Healthcare solution provider transforms its ability to introduce new product
features and reduce delivery costs without compromising quality
Healthcare solution provider transforms its ability to introduce new product
features and reduce delivery costs without compromising quality
CegedimRx UK sought a delivery partner to augment its IT capabilities and explore new technologies in the development of next generation healthcare solutions.
The Challenge
CegedimRx UK is part of the Cegedim Group, a leading supplier of healthcare technology and information services across Europe.
The UK business provides patient medication record (PMR) and healthcare solutions to more than 5,000 pharmacy stores. These outlets account for more than 65% of UK pharmacies. CegedimRx describes its vision as ‘to transform clinical and medication
services using innovative technology to advance patient care’.
To achieve this vision the business sought a technology partner able to support a number of objectives. These included the ability to accelerate the development and rollout of new features on the company’s PMR solutions and the reduction of delivery
costs without compromising quality.
CegedimRx also wanted to explore technology alternatives for the development of its next generation healthcare solutions, and sought an improved engagement model with its retail pharmacy customers.
Key Points
- Application development and quality assurance for two leading dispensing systems
- Integrated offshore-onshore model
- Proven track record with retail healthcare chains helps improve engagement with UK pharmacies
Our solution
Technology-enabled business service provider Sopra Steria has a proven track record in supplying services to the retail healthcare sector. Having provided one of CegedimRx’s customers with application development and support services, including
support for its pharmacy dispensing systems, Sopra Steria was ideally placed to help CegedimRx deliver its vision. CegedimRx needed Sopra Steria’s skilled resources to help it address issues that were having an impact on its timelines and quality
of delivery
The solution is built on an integrated offshore-onshore delivery model, which CegedimRx was keen to embrace.
The Solution comprises the following:
- Application development, testing and infrastructure support services for the company’s leading PMR solution products
- Consultancy services for technology, architecture, testing, strategy, service management and programme management
- Additional consultancy with regard to reviewing Java OpenSource framework capabilities for developing a next generation healthcare solution.
How we worked together
Although CegedimRx had not previously used an offshore model for application development and support, it had witnessed the model working successfully for one of its leading UK customers.
During the initial discussions, Sopra Steria proposed a transition plan that would enable CegedimRx to embrace the offshore delivery model and the governance mechanism associated with it.
Today the Sopra Steria solution rests on an 85:15 offshoreonshore ratio. This provides cost optimisation to CegedimRx due to the offshore-based resource model, while not compromising on the quality of delivery.
Sopra Steria’s programme manager travels regularly to CegedimRx’s UK locations. Daily virtual meetings or calls between India and the UK are also part of the shared best practice governance model.
Sopra Steria is providing both application development and testing services. This involves the development and quality assurance of the various enhancements introduced into CegedimRx’s key application products, Nexphase and Pharmacy Manager.
In addition, Sopra Steria has provided infrastructure support consultancy services, advising CegedimRx on the latest technology trends on Citrix and VM architecture solutions. A reporting model has been put in place that helps to record the demands from
the business from time to time and forecast its fulfilment from offshore.
Results and benefits
CegedimRx is working on its next generation pharmacy and healthcare solution product and is keen to involve Sopra Steria in the various phases of application development, testing and deployment. The partnership to date has yielded a number of business
benefits:
- Stabilisation of legacy application products
- Optimised delivery costs through flexible offshore resource deployment
- Continuous process improvements leading to better quality and smarter ways of working
The CegedimRx and Sopra Steria partnership has resulted in cross-company teams seamlessly working together to improve our customer experience, driving down costs and enhancing revenue through new services.
MIKE COLLIER
CegedimRx Technical Director
- Access to technology alternatives and development methodologies, including the roadmap to a new platform that will help CegedimRx build an enterprise-level pharmacy dispensing solution
- Quick redeployment and distribution of resources
into new initiatives and Business as Usual activities enable CegedimRx to not only progress new ventures but also ramp up application support during peaks of demand
- Improved demand and pipeline planning to sustain optimum capacity at offshore.
With deep retail industry experience, Sopra Steria has helped bring about a better engagement model between CegedimRx and its retail pharmacy customers.