How STADA Uses Celonis to Cut Batch Release Throughput Time by 44%
STADA Arzneimittel AG, the German pharmaceutical company, deployed the Celonis Platform to digitize and automate its batch release process — the final quality approval step before medicines reach the market. The implementation cut throughput time by 44%, improved on-time batch releases by 20%, and eliminated manual spreadsheet operations in favor of a real-time digital dashboard used by 100+ employees daily.
Impact
44%
Reduction in batch release throughput time
20%
Improvement in on-time batch releases
100+
Daily active users
Challenge
STADA's batch release process — the final quality approval before medicines ship — was fragmented across departments with disconnected documentation systems, manual handoffs, and no real-time visibility, causing bottlenecks and delays that slowed medicines from reaching patients.
Solution
STADA deployed the Celonis Platform to create a process mining digital twin of its batch release workflow, replacing manual spreadsheet coordination with automated notifications, unified data management, and a real-time digital dashboard that enables 100+ employees to collaborate across departments on a single view of batch status.
Tools & Technologies
What Leaders Say
“We managed to shift from a manually fragmented process to a digital twin of this process. All manual steps have been eliminated and we have over 100 users working together daily.”
“Now with Celonis, we have a full digital dashboard with real-time insight into various parameters, and we can organize our processes and resources to release our product faster to patients.”
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Full Story
STADA Arzneimittel AG manufactures branded and generic pharmaceuticals distributed globally. The batch release process — the critical final quality approval that must occur before any medicine can leave the facility — was fragmented across multiple departments with disconnected documentation systems. Each batch required coordination between quality assurance, manufacturing, and regulatory teams, but without a unified workflow these handoffs relied on manual processes and spreadsheets. The result was poor visibility into where each batch stood, bottlenecks that were difficult to diagnose, and delays in getting medicines to patients.
The challenge was structural: because the batch release process touched multiple departments and systems, no single team had a complete picture of the end-to-end workflow. Information gathering was manual and time-consuming, notifications were inconsistent, and there was no real-time view of throughput or on-time performance.
STADA implemented the Celonis Platform to create a process mining digital twin of the entire batch release workflow. All manual steps were mapped, bottlenecks were identified, and automated notifications replaced manual handoffs. A unified digital dashboard now gives quality and operations teams real-time insight into batch status, resource utilization, and release timelines. Over 100 users across departments collaborate on the process daily through the Celonis interface.
The results directly impact patient access to medicines. Throughput time for batch release dropped 44%. On-time batch releases improved 20%. Manual spreadsheet-based operations were eliminated entirely. Vladimir Grad, Center of Excellence Director, described the transformation as a shift from a fragmented manual process to a fully digital workflow — one that gives all stakeholders the same real-time picture and enables them to act proactively rather than reactively.
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