Projektreferenz: R-Pharm – SAP Greenfield

  • January 6, 2026
  • Posted by: tranivainfo
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rpharm

Industry: Pharmaceutical industry
Role: Sub-project management SAP PP-PI, WM, QM & Solution Architect
Country: Germany / Russia

R-Pharm Group is a globally active, research-oriented pharmaceutical company headquartered in Moscow. The company develops, manufactures and distributes innovative medicines, biosimilars and biotechnological preparations for international markets.

As part of its European expansion strategy, R-Pharm acquired the former Pfizer plant in Illertissen, Germany, in 2014. The aim was to further develop the site as a European production centre and integrate it into the global R-Pharm system landscape. The plant specialises in the manufacture of solid dosage forms and continues to supply Pfizer and other international partners, among others.

The acquisition was accompanied by the strategic decision to introduce a modern, fully validated SAP S/4HANA landscape. This was intended not only to digitise production, logistics and quality processes, but also to meet the high regulatory requirements of the pharmaceutical industry (GxP, FDA, EMA, EU FMD).

A key component of the project was the introduction of S/4HANA and a central label management system to harmonise and automate the labelling processes for packaging, active ingredients and finished products.

Sub-project management SAP PP-PI (process industry), PM (maintenance) and APO (advanced planning & optimisation)

  • Process analysis, creation of the business blueprint (BBP) and definition of production and maintenance processes
  • Implementation and customisation of SAP modules PP-PI, PM and APO
  • Development and integration of customer-specific SAP add-ons:
    • it.PPC (Production Process Cockpit): Digital manufacturing interface for production orders, feedback and process status
    • it.LPI (Label Printer Interface): Connection of label printing systems (Bartender, NiceLabel) to SAP
  • Integration with SAP modules MM, WM, QM for a consistent process landscape
  • Connection of barcode, scanner and weighing systems (e.g. Mettler, Bizerba) via IPC Touch and Mobisys
  • Establishment of a central active ingredient management system
  • Data migration for PP and PM master data
  • Development of a global template for rollouts in Germany, Poland, China, Mexico, the USA, Russia and Turkey
  • Coordination of international project teams and training of local key users

Challenges

  • Integration of a formerly independent Pfizer site into the existing R-Pharm system landscape
  • Different master data structures and process logics from legacy systems (Pfizer ECC, local LVS)
  • Necessity of GxP validation of all production-related IT systems
  • Lack of automation in the labelling and traceability of drug batches
  • Heterogeneous IT infrastructure with redundant label systems and unconnected testing instances

Solution

  • Introduction of SAP S/4HANA PP-PI as the central platform for production planning and control
  • Establishment of integrated active ingredient and formulation management with automated traceability
  • Implementation of Traniva/itelligence add-ons:
    • it.PPC (Process Cockpit): Shop floor control station for production control and feedback
    • it.LPI (Label Printer Interface): Centralised labelling solution for SAP-integrated label management in conjunction with Loftware / NiceLabel
    • it.SCL (Scale Control Layer): Scale integration for weighing and batch testing
  • Development of a GxP-compliant validation concept for all production and labelling processes
  • Integration of mobile scanners and barcode systems (Mobisys) for automatic data capture
  • Connection of external systems via standardised SAP S/4HANA APIs and RFC interfaces
  • Harmonisation of labelling and printing processes for production, quality and packaging

Results & Benefits

  • Establishment of a validated, future-proof S/4HANA platform for controlling all pharmaceutical processes
  • Centralised label management system that fully complies with regulatory requirements (EU FMD, FDA, GxP)
  • Reduction in labelling error rate by >60% through automation and real-time checking
  • Seamless integration of production, quality and logistics within a unified system
  • Significant time savings in release and packaging processes
  • Improved auditability and transparency through automated batch tracking and documentation
  • Foundation laid for global rollouts within the R-Pharm Group