Introduction
Business process management is a vital aspect in any industry and aims at improving the activities of the business practices. The specific activity or set of activities aims at accomplishing particular managerial goals within an organisation. The outcome increases the effectiveness by enhancing value to the customer, while at the same time increasing effectiveness with regard to lowering the costs incurred by the company (Burlton 2001).
The manufacturing industry incorporates strategic moves from the collection of raw materials, processing and eventually the selling of the finished product. This research report aims at evaluating the organisation structure, business processes and systems, as well as quality of Sanofi Aventis Ltd. In this regard, this report with go further and expound on the nature and forms of business organisation within the manufacturing industry with regard to Sanofi Aventis UK. Further, a demonstration of the business activities and their eventual contribution to the business processes will be discussed. Finally, the report will explain how the business processes can support each other and fit together for differing business.
With regard to the company of choice; Sanofi Aventis Ltd, it is a well reputable and widely renowned pharmaceutical industry. Sanofi- UK is a subsidiary of a multinational pharmaceutical company that aims at meeting the requirements of healthcare professionals and patients. This calls for a well formulated and managed business process to ensure the realization of excellent pharmaceutical products in the healthcare sector. One may tend to argue that pharmaceutical industries have no essence in coming up with business processes, but this report is out to enhance and enlighten on the essence of business processes as well as viable organizational structure in the pharmaceutical industry with regard to Sanofi UK. In regards to business activities such as processing consumer healthcare products, generics and animal health products, this report will evaluate such activities and their contribution to business processes.
Organisational Structure Of Sanofi Uk
The organisational structure of any company is very crucial as far as its operations and performance is concerned (Lim et al. 2010). The most crucial part of this aspect is found in the sense that it allows for clear allocation of the responsibilities for various functions and processes with regard to departments and employees (Dugdale and Lyne 2010). Sanofi Aventis Ltd. embraces an organisational structure that aims at maximizing the efficiency and success of the whole organisation in its quest to come up with the best healthcare products in the world. Sanofi UK being a subsidiary of an international organisation, holds its executive structure with high regards to ensure coordination with the mother company and other subsidiaries. Wrong organisational structures hinder the success of any business venture (Jacobides 2007). In line with this, Sanofi Aventis Ltd. has established a workable and very effective organisational structure aimed at ensuring that production and supply are enhanced to the maximum. This can be ascertained by looking at the mode of their product processing and supply.
Type of business organisation
Business organisation is very essential in ensuring strategic measures are undertaken to address uncertainty and opportunities arising as a result of the global advancement (Jacobides 2007). Issues of uncertainty in the learning of any business venture can be alleviated with proper business organisation and by coming up with effective business processes. Sanofi UK has an established business organisation taking the mode of Private Limited Company. The company is under the management of a board of directors. The management board constitutes fifteen members, eight of whom are considered independent.
The organizational structure also constitutes a corporate governance agenda that is founded on the AFEP-MEDEF code (en.sanofi.com 2012). With its combined statutes and established internal regulations made by the board of directors, the structure defines the framework within which this pharmaceutical industry implements its principles of corporate governance (en.sanofi.com 2012). The concepts of uncertainty are core in the company’s strategic management which allows the comprehension of competitive advantage as well as organisational boundaries (Lim et al. 2010). The essence of the concept with regard to Sanofi Aventis Ltd. is in the sense that, it is an industry aimed at improving the healthcare products.
The products of Sanofi UK are sold only to authorised outlets within and without the country. Pharmaceutical products are sensitive products that cannot be handled by any business person without authorisation. Basically, the distribution of drugs is done by the company’s marketing outlets notably the Sanofi-Synthelabo Ltd and Aventis Pharma Ltd (en.sanofi.com 2012)..
Structural Style and Business Process Working
The executive structure managing Sanofi UK is administered by a board of directors constituting fifteen members. The board deals with and comes up with decisions concerning all issues regarding proper management of the company and other matters concerning the board (en.sanofi.com 2012). Determination of the direction the Company takes with effective implementation of its activities lies with the board. The chairman of the board represents the subsidiary company at the international level.
The company’s organizational structure also constitutes a corporate management headed by the Chief Executive Officer. The CEO directs and represents the company with respect to third parties as per the limits of the Company in all circumstances, subject to the authority reserved by law to the board of directors, as well as to the shareholders general meeting.
Further, the company has specialists committees who are tasked with the provision of special input activities that assist the board in its decision making process, based on their experience and advice. There exist four specialist committees which include: the audit committee, the compensation committee, the appointments and governance committee and the strategy committee (en.sanofi.com 2012).
Business Processes And Systems
Product Supply To The Target Market
Sanofi is a diversified global healthcare company that engages itself in the research, development, manufacture and eventual marketing of the healthcare products. The products under sale include pharmaceuticals such as prescription drugs that are distributed by only authorised agents. This is in regard to the upholding of the legal entities safeguarding the drugs and health products use to alleviate abuse. Additional products are those related to animal health and consumer-healthcare. The supply of pharmaceutical products is a vital aspect within the industry. The supply through authorised and recognised agents ensures that the organization is aware of whom it selling its products to and thus making it easier to monitor dealers of counterfeit products. This in turn contributes to the enhancement of returns by alleviating losses via illegal trade. The pharmaceutical products are sensitive and require the adherence to the set laws and regulations within the healthcare sector. Sanofi Group of companies is well established in the UK and conducts it business activities through its subsidiaries Sanofi-Synthelabo Ltd and Aventis Pharma Ltd.
Integration Of The Business Process Management And Probable Recommendations
Business process management boasts its success with proper implementation and the eventual realisation of products that meets not only the specifications of the consumer, but also one that fits the needs to the highest standards (Smart et al. 2008). Sanofi UK works at a UK – specific approach; this arises as a result of health policies and practices varying form nation to nation. This company thereby adopts a regional approach whereby the sales and marketing operations are organized and constituted with new functions that end up connecting effectively wit local institutions and administrations. This would appear quite critical in the profit making business, but in reality, every organiasation ought to follow the required and ascertained channel to the achieving of its target goals (Dumas et al. 2008). Sanofi UK realise the above by working closely with the healthcare professionals, administrators and managers at all levels in the NHS and patient association all over the country.
Corporate responsibility has entrenched deeply into Sanofi UK and has become part of its core system. For the effectiveness and efficiency of the business undertaking of Sanofi UK, corporate social responsibility is enhanced in the company to ensure that every activity undertaken promotes social progress as well as economic development (Dugdale and Lyne 2010). Further, improve the physical performance of the environment, while at the same time supporting patients ethically and responsibly.
Sanofi encompasses the patients at the centre of the company’s business activities. In addition to their work of meeting the needs of healthcare professionals and patients, they have been at the fore front in supporting charities, education initiatives and patient groups. Through their acts of service, they also participate in the setting up of healthcare facilities that ensures the delivery of quality health service. Further, they distribute prescription drugs to health facilities in rural areas and thus contribute in the improvement of the healthcare of the community. They have also invested considerably in reduction of carbon footprint, mainly by reducing water consumption and waste recycling and investing in energy efficient technologies (en.sanofi.com 2012). This ensures that they contribute positively to the environment not just regarding production of pharmaceuticals, but also, through the creation of a better and conducive environment for life sustenance (Dumas et al. 2008). This enhances the name of Sanofi and thus its products get to be known through the acts charity and the improvement of the environment.
The company also incorporates research and development strategy on innovations and technologies. This enables that any unmet medical condition is responded to and adherently. Pharmaceutical products being processed for healthcare purposes need thorough research to ascertain their viability in the systems of humans and animals. The company has initiated an estimated 55 projects incorporating biotechnology products and vaccines to improve on products processing.
Companies work extensively to achieve the best by adapting their business processes to the ever changing market dynamics (Lim et al. 2010). The business processes that are adaptive are very crucial top the organisation as they ensure sustenance of market base and capacity. There is greater need for frameworks and techniques that are viable, and support Business Process Management System. This culminates to the harnessing of multi-organisational, as well as individual resources for business processes in the realization of success in the industry (Dugdale and Lyne 2010).
The process of executing a business process ought to ensure that resources used and products produced comply with certain set standards thereby, Sanofi UK ensures adherence to World Health Organisation measures. Sanofi UK’s main aim relates to the production of products that focus on globally meeting the patients’ specific needs. This is achieved by taking a holistic approach towards patient care. Additionally, the company’s products include those required during the different treatment stages and methods. This acts as a key move in establishing technologies and services that enhance effectiveness during treatment and that improve the quality of life for patients.
The effective organization of Sanofi UK can effectively be improved with regard to processing and marketing. This can be ensured by setting up an institution within Sanofi Aventis in the global arena to train the staff at regular intervals with regards to upcoming processing and management strategies. Further, the integration of technological processing in the processing plants will ensure that the required standards are met as per the pharmacology set requirements. This is in line with the realization of perfect pharmaceutical products that meet the set standards. Further, inclusion of IT in all sectors of the organization will enhance the carrying out of excellent business process management (Nakagawa 2004).
Key Areas Of Quality
In the production industry, every organisation aims at producing quality products that meet the standards sets as well as satisfy the needs of the consumer. Sanofi UK dealing with healthcare products ensures that its quality with regard to its products, the processes or methods employed in the production and eventually the marketing processes. This ensures an all round quality chain of processes; from manufacturing to the last stage of delivery to target market. The section that follows aims at evaluating the key areas of quality: product, process and marketing with regard to Sanofi UK. Perfect adherence to key areas of quality ensures that, the eventual returns realized are robust and the cost of production reduced considerably (Weske 2007).
Product
Sanofi products essentially call for high standards of quality. Their product quality is the fundamental quality that allows the public realise excellent healthcare; owing to the fact that healthcare products calls for enhanced safety and quality measures. This is ensured by following high quality alliances and employing high level of expertise to ensure that the products meet the required quality standard. This is made a reality through the research and development platform that also enhances future innovation. The products manufactured by Sanofi are bound for scrutiny by international health organizations to ensure they incorporate chemical components that are not harmful to the lives of humans and animals being targeted by the product. The standards to be ensured are as per the set standards of pharmacology products. This ensures that the chemical aspect of the products is not poisonous to the target market.
Processes
Quality through process is ensured by federating skills within networks of scientific excellence. With the initiative of building world class discovery, research and development; Sanofi UK aims at improving future innovations and realise products of more quality. The processes followed as well as the subjects controlling or supervising the manufacturing ought to meet the set standard rules and regulations. This is in regard to ensuring that the final product falls in the recommended quality level of the intended finished product with regard to pharmacological standards.
Sanofi UK ensures product quality by employing new and up to date technological processes while at the same time training its production personnel with the up to date set and target standards. Further, through the process of staff development, Sanofi has differentiated employees skills of performance that has culminated into ensuring quality standards are realised. This has been through the training and inclusion of IT and advanced processing technology that ensures up to standard and high quality performance.
Marketing
The best marketing practices are core to the success of any organization. At Sanofi UK, this means giving customers the kind of care that exceeds their expectations. This is ensured by the delivery of perfect healthcare products through their established marketing and delivery departments. In the current complex environment, any industrial field ought to continually ensure that its marketing strategies are the leading to ensure it remains at the helm of making considerable returns. Sanofi UK ensures quality of its marketing by incorporating a given body of the company to conduct the marketing strategies as well as the marketing process. This is very critical and at the same time very essential in the realization of differentiated standards of marketing. With well designed marketing programs, they yield great benefits to the company as more sales are realized and thus, the cycle of the whole process from processing to consumption becomes a success.
Conclusion
Business process management is one aspect that ensures the crucial realisation of success in any business venture. Through proper organization structures that ensure visionary and well designed business activities any organization realizes success that is aspired and emulated. With Sanofi UK, the business process management of enhancing production within the pharmaceutical industry can be attributed to its well organized business structure. Having roots with international companies have made Sanofi UK establish workable and sustained processes that take into consideration customers from all over the world (Schubert et al 2006).
With effective business process management, every organization is bound to achieve the best in the field of operation. It only calls for adherence to the set guidelines and focus unto theintended goals as per the mission and design of the business process. Sanofi UK has been able to realize great success through its corporate and social obligations bestowed upon the management teams; which ensures that every aspect of it is implemented and the goals achieved.
References
Burlton, R., 2001. Effective Business Change Through Process Management: Strategies and Archtechture for Integrated Change. Web.
Dugdale, D. and Lyne, S., 2010. Budgeting Practice and Organisational Structure. 1st ed. Oxford: CIMA Publishing.
Dumas, M., Reichert, M. and Shan, M., 2008. (Ed) Business Process Management. 6th International Conference, BPM 2008, Milan, Italy. Vol. 5240.
En.sanofi. 2012. SANOFI. Web.
Jacobides, M., 2007. The Inherent limits of organizational structure and the unfulfilled role of hierarchy: Lessons from a near- war. Organisation Science, Vol. 18(3). p. 455-477.
Lim, M., Griffins, G. and Sambrook, S., 2010. Organisational Structure for the Twenty First Century. Presented at the annual meeting of The Institute for Research and The Management Sciences , Austin.
Nakagawa, M., 2004. Business Process mManagement with We-Service Integration Technology. FUJISTU Sci,. Tech. Journal. Vol. 40(1) p. 17-21.
Schubert, P., Guiver, T., MacDonald, R. and Yu, F., 2006. Using Quality Measures to Manage Statistical Risks in Business Surveys. Proceedings of O2006 European Conference on Quality in Survey Statistics. Web.
Smart, P., Maddern, H. and Maqull, R., 2008. Understanding Business Process Management: Implications for Theory and Practice. British journal of Management.
Weske, M., 2007. Business Process Management. Berlin:Sphinger Verlag.