PwC supports performant ERP with Ascendis Pharma

Supply chain and sector expertise combined with reliability and trust generated an ideal result.

Finding a trustworthy partner

On a mission to make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives, Ascendis Pharma seeks to develop new and potentially best-in-class therapies that address unmet medical needs. It seeks to achieve this via its flexible TransCon™ technology platform, which uses advanced knowledge of chemistry and known biology to overcome challenges of developing new therapeutics in unprecedented ways. Given the complex nature of its business - and indeed the pharmaceutical sector as a whole -, including the need to keep medications and their ingredients at precise temperatures throughout a supply chain that comprises multiple steps in different locations around the world, Ascendis Pharma sought to introduce an enterprise resource planning (ERP) tool. Seeking the most suitable solution for its needs, Ascendis selected PwC as a supply chain specialist to support its selection of the right ERP system.

pharma technology erp man working on his daily tasks on computer

Translating business to technology

It was natural for Ascendis Pharma, based in Denmark, to reach out to its local PwC firm as one among several possible partners. The PwC office, in turn, called in PwC Belgium based on our role as supply chain centre of expertise within Europe. “We needed a solid ERP platform system to bind associated manufacturing, IT and finance processes together,” explains Flemming Steen Jensen, Executive Vice President, Product Supply & Quality with Ascendis Pharma. The first phase of the project was to take a deep dive into the client’s business and expectations and ascertain which ERP would be the most suitable. “The PwC team provided highly skilled input to articulate the business’s supply chain needs, translating them into IT, and designing how the system should be configured. PwC’s vast supply chain skills and background, as well as its experience and knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, were very valuable in this process, especially as we chose an ERP system that’s not usually used by players in our sector,” he adds.

“You can’t succeed without complete trust in your partner – which we found with PwC”

Flemming Steen JensenExecutive Vice President, Product Supply & Quality, Ascendis Pharma

Becoming part of the team

With the ERP tool selected, Ascendis Pharma needed to find an implementation partner and Ascendis Pharma again called on our services. “With the PwC team by our side, we could be sure that the partner we chose to introduce the new system would fully understand our needs and be able to configure the tool to meet them effectively. PwC acted as a sounding board, offering advice and guidance. The PwC team also challenged us to help us make sure the results of the project would be optimal. They became a true part of the Ascendis Pharma team,” Flemming Steen Jensen says. This was especially so when dealing with other third parties, such as the implementation partner. “PwC always supported our team and negotiated with suppliers on our behalf, making sure we got the best out of them. The team provided a valuable extra resource for Ascendis Pharma, which is important for a lean start-up like us,” he adds.

Becoming a part of the ascendis team, team meeting taking place with discussion
Woman and man doing research in Pharma technology

Confirming regulatory compliance

PwC also played a role in validating that the system was configured in a way that would align Ascendis Pharma with the strict regulatory standards and regulations that govern the pharmaceutical sector. Flemming Steen Jensen notes, “Again, PwC proved to have the experience within the pharmaceutical industry to be able to test that our new ERP was fully set up to support our business in line with regulatory expectations, which is crucial not just for our business, but all our stakeholders too.”

In it for the long term

 “PwC lived up to all agreements and contributed to make sure that the project ran well. Although this particular phase of the project has come to an end, I know that I can call on the team at any time for advice or simply for a sanity check of ideas. It’s very comforting having such a trusted partner on hand,” Flemming Steen Jensen concludes.

Contact us

Jan Debaere

Jan Debaere

Partner, Health Industries Lead, PwC Belgium

Tel: +32 473 92 46 11

Connect with PwC Belgium