Galenicum teams stay up to speed with simplified workflows and trackable interactions

Started in 2003, Galenicum has evolved from a Barcelona-based trader of medical ingredients into a multinational enterprise covering the full pharmaceutical value chain. What began as a team of 27 people in 2013 is today a global company of more than 500 employees with a presence in more than 50 countries.

After 10 years, the Galenicum’s founders pushed for growth that called for the adoption of a cloud-based platform—the company needed to centralise project management and improve communications between departments in order to scale up. 

Fostering independent problem-solving

"We are a dynamically developing business. We have doubled in size within the last three years," starts Javier Torrejon, Global Head of R&D Innovation & IP at Galenicum. "When we began growing, we increasingly needed a tool to coordinate all data and communications across departments and that could easily adapt to each department’s specific needs. So, we adopted Smartsheet in 2013. One of the key reasons was that it was already available in the cloud," says Torrejon.

Since then, employees have been able to easily create the tools they need for work using the platform’s no-code capabilities. Torrejon explains, "If we need a tool to support our processes, we can build it ourselves quickly. In one department, we set up an entire solution with Workapps and Forms in one hour." 

Moreover, thanks to frequent updates, Smartsheet is constantly progressing to accommodate evolving needs and use cases. "One and a half years ago, it was relatively difficult to build a dashboard. Now, you can add it in five minutes," says Torrejon.

Managing workflows with a few clicks

Galenicum teams now have enhanced multiple processes thanks to the platform. For example, Smartsheet Forms helps them streamline the requests and tracking of lab analyses and trials.

"Before, each of us filled out an Excel file with a request to reserve shared equipment for conducting trials. Then, we would share the file with other people via email. Once everyone replied, we would download the updated Excel and meet weekly to finalise equipment and assign responsibilities. The back and forth process made KPIs very difficult to achieve,” says Torrajon. 

With a simplified dashboard, team members can now make a request and forward it to the assigned person with a few clicks. "You don't need to know who does what. You only need to know what item you need and ask for it using Forms. It is extremely useful," says Torrajon. 

Replacing emails with actions

Teams at Galenicum conduct 150 to 250 document reviews each month. Smartsheet dashboards facilitate and speed up the process by organising and summarising key project information. "In the past, we sent each review request by email. However, recipients would sometimes say these weren’t received or had landed in spam, etc. Now, you can submit a file in Smartsheet and the platform sends an automated notification to the reviewer, who just clicks 'OK' to acknowledge it. All status changes are also visible in the application," says Torrejon. 

Smartsheet saves at least five minutes of one person's time per file by reducing email load and making the whole process flow smoother. "Dashboards help us save at least 300 hours per year on documentation reviews. It's a great tool because it helps us focus on what matters," says Torrejon.

Putting data in plain sight

Smartsheet has also helped Galenicum resolve the biggest challenge—building a culture of communication and accountability. Torrejon says, "In my view, most projects fail due to problems with communication. Many stakeholders are involved in each project, and teams report to different managers and directors. When project work happens across multiple apps, emails, and databases, the communication flow is disrupted."

By moving to Smartsheet, Galenicum gained a centralised data repository for all departments. "There is only one repository so our employees can make decisions based on comprehensive data and prioritise their tasks better. You just perform a query, and the system works automatically, so you can focus on what is happening and not on how to find data," explains Torrejon. 

All information is available in one place, which keeps interactions trackable. "This helps eliminate long discussions over responsibilities and avoid workplace conflict in case of mistakes, missteps, or delays," says Torrejon. 

Currently, Torrejon's team plans to consolidate Galenicum’s data in the platform further. To that end, it explores new integration options to bring more functions to Smartsheet. "Moving forward, we're thinking of cancelling some tools and moving them to Smartsheet so that we can continue improving our workflows."

For more information about this story, please see our case study.