Parata Jump-starts Digital Transformation with Aras

Parata
Headquarters
Durham, North Carolina
Established
2001
Size
~500 Employees
Industry
Healthcare

Before Aras: Challenges

  • Outdated systems: Parata’s legacy PLM systems were cumbersome, costly to maintain, and could not adapt to the company’s evolving business processes.
  • Manual processes: Many key tasks, like managing inspection templates and tracking defects, were done manually, leading to inefficiencies and a higher risk of errors.
  • Lack of agility: Rigid workflows and system configurations limited Parata’s ability to innovate and quickly respond to changing market demands.

After Aras: Outcomes

  • Modernized infrastructure: Outdated systems were replaced with a flexible, scalable platform, helping teams make processes more efficient, customizable, and maintainable.
  • Automated precision: With Aras automating critical tasks like inspection management and defect tracking, Parata eliminated manual inefficiencies and minimized errors.
  • Improved efficiency and quality: The company experienced significant gains in speed and product quality, with faster updates to inspection templates and improved defect tracking.

Explore This Story

    “We were coming from a PLM that we were stuck in the mud with, and it would cost significant dollars to upgrade it, fix the bugs, get it up-to-date, and get it in line with our current business processes. We were really looking for a PLM that was the exact opposite of that.”

    Paul Sheehy, IT Applications Manager, Parata Systems

    Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, Parata is a leading provider of pharmacy automation solutions, specializing in high-speed robotic dispensing technologies. The company offers a comprehensive range of products, including pouch filling, vial filling, blister cards, and workflow management systems designed to enhance patient experience.

    Parata implemented the Aras Innovator® product lifecycle management (PLM) platform to improve operational efficiency and maintain flexibility in its growing business. This strategic move replaced legacy systems with a solution that can easily integrate with essential tools and allow for future scalability. By adopting a modern PLM, Parata has automated critical processes, reduced defect tracking times, and aligned workflows with evolving business needs.

    Parata has achieved major speed and quality improvements with Aras, reducing the time to update inspection templates by 92% from six and a half days to just half a day — and reducing defects by 30% per million opportunities (DPMO).

    Pain Points

    Before adopting Aras, Parata tried multiple PLM systems over the years, but each fell short of meeting the company’s needs. These systems were inflexible, costly to upgrade and maintain, and unable to adapt to shifting business processes. Teams found themselves locked in rigid workflows and struggled to make quick adjustments or keep up with changing demands related to product development and technology integration.

    Additionally, many processes, such as managing inspection templates and tracking defects, were manual and time-consuming, further limiting productivity and increasing the risk of errors. This combination of outdated system configurations and workflows stifling innovation made it difficult to innovate and quickly bring new products to market.

    PLM Requirements

    Parata needed a modern PLM that would align with present and future business processes. Specifically, it wanted the ability to configure and customize the solution as it expanded usage and as its processes evolved over time.

    The essential requirements for Parata’s new PLM solution included:

    • Flexibility: Adapt to evolving business processes and workflows without requiring costly system overhauls.
    • Integration: Ensure interoperability with existing CAD tools and other critical systems to eliminate data silos and improve collaboration.
    • Automation: Automate critical processes like inspection tracking and defect management to reduce manual work, minimize errors, and boost productivity.
    • Scalability: Provide a flexible platform that can easily scale as Parata grows and expands its product offerings.
    • Compliance: Support rigorous quality management standards and documentation needs in the highly regulated medical industry.  

    Successes with Aras Innovator

    Parata chose Aras Innovator as the antidote to the legacy PLM systems that had plagued the company in the past. Instead of being locked into a single way of working, Aras helps teams stay agile and adapt to new processes while adhering to evolving business requirements and quality standards.

    One of the first major successes Parata experienced was transforming inspection processes. Initially paper-based, the goal was to create a more efficient, data-driven system capable of tracking defects at a granular level — a large undertaking for a new tool with new administrators. Fortunately, the Aras support team proved invaluable by helping organize data and ensuring the system was properly configured. The result was a robust, digitized inspection process that provided greater accuracy and efficiency in monitoring defects.

    Results

    Parata has experienced substantial improvements in both efficiency and product quality since implementing Aras. The ability to automate critical processes, such as inspection management and defect tracking, has drastically reduced manual effort and minimized errors. As a result, teams can now focus more on innovation and process improvement rather than time-consuming administrative tasks.

    With Aras, Parata has cut the time it takes to update inspection templates by 92% and reduced DPMO by 30%.

    Parata plans to further leverage Aras Innovator to ensure the company remains healthy and competitive. Parata can capitalize on the platform’s latest features and technologies with new Aras updates every five weeks.

    Aras Innovator has been a catalyst for Parata’s digital transformation, delivering the agility and flexibility needed to support future growth. 

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