Reckitt + Veeva - Enabling a Culture of Quality

This video provides an in-depth exploration of Reckitt's digital transformation journey in quality management, as shared by Conall Burns, Global Business Program Lead, and Breda Quinn, Global Transformation Quality Director. The core purpose of their initiative was to establish a common, inclusive, and globally accessible electronic Quality Management System (eQMS) platform, moving away from numerous disparate systems. This strategic shift aimed to simplify operations, standardize processes, and connect people, processes, and data across Reckitt's complex and diverse global organization, ultimately fostering a robust culture of quality.

The transformation, which commenced three years prior to the interview, was driven by the imperative to democratize access to quality data, making it readily available "at the touch of a button" for all employees. Digitization and technological solutions were identified as fundamental enablers for driving quality improvement and fostering collaboration on a global scale. However, the speakers emphasized that technology alone is insufficient; successful transformation also necessitates rigorous process standardization and comprehensive organizational change management, supported by resilient and agile teams deeply integrated into the business.

Reckitt successfully deployed this unified eQMS platform to over 42,000 people worldwide, resulting in significant operational and strategic benefits. The implementation led to enhanced efficiency and productivity, effectively breaking down organizational silos and creating unprecedented opportunities for collaboration. Beyond mere productivity gains, the newfound efficiencies freed up valuable time, allowing teams to be more innovative and creative. Furthermore, the consolidation onto a single platform yielded substantial improvements in the cost of ownership by enabling the retirement of numerous local, bespoke systems, thereby enhancing maintenance, sustainability, and transferability.

A critical aspect of Reckitt's approach was a strict mandate against customization, opting instead for highly configurable solutions to ensure long-term maintainability and sustainability. They also set specific, measurable targets, such as reducing change management records by 10% and decreasing the duration these records remained open. The overarching philosophy guiding their solution design was simplicity and accessibility, with the conviction that the most effective and compliant solution is one that is easy to use and, consequently, widely adopted by the workforce.

Key Takeaways:

• Unified Global eQMS Platform: Reckitt successfully transitioned from dozens of disparate quality systems to a single, common, and globally accessible eQMS platform, simplifying operations and standardizing processes across a complex organization. This consolidation significantly reduces operational complexity and improves consistency.
• Democratization of Quality Data: A primary goal was to provide better, immediate access to quality data for all employees, enabling them to drive improvements and make informed decisions quickly. This "at the touch of a button" access is crucial for fostering a proactive quality culture.
• Digitization as an Enabler, Not a Panacea: While digitization and technological solutions are fundamental to driving a culture of quality, they must be coupled with essential foundational elements like process standardization and robust organizational change management for true transformation.
• Holistic Transformation Approach: Successful quality transformation requires a multi-faceted strategy encompassing technology implementation, process re-engineering, and significant investment in organizational change management to ensure user adoption and cultural shift.
• Scale and Impact of Deployment: The eQMS was deployed to over 42,000 people globally, demonstrating the capability of such platforms to support large-scale enterprise-wide transformations and break down geographical and functional silos.
• Enhanced Efficiency and Productivity: The unified platform led to increased operational efficiency, greater productivity, and improved collaboration, freeing up employee time that can then be redirected towards more innovative and creative endeavors.
• Reduced Cost of Ownership: Consolidating onto one common platform allowed Reckitt to retire numerous local, bespoke systems, resulting in significant improvements in cost of ownership, maintenance, sustainability, and transferability of their quality infrastructure.
• Strategic Mandate Against Customization: Reckitt adopted a strict policy of "no customization" for their eQMS, opting for highly configurable solutions instead. This decision was critical for ensuring the long-term maintainability, sustainability, and upgradeability of the platform.
• Focus on Simplicity and User-Friendliness: The most effective and compliant solutions are those that are easy to use and intuitive, as this directly correlates with user adoption and adherence to processes. Over-engineering solutions should be avoided to maintain clarity and accessibility.
• Targeted Performance Metrics: The transformation included specific targets, such as reducing change management records by 10% and decreasing the number of days these records remained open, demonstrating a data-driven approach to measuring success.
• Resilient and Agile Teams: Building a resilient and agile team that is embedded and integrated into the business is crucial for navigating the complexities of a global quality transformation and ensuring sustained success.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Veeva: The video explicitly mentions "Veeva" in the title and context, referring to their eQMS platform (implied Veeva QualityOne).

Key Concepts:

• Digital Transformation: The strategic adoption of digital technology to improve processes, culture, and customer experiences, in this case, within quality management.
• eQMS (Electronic Quality Management System): A software system designed to manage and automate quality processes and documentation, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Culture of Quality: An organizational environment where all employees are committed to maintaining high standards of quality in their work and processes.
• Data Democratization: Making data accessible to a wider audience within an organization, empowering employees to use data for decision-making and improvement.
• Standardization: The process of implementing and developing technical standards based on the consensus of different parties, ensuring consistency and efficiency.
• Organizational Change Management: A structured approach for ensuring that changes are smoothly and successfully implemented within an organization, addressing the human aspect of change.
• Cost of Ownership: The total cost of owning a product or system over its entire lifecycle, including purchase, maintenance, and operational costs.
• Customization vs. Configuration: Customization involves altering the core code of software, making upgrades difficult, while configuration involves using built-in settings to adapt the software to specific needs without changing the underlying code, promoting sustainability.

Examples/Case Studies:

• Reckitt's Global Quality Transformation: The entire video serves as a case study of Reckitt's journey to revolutionize its quality function through digitization and a unified eQMS platform.
• Deployment Scale: The successful deployment of the eQMS to 42,000 people across Reckitt's global operations highlights the platform's scalability and the organization's capacity for large-scale change.
• Change Management Record Reduction: Reckitt's specific target of reducing change management records by 10% and decreasing their open duration provides a concrete example of measurable outcomes from their transformation efforts.