PwC delivers a future-ready IT foundation with PerkinElmer

Following its divestiture, the leading supplier of analytical solutions and bespoke life sciences services PerkinElmer had to detach all its IT landscape from its former parent company and be ready to operate as a standalone operation within a short timeframe. This essentially meant migrating or re-implementing the firm’s entire IT landscape (ERP, CRM, integration platforms, dozens of applications, etc.). Recognising the need for a partner that can manage a complex, end-to-end IT separation programme, PerkinElmer launched an RfP in search for a partner company. “We knew PwC had experience with complex, large-scale carve-outs, so it was a natural choice,” explains Andreas Koenig, CIO, PerkinElmer. He adds, “PwC also has a broad set of skills all under one roof which could be scaled rapidly according to our needs. We didn’t just require technical help, we needed programme leadership, data migration specialists, Salesforce experts, change management, and more. PwC was able to assemble a multidisciplinary team very quickly.”

PerkinElmer’s core enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is SAP and the carve-out involved setting up new company codes in SAP, migrating huge volumes of data, and later planning an S/4HANA migration, all without disrupting financial and operational processes. It needed a partner with heavyweight SAP knowledge that could hit the ground running. “PwC’s team included seasoned SAP experts who understand the technical intricacies of carving out an SAP system—for example, how to handle the data migration of financial records, make sure all master data was replicated correctly, and secure integration with satellite systems. In short, PwC’s SAP know-how gave us confidence that we could make major changes to our ERP without “breaking” the business,” Andreas Koenig says. During the cutover, our team was on hand day and night troubleshooting issues and making certain that when the client flipped the switch, its SAP environment would run smoothly under the new company codes. And it did. Everything—from taking customer orders to closing the books—continued without interruption at the go-live.

Outside of the core ERP, we also worked with PerkinElmer on Salesforce and Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ) to improve the speed and quality of the client’s sales quoting process via the implementation of a new Salesforce CPQ system that integrates with SAP. As a result, PerkinElmer can now generate quotes for customers much faster and more accurately. Following the carve-out, the company also had to build its IT operating model from scratch. We helped establish a service desk, incident and change management processes, and governance for its multi-vendor environment. “PwC delivered strong programme and project management throughout. We were working on a number of large strategic value creation initiatives with multiple workstreams and external vendors for each. PwC coordinated all these moving parts and contributed subject-matter experts in niche areas. The breadth of PwC’s skills was a significant asset for us.” Andreas Koenig recalls.

Our broad experience was also evident when considering the complexity of PerkinElmer’s landscape. “We had over 235 applications to migrate or reconnect as part of separating from the former parent systems with complex integration and minimal documentation. Making sure they all—from manufacturing systems to HR and lab systems—worked in the new environment was daunting. PwC had people who understood not just SAP and Salesforce, but also components like middleware, data warehousing, etc. The team helped us methodically test every application and interface,” Andreas Koenig recalls.

The necessity to complete the Transition Service Agreement (TSA) exit by a fixed date to avoid risks and extended fees added urgency to the challenge. With the deadline fast approaching, multiple dress rehearsals were run and last-minute issues emerged, putting the team in crisis mode, which is where, according to Andreas Koenig, “PwC really shone. A week before go-live, we hit a critical snag with data migration and some integrations that weren’t performing as expected. PwC brought in additional experts on short notice and set up war rooms to troubleshoot. The team worked around the clock with our team over the final cutover weekend, adjusting and problem solving in real time. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the cutover was both successful and in time for the deadline.” One thing that really impressed the client was that whenever a hurdle arose, we pulled out all the stops to help PerkinElmer get through it. And that included setting up a structured hypercare support process. “PwC had a team on standby to triage and fix issues in the days and weeks after go-live, which was critical,” says Andreas Koenig.

The ability to leverage our global network enabled PerkinElmer to both benefit from the high-quality advisory and transformation leadership provided by the Belgian team and neighbouring countries and to optimise delivery costs by leveraging nearshore and offshore teams for the implementation of critical systems like SAP and Salesforce. This blended model offered the client the best of both worlds—strategic insight and proximity from local experts, and cost-effective, scalable execution from global delivery centres. "The ability to tap into PwC’s international talent pool, while maintaining a strong local anchor, was a real differentiator in this complex, multi-country transformation,” notes Andreas Koenig.

The work we’ve undertaken with the client has fundamentally strengthened PerkinElmer’s operations for the future—the new CPQ system makes the sales process much faster and more efficient, the company’s more agile and resilient from an operational standpoint as it has a fully independent IT landscape with core systems, and it’s better prepared for future innovation. Notes Andreas Koenig, “PwC’s support in establishing better IT processes means our IT team can focus on strategic improvements. We’ve seen changes like improved incident resolution times, more disciplined change management, and clearer IT governance. This all translates into a more reliable experience for the business and our customers. Ultimately, PwC helped enable PerkinElmer’s transformation that’s such an important prerequisite for long-term success.”