Dhaka, June 2, 2025 — Popular Pharmaceuticals Ltd., one of Bangladesh’s largest pharmaceutical conglomerates, has successfully completed a company-wide implementation of SAP ERP, transforming its manufacturing, distribution, and global export operations across four continents.

The SAP system went live across Popular’s nationwide operations, including its flagship manufacturing plant in Tongi, Gazipur, and corporate headquarters in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. This large-scale digital transformation initiative integrated more than 3,000 employees, 12 regional distribution centers, 48 depots, and over 250 therapeutic product lines into a unified, real-time enterprise resource planning environment.

“With SAP S/4HANA as our digital core, we’ve achieved a level of visibility and operational control that was simply not possible before,” said Mr. Shahidur Rahman, Chief Technology Officer of Popular Pharmaceuticals. “Inventory, quality assurance, production, sales, and export logistics now operate through a single digital thread.”

The SAP ERP project, which began in early 2023, was deployed in phases over 18 months. Modules implemented include Production Planning (PP), Materials Management (MM), Sales and Distribution (SD), Financial Accounting (FI), and Human Capital Management (HCM). A dedicated 40-member SAP Center of Excellence was established to support post-go-live stabilization and system optimization.

International Edge Through Integration

With a growing footprint in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and East Africa, Popular’s International Marketing Division now coordinates export orders, compliance, and global logistics directly through SAP’s Global Trade Services (GTS) module. This has significantly reduced customs processing times and ensured traceability for regulatory audits in high-compliance markets.

“We export to more than 27 countries, and integration with SAP has drastically streamlined documentation, batch traceability, and pharmacovigilance compliance,” said Ms. Sabrina Ahmed, Head of International Markets.

Business Impact and ROI

According to internal estimates, the SAP-driven digitization has already resulted in:

• 20% faster order-to-cash cycle
• 15% reduction in raw material wastage
• 99.7% on-time delivery rate to depots
• Improved pharmacovigilance reporting in compliance with WHO-GMP and FDA standards

In addition, HR digitization under SAP HCM has simplified attendance, payroll, and regulatory reporting across Popular’s 12 functional units.

Change Management & Workforce Upskilling

The transformation wasn’t only technological. Popular invested in over 6,000 hours of SAP end-user training and change management sessions for staff across all operational levels. “Resistance was natural, but our structured learning program turned employees into system advocates,” noted Mr. Nayeem Khan, Head of SAP Change Enablement.

Future Roadmap

With SAP now embedded across its core and support processes, Popular Pharmaceuticals positions itself as a data-driven, globally competitive pharma enterprise — a transformation many local manufacturers are watching closely. “This is not just an ERP implementation,” said the Managing Director in a recent media roundtable, “this is the foundation for our next decade of innovation and global leadership.”