MICROSOFT
“ We need visibility across the entire value chain , and you can ' t do that in a sequential , linear , compartmentalised way ”
MIKE J . WALKER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GLOBAL HEALTH & LIFE SCIENCES STRATEGY , MICROSOFT
This is why Walker likes to take biopharma clients to visit Microsoft customers in other fields , such as consumer goods . He has also taken them on visits to brewing giant ABinBev Anheuser-Busch .
“ Brewing beer is very similar to what a biologics organisation does ,” he explains , “ so showing them what is possible in a less complex environment is a worthwhile thing to do .”
Technology obsolescence is another hurdle , 65 % of manufacturing environments run outdated operating systems , he says .
“ Even though the intent is to update technology and software , if you ’ ve got manufacturing equipment running Windows XP on devices supporting your biologics manufacturing lines , you can ’ t just shut it down and replace it because that could impact the entire batch worth millions of dollars .”
He adds that from a strategy perspective the challenge is “ to not only fix the current problem , but to create an evergreen model that prevents obsolesce from happening to begin with ”.
Of course , some of the barriers to transformation in pharma differ to other sectors , particularly around regulation . The FDA ’ s Drug Supply Chain Security Act ( DSCSA ), a single federal framework for tracing prescription medications through the supply chain , is challenging the pharmaceutical sector to reach data transaction targets by November 2023 .
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microsoft . com