From data to patient safety: improving pharmaceutical quality through SAP

When people think about the pharmaceutical industry, they often think of laboratories and medicines. Behind the scenes, however, there are complex processes and systems that help ensure every product meets strict quality standards. 

For Abdel Hakim Madani, SAP Functional Analyst at Sopra Steria, that's where his work comes in. Specialising in SAP Quality Management (QM), he helps translate business requirements into practical SAP solutions that support quality, compliance and day to day operations. 

Abdel is currently working with a major pharmaceutical company that uses SAP to manage everything from production and supply chain activities to batch traceability and quality management. The goal of the project is to strengthen quality processes, improve traceability and ensure ongoing compliance with industry regulations. 

As a Functional Analyst, he acts as the link between business stakeholders and technical teams, analysing requirements, supporting solution design and validating solutions before they go live. 

One of Abdel's most memorable challenges involved testing a large field mapping exercise between systems under a tight deadline. While the task sounded straightforward, every field had to be checked individually to ensure that information was transferred accurately. 

The challenge was about more than technology. The data feeds quality reporting, which is used to support important business decisions. In a regulated environment, even a small error can have significant consequences, making precision and attention to detail essential. 

A major milestone on the project was the implementation of several automation bots using Power Automate. Previously, users spent considerable time carrying out repetitive manual tasks, creating inefficiencies and increasing the risk of human error. 

Working as part of a team, Abdel helped identify which activities could be automated, define the business rules and validate the final solution. The result was a faster, more consistent and more reliable process, allowing employees to focus on higher value work. 

For Abdel Hakim, the most rewarding aspect of the project is knowing that it ultimately contributes to patient safety. 

Before a pharmaceutical batch can be released, all quality controls must be completed, documented and fully traceable. By improving the systems that support these processes, the team helps strengthen one of the safeguards that ensures medicines meet the required quality standards before reaching patients. 

"It's work nobody sees, but it helps make the products people rely on more reliable. That gives real meaning to the project."