Client: DocMorris
Rethinking pharmacy, daring innovations, seeking dialogue – this success formula has made DocMorris the best-known pharmacy brand in Germany and at the same time the largest mail-order pharmacy in Europe. Since the company’s founding in 2000, the number of customers has been steadily increasing. Meanwhile, over four million people have ordered medications from DocMorris. As a pharmaceutical service provider, DocMorris develops and implements special chronic patient programs in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies and health insurance providers. In 2016, the turnover amounted to 331 million euros. About 600 people work towards the success of DocMorris, a subsidiary of the Swiss Zur Rose Group AG based in Heerlen, Netherlands.
Initial Situation and Challenge
At the end of 2015, DocMorris faced the challenge of launching major growth initiatives during 2016 and beyond. These would have affected the IT systems used and the processes based on them through increasing sales and product volumes. Due to the close interconnection of the systems used – both in the SAP and non-SAP areas – and the underlying infrastructure, it was clear to DocMorris that appropriate measures had to be taken well in advance to successfully ‘handle’ the expected volume. In particular, the scalability and stability of the systems with strongly increasing volume was in the foreground, combined with the necessary processes and capacities.
digatus started with an initial ‘Quick-Check’, which served to gain an overview of the existing system landscape, as well as to create an initial survey of the existing topic areas. Existing digatus-owned best practice approaches and tools were used, which enabled a fast yet comprehensive initial sizing. Based on these results, the following steps were then defined and established:
- Definition of 5 core workstreams, which specifically address the respective specialist topics (Capacity Management, Business Continuity, SAP, Service Management and Infrastructure)
- Assembly of a team qualified for the respective tasks
- Establishing a milestone and budget plan for the implementation of the workstreams
- Coordination of the approach with DocMorris and project kickoff
Subsequently, digatus started the analysis with a team of up to 7 people on site at DocMorris in Heerlen. For this purpose, existing documentation was processed, and read-only system access ensured that no detail was overlooked and that the documentation corresponded to the actual conditions. The results of these analyses were then compared with the original sizing of the IT landscape, and any deltas or deviations were identified and evaluated. In the area of Business Continuity, comprehensive test scenarios were used to practice the ’emergency case’ accompanying the analysis, and the systems were tested under real conditions for their respective capacity and performance. In the final run, the results of the analysis and tests were comprehensively documented and evaluated in an extensive report of around 200 pages, and a detailed list of recommendations for action and action items for direct and goal-oriented implementation was developed.
“The performance of our IT is the backbone of our successful business operations and our growth goals. Accordingly, it was important for us to know where our strengths lie, but also potential areas for improvement. digatus impressed us with a practice-oriented approach, as well as clear goals and analysis results, which fit well with our own pragmatic way of working, and provided us with concrete indications and specifications for improvement!”
Michael Veigel
Customer Benefits
Based on the identified areas for action, DocMorris is now able to implement early adjustments and improvements in the area of IT operations, thereby successfully supporting the achievement of the defined growth goals. In addition to immediate measures directly implemented and initiated following the audit, important course settings were also implemented for early detection of possible bottlenecks in the future. Through standardized service processes and structured model procedures, risks could be eliminated, and the already occurred increases in business volume were successfully implemented and realized!
Stephan Bals
He studied Business Administration with a focus on Management at the Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin. After completing his studies as a graduate in Business Administration, he began his career at Siemens AG in Munich.
Early in his career, he gained experience in various executive positions. Among other roles, he was responsible as managing director for medium-sized IT consulting and service companies, most recently Xiopia GmbH, as well as serving on the board of Allgeier IT Solutions AG. With the founding of digatus it group, he continued his career as a founder and entrepreneur. In early 2015, together with Felix Kirschner, he founded digatus it group AG with the goal of "building" a market-relevant IT service provider in Germany. His main focus within the digatus Group is in the areas of sales, growth management, and M&A. At the interfaces between business and IT, he is a sought-after mediator, sparring partner, and idea generator.
In addition to his role as CEO of digatus it group AG, he is involved entrepreneurially as a co-founder and investor, volunteers in various non-profit initiatives and associations, and serves as an advisory board member, senior advisor, and supervisory board member.
