Minimizing Downtime for — A Global Pharma Leader
Date of Publication
- Benefits
Key Highlights
1.8 Million
Annual Savings
45%
Fewer Unplanned Outages
OSHA, HAZWOPER, union/non-union
99.97%
Uptime
From concept to closeout, every trade
- The Problem
Client Challenges
Global Pharma Leader runs validated systems that support batch release, quality, and distribution. Downtime stalls production and risks compliance, which is why they needed stable systems that pass audits and run without interruption.
01
Legacy servers and storage created single points of failure. Global Pharma Leader saw repeat incidents during high load and patch cycles.
02
Limited monitoring hid early warning signs. Engineers learned about issues from users instead of alerts.
03
Manual failover and recovery took too long. On-ground staff followed long runbooks and relied on a few key people.
- The Problem
Client Goals
Global Pharma Leader set clear goals tied to uptime, quality, and cost. Their IT and manufacturing teams agreed on scorecards and timelines. They wanted to:
- Reach at least 99.95% uptime for GMP apps across sites.
- Reduce production stops and scrap.
- Cut the mean time to recover by at least 50%.
- Standardize runbooks and automate steps.
- Improve audit readiness.
- Approach
Our Solution
Strategic Approach
We focused on reliability first. Our team removed single points of failure, added deep visibility, and automated recovery.
Reliability Engineering
We mapped critical paths for MES, LIMS, ERP, and historians. It included building high availability for weak links first.
Observability
We deployed end-to-end monitoring, SLOs, and alerting. Also, we set clear on-call rules and fast triage flows.
Automation
We scripted failover, backups, and patching. We reduced manual steps and cut human error.
Services Implemented
ABC’s unique case presented us with many challenges. We combined platform upgrades, process changes, and training. More importantly, we linked each service to a target KPI.
High Availability and DR
Active-passive clusters, storage replication, and site failover with tested RPO and RTO.
Monitoring and Alerting
Metrics, logs, and traces with dashboards and noise-free alerts. Real user monitoring for key apps.
Change and Incident Management
Standard changes, templates, and SLAs in the ITSM tool. Blameless post-incident reviews.
Security and Compliance
GxP validation package, access controls, and immutable logs that meet 21 CFR Part 11.
Unique Selling Point
We blended pharma GMP experience with modern SRE practices. The result was reliability that stood up in audit rooms and on the plant floor.
GMP-First Delivery
CSV-ready documents, risk-based testing, and audit support.
Optimized SRE Playbooks
Short, simple steps with clear owners and triggers.
Proactive Culture
Weekly reliability review, error budgets, and constant tuning.
- Execution Process
How We Solved the Problem
Our team approached the project with a structured strategy that balanced technical precision with close client collaboration. We focused on building resilience step by step while keeping every improvement measurable, visible, and ready for audit review.
Assessment and Planning
We began with a three-week assessment that led to a 90-day roadmap. Systems were scored by impact and failure risk, while dependency mapping revealed risks across apps, databases, storage, queues, and sites. We documented gaps in high availability, backups, alerts, and processes, assigning fixes and owners.
Client Collaboration
We worked daily with IT, QA, and manufacturing to keep delivery visible and aligned with compliance. QA teams received validation templates, test scripts, and evidence captured directly into the QMS, while training covered on-call basics, triage flow, and run book practice for plant staff.
Implementation
Implementation ran in phased increments to reduce risk. Reliability upgrades included clustered databases, load balancers, and replicated storage, followed by disaster recovery drills with strict time targets. Observability advanced with unified dashboards, golden signal monitoring, and alerts tied directly to runbooks, while automation supported one-click failover.
- Extra Support
Results & Benefits
Uptime Increased
Uptime reached 99.97% for critical apps in 90 days. Global Pharma Leader reported fewer stoppages and better productivity.
Recovery Time Improved
The mean time to recover fell to 28 minutes because Global Pharma Leader teams started using short runbooks and clear alerts.
Unplanned Outages Lowered
Unplanned outages fell by 45%, while planned maintenance windows dropped by 50%.
- Customer Stories
What Our Client Said
“Our plants run without the constant fear of stoppages now. The alerts are clear, the playbooks work, and audits go faster. The project paid for itself in months, all thanks to D1 Solutions and their proven approach.”
Carter Miller
Operations Director, Global Pharma Leader
- Future Clients
What It Means for Future Clients
If uptime matters to your business, you can count on our customized solutions. Based on a thorough evaluation of your system, we’ll help you:
- Set SLOs that match business impact.
- Remove single points of failure before scaling.
- Alert on symptoms that users feel, not on noise.
- Automate failover, backups, and patching.
- Test your plan with real drills and short runbooks.
Get in Touch Now
Need higher uptime for your plant? We can evaluate your stack, build a 90-day plan, and deliver quick wins in weeks. Talk to our team and see what you can improve this quarter.