNIT team realized that they could use well-known technologies to develop a full Batch Release Dashboard.
Using tools such as SharePoint and Power BI, the team was able to automate much of the data capture, create a user-friendly portal for manual input, and build a dashboard that provided both an overview of all batches and the ability to drill down into specific details.
The NNIT team worked swiftly and delivered a working prototype within a short time frame.
The key to success
Several factors contributed to the success of Lonza’s Batch Release Dashboard:
- Focus on solving the real problem
While the initial request focused on upgrading the Excel spreadsheet, the team took the time to understand the real pain points for users and the impact of the upcoming production scale-up. This led to the “lightbulb moment” when everyone agreed a new direction was needed. -
A license to innovate
Once the core issue was identified, the conversation shifted. Rather than focusing on each batch individually, the new solution enabled Lonza to manage batch releases by exception, focusing only on instances that deviated from standard parameters. This required NNIT’s specialists to apply technology in new and previously untested ways. -
An agile approach
Throughout the project, the NNIT team worked in close collaboration with key Lonza stakeholders, often meeting online two to three times per day to review new features and updates. Despite the pressures of the production ramp-up, the Lonza staff prioritized participation, fully understanding the importance of the project. In addition, Lonza’s top management remained actively engaged from beginning to end. - The right team for the job
Delivering digital solutions for life sciences companies requires a combination of digital skills and a solid understanding of pharma-specific terms and processes. While Lonza’s team gave the project top priority, it was essential that NNIT’s senior specialists had the required experience and insights to bridge knowledge gaps whenever Lonza staff were unavailable.
Results and perspectives
The result was an easy-to-use, low-cost system that improved Lonza’s batch release process immediately upon launch.
With the Batch Release Dashboard, Lonza can:
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Ensure a complete overview of batch release data in real time
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Dive deep into details for each specific batch
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Enable teams to collaborate in new ways
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Secure accountability for all internal and external contributors
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Create full transparency for all senior stakeholders
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Achieve enhanced functionality through integrated LMS and Deviations management
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Reduce daily batch release management tasks from 30 hours to 30 minutes (based on current volume)
