Reckitt Embarks on quality cloud transformation with Veeva

This video provides an in-depth exploration of the partnership between Reckitt, a global consumer health and hygiene leader, and Veeva Systems, focusing on Reckitt's extensive digital transformation initiative within its Quality organization. The primary goal of this transformation, as articulated by Breda Quinn, Global Transformation Quality Director at Reckitt, is to unify global quality processes into a single, cohesive system, thereby ensuring the delivery of high-quality, compliant, and safe products to the markets they serve. The project involves adopting Veeva’s comprehensive QualityOne software solution to replace disparate, legacy on-premise systems and streamline data, documents, and activities into a unified source of truth.

The core challenge addressed by this partnership is the complexity inherent in managing quality across a global enterprise with factories serving hundreds of markets. Reckitt views complexity as "the enemy of progress and growth," and the transformation seeks to simplify processes using an intuitive, user-friendly platform. This ease of use allowed the Reckitt team to "re-imagine the process" rather than simply digitizing existing inefficiencies. Ed Van Sicklin, VP of Business Development and Strategy at Veeva Systems, emphasizes Veeva's role in addressing this complexity by building "fit for purpose applications" specifically for regulated industries. He notes that modern technology requires the ability to connect disparate systems—specifically the product lifecycle system, the lab information system, and the quality management system—to achieve true digital maturity.

The partnership dynamic is highlighted as a critical success factor. Reckitt describes Veeva as an "excellent partner," characterized by fairness, toughness, and a shared focus on the right strategic objectives. A notable aspect of this collaboration is the feedback loop between the client and the vendor; Van Sicklin mentions that many features appearing on Veeva's roadmap were directly driven by pre-sales engagement and input from Reckitt. This collaborative approach ensures the platform evolves to meet real-world industry needs. The partnership is summarized by Reckitt around three key concepts: agility, empowerment, and being strategic. Veeva’s ambition is to transition from being merely a technology vendor to an "appreciated partner," suggesting a deep commitment to client success and long-term relationship building within the highly regulated life sciences ecosystem.

Key Takeaways: • Unification of Quality Processes: The primary strategic driver for Reckitt’s transformation is the unification of global quality processes into a single system (Veeva QualityOne). This move replaces fragmented, on-premise legacy systems to establish a single source of truth for all quality data, documents, and activities. • Complexity as the Enemy of Growth: Reckitt identifies complexity as a major impediment to progress and growth. The digital transformation initiative is fundamentally aimed at reducing this complexity by simplifying processes through an intuitive, modern cloud platform, allowing teams to operate with greater agility and speed. • Strategic System Integration: Achieving digital maturity in quality requires connecting core enterprise systems. The video explicitly mentions the necessity of integrating the product lifecycle system, the lab information system (LIMS), and the quality management system (QMS) to ensure end-to-end visibility and compliance. • Re-imagining Processes, Not Just Digitizing: The platform's ease of use and intuitive nature allowed Reckitt’s team to fundamentally "re-imagine the process" rather than simply automating outdated or inefficient legacy workflows. This focus on process optimization is crucial for maximizing the return on investment in new technology. • The Importance of Partnership Mindset: Veeva emphasizes shifting from a transactional "technology vendor" relationship to an "appreciated partner" model. This involves deep collaboration, shared strategic focus, and a commitment to empowering the client to focus on their core business objectives. • Client-Driven Product Roadmap: The partnership demonstrated a strong feedback loop where specific features appearing on Veeva's product roadmap were directly driven by pre-sales engagement and requirements gathered from Reckitt, ensuring the platform remains fit-for-purpose for regulated industries. • Focus on Agility and Compliance: The transformation is designed to allow the global organization to operate with increased agility and speed, critically, without compromising the core requirements of quality and regulatory compliance, which is essential for delivering safe products. • Veeva’s "Run to Complexity" Mindset: Veeva’s strategy involves building applications specifically designed to address the inherent complexity of regulated industries. They do not shy away from intricate industry requirements but build tailored solutions to manage them effectively.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Veeva Systems
• Veeva QualityOne (a comprehensive quality management software solution)

Key Concepts:

• Quality Cloud Transformation: The process of migrating quality management systems and processes from disparate, often on-premise, legacy systems to a unified, modern cloud platform to enhance compliance, agility, and data integrity.
• Single Source of Truth: A unified repository for all quality-related data, documents, and processes, eliminating discrepancies and improving cross-functional collaboration and transparency.
• Last Mile of Delivery: Refers to the final critical steps in the supply chain and manufacturing process that ensure the product delivered to the market is high quality, compliant, and safe.