The implementation and eleven-year evolution of Planisware at Teva has profoundly impacted Teva’s culture, shifting mindsets and fostering deep collaboration towards shared objectives.
Teva’s Global Presence
Teva, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, with a portfolio of over 3,600 medicines and 37,000 employees, has implemented Planisware which has been at the heart of Teva’s transformation since 2013. But where and why did it all begin?
Teva Pharmaceuticals, founded over 120 years ago, is now helping over 200 million people in 58 countries every day. However, this impact requires meticulous planning with many challenges. According to Tamar Saliternik, Head of Global Generic Portfolio Infrastructure at Teva, one of Teva’s greatest challenges was managing its immense portfolio with an uncoordinated system of tools.
"In 2013, we were using 17 different systems to manage our generic product pipeline," Tamar explained. “Each department had its own processes and terminologies, leading to communication gaps and inefficiencies.”
At the time, Teva faced the task of overseeing the lifecycle of its generic business. The generic portfolio teams were responsible for tracking innovator products and brands, identifying opportunities for growth, and overseeing the product lifecycle of generic medicines. But this was a monumental task without a unified platform.
“We needed one version of the truth,” Tamar emphasized. “The goal was to consolidate all our processes and data into a single platform to align our priorities and resources globally.”
Planisware Enterprise's Capacity to Unify Teva's Portfolio Management
Teva chose Planisware for its ability to centralize and streamline portfolio management across the organization. The platform became the single source of truth that the company had been missing. “Planisware allowed us to manage our product launches in a unified way, bringing together our global teams under a single framework,” said Tamar. The first phase of the Planisware implementation involved mapping out Teva’s product lifecycle processes. The process revealed a disjointed system across business units and markets, which underscored the need for a centralized platform.
"We started with the basics—bringing order to our product lifecycle processes. It was a massive undertaking, but we knew it was essential for us to stay competitive in the generics market."
A Key Moment? Integrating 2 Planisware Systems
In 2016, Teva’s acquisition of Actavis Generics marked a turning point in its journey with Planisware. The integration of two industry giants was challenging, especially since both were already using Planisware—in very different ways.
“Teva’s system was more portfolio-driven, while Actavis focused on R&D and profit and loss. Integrating these different approaches was a major challenge,” explained Yann Zabbal, Account Manager at Planisware, who joined Teva’s Planisware project during this phase.
“There was a lot of customization in both systems, and merging them required us to balance the best of both worlds while avoiding over-complicating the tool.”
The team worked tirelessly over a year to create a global process that could support both organizations. One of the lessons learned during this phase? “Customization is a double-edged sword. It adds flexibility, but it also introduces complexity. We had to be very careful about how much we configured,” Yann noted.
The integration of Actavis was a cultural one as well. “We faced resistance from both sides,” Tamar recalled. “Actavis employees had to adapt to Teva’s global product pipeline, and Teva employees had to incorporate Actavis’s R&D-centric mindset. It was a learning process, but ultimately, Planisware helped us unify our approaches.”
The Importance of Change Management
The successful integration of Actavis into Teva’s system wouldn’t have been possible without a strong focus on change management and user adoption. Teva established a formal Planisware community that involved functional business owners across regions. These individuals played a role in advocating for the system, ensuring it was used correctly and that feedback from users was incorporated into future improvements.
“We didn’t impose the system top-down. We took a collaborative approach and involved the different functions and regions in the decision-making process. This helped build buy-in and ownership across the organization,” Tamar explained.
Teva also invested in extensive training, ensuring that users were equipped to use Planisware effectively. “We created a dedicated site with training materials, FAQs, and updates for the Planisware user community,” she added.
Preparing for the Future with Planisware
Starting in 2018, Teva shifted its focus to future-proofing its Planisware system. The company launched a global portfolio data warehouse and integrated business intelligence tools for reporting and data analysis. “With deeper insights into our portfolio, we can make more informed, data-driven decisions,” said Tamar. “This has given us a holistic view of both our generic and innovative product lifecycles, improving efficiency and strategic insights across the board.”
Planisware continues to evolve with Teva’s needs. Teva has introduced risk management features, better interfaces with systems like SAP for master data, and Hyperion for financial data. One of the most significant improvements was extending Planisware into post-launch project management, allowing Teva to manage product optimizations, such as packaging changes, within the same system used for development and launch.
“It’s given us a much clearer view of the entire product lifecycle,” Yann added. “Each upgrade helps us stay agile and innovative as we move forward.”
As Teva looks toward the future, the company continues to evaluate and plan the expansion of its use of Planisware, including integrating its industrial business into the platform. “We’re in the process of implementing resource management and preparing for a major version upgrade,” said Yann.
Reflecting on Teva’s journey with Planisware, Tamar believes that the key to success lies in the people. “If there’s one piece of advice I could give, it’s this: See the transformation as a cultural transformation. Engage your teams early on, and make them part of the journey.” Teva’s success with Planisware shows the power of collaboration, flexibility, and strong leadership. “Technology can only take you so far. It’s the people behind it who truly drive success,” Tamar concluded.
From its initial implementation to where Teva is today, proves how a PPM solution can unify global operations and drive innovation in the pharmaceutical industry throughout a decade. Through strategic change management, collaboration, and a clear vision for the future, makes Teva agile in the market. “Planisware has become the backbone of our global operations,” said Tamar.
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