Seeking a transformation treatment
Health giant builds a sustainable hybrid cloud IT architecture with SAP S/4HANA and the IBM Power platform
93%
database reduction from SAP ECC 6.0 to S/4HANA
20%
cost avoidance forecasted for new projects
To ensure vital medicines were reaching patients as quickly as possible, Pfizer needed a server platform that was up to the task
Endlessly committed to providing breakthrough advancements in medicine, Pfizer—one of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies—decided to undergo a global digital transformation to continue meeting the needs of consumers in the ever-evolving health industry.
The company turned to its longtime partner, IBM, to help build a sustainable hybrid cloud IT architecture with SAP S/4HANA®. Migrating decades’ worth of complex applications from Pfizer’s integrated SAP® solutions to cloud services posed considerable challenges. For example, the sheer size of the company’s operations required x86 virtual servers, which meant significant overhead costs.
Pfizer managed mission-critical workloads with minimal complexity using the IBM Power infrastructure
Pfizer needed the ability to scale up to run large SAP workloads. To accomplish this goal, the company selected the IBM® Power® solution as its mission-critical server platform for SAP applications and their supporting databases, as well as related business systems for track and trace, invoicing and more.
With a 54-hour window to complete full data migration, IBM Power10 helped Pfizer successfully migrate over 46 terabytes of raw data—completing the task a full 10 hours faster than anticipated.
Massive scalability and advanced data processing were also crucial to Pfizer’s migration goals. The Power platform supported approximately 50,000 users to access a host of SAP applications, with about 14TB of SAP HANA data available in SAP Business Warehouse on HANA on IBM Power.
Scott Groth
ERP Platform Engineering & Emerging Technologies, Pfizer
“
Our go live was truly amazing. The star was actually IBM Power10 … Our data migration forecast was 54 hours, and we realized this phase in 44 hours. ”
Raj Hase
Senior Director of Digital Finance Solutions and SAP S/4HANA Program Manager, Pfizer
“
At every point we wanted to minimize risk, and our strategic partner, IBM Consulting, was instrumental in helping us plan for success. ”
Scott Groth
ERP Platform Engineering & Emerging Technologies, Pfizer
“
The partnership with Pfizer and IBM Consulting provided the highest value in this entire story. ”
Scott Groth
ERP Platform Engineering & Emerging Technologies, Pfizer
“
PowerVS will enable us to run the same technical architecture, which we know is very beneficial to Pfizer, and remain on the Power platform for future SAP workloads. ”
Collaboration with trusted experts proved essential in optimizing operations
While transforming all its SAP applications to SAP S/4HANA solutions, Pfizer sought the expertise of IBM Consulting® and SNP Schneider-Neureither & Partner—a systems integrator and IBM Business Partner. To make the transformation even smoother, IBM Consulting implemented IBM Rapid Move for SAP S/4HANA on SNP’s software platform CrystalBridge to make SAP S/4HANA adoption easier and more efficient.
Working as a team, IBM Consulting and SNP helped Pfizer reduce its 75 TB ERP 6.0 AnyDB database to approximately 5.5 TB and deploy selective data migration to easily manage decades’ worth of data and optimize future S/4HANA applications.
In the end, all of Pfizer’s SAP solutions were running on just 6 IBM Power10 systems, with over 500 virtual servers running on IBM PowerVM® software, supporting the company’s commercial, finance, procurement and manufacturing operations.
A hybrid cloud environment offers the freedom and flexibility to expand capabilities without modifying core applications
With a fully virtualized IBM Power10 environment and SAP S/4HANA in place, Pfizer now runs a hybrid cloud landscape, integrating its on-premises SAP applications with the cloud-based SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). Using the SAP Cloud Connector on Power10, SAP BTP provides an innovative development suite for building new applications and workflows. With this development suite, Pfizer can now extend its capabilities without modifying the core applications.
The company’s long-term plan is to reduce costs and lower its carbon footprint by taking advantage of the flexibility and scalability of cloud services. To help them achieve their goal, Pfizer used IBM Power Virtual Servers (IBM PowerVS) to seamlessly move and manage workloads across both cloud and on-premises environments.
Sometimes, a transformation within has the power to transform the planet
With global warming posing serious threats to human health, Pfizer is deeply committed to reducing its environmental impact and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Pfizer can now run its extensive range of SAP and supporting solutions on a compact server footprint using virtualization through IBM Power10, reducing carbon emissions. Likewise, Power10 servers provide Pfizer the energy efficiency it needs while delivering advanced compute scalability.
As Pfizer continues to reduce its environmental impact, manage global operations more efficiently and support innovation, the IBM Power platform will continue to play a key role in helping the company create a brighter future.
Pfizer, one of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies, strives to provide access to safe, effective and affordable medicines and healthcare services, with particular focus on immunology, oncology, cardiology, endocrinology and neurology. Founded in Brooklyn, NY, in 1849, the company now employs more than 85,000 people, generating annual revenues of over USD 58 billion.
IBM solutions featured in this story
End-to-end consulting helps implement SAP S/4HANA to transform mission-critical business processes.
Virtualization environment that can run AIX®, IBM i and Linux® virtual machines on IBM® Power® servers.
Fully active standby, pay-per-use capacity metered by the minute
Accelerate your hybrid cloud journey with the power of consistency
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