How STADA Uses Celonis to Cut Batch Release Throughput Time by 44%

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.