INSPIRE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
INSPIRING YOU TO
BE AN INSPIRATION
We do not have to go too far in our quest for inspiration. It exists around us, within us, and just needs to be ignited to begin something new. Here is a glimpse of some of our most inspirational stories. We learn from them, wear them proudly and tell them to the world, as we believe there is nothing quite like Glenmark.
In the Generics business, timing of entering the market is crucial. We were all set for a big launch in the US when we came to know that the innovator organization had changed the artwork. The speed at which we could reach the market with the new labels presented an 8-9 million USD opportunity, something that could not be missed!
We decided to take on the challenge with our teams across North America Commercial, North America Regulatory Affairs, India Regulatory Affairs, Goa Operations and Goa Quality, working seamlessly together . With the project management team at the helm we worked on multiple processes in parallel and used innovative strategies to beat the timelines. We anticipated every possible hurdle and took precautions to ensure against delays.
All the teams pushed themselves and walked the extra mile to make this happen. Regulatory approved the artwork overnight, normally an extended process. The Goa plant, asked for the product to be shipped straight from the vendor in India to the US, while training the quality personnel in our US Office. Procurement split the printing work amongst three vendors as opposed to one to get the product dispatched immediately – purchase order to delivery was done in 2 days, which was unimaginable.
Our logistics team sent 6 shipments instead of 1 to hedge for trans-shipment delays & blockage at customs. For relabelling in the US, the quality and logistics team consolidated the 6 shipments between 2 vendors.
The result was phenomenal and the product hit the market as per plan. A normal lead time of 6-8 weeks reduced to 7 days. The sense of ownership, shared goals and the determination to win within the team was exemplary – a true inspiration for Glenmark!
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) conducted a comprehensive audit on Glenmark Kenya books for the period 2012-2015. There were a number of observations around the Glenmark business model, past transactions and business practices. The cumulative tax liability that was assessed amounted to 10.7 million USD.
Unfortunately the documentation provided during the audit process was found unsatisfactory and the demand order was raised. Glenmark decided to file an appeal against the order. An internal team consisting of team members from business finance, taxation and country finance was formed to defend the case. Appeal submission required Glenmark to build a water tight case. Any omission would have resulted in the case moving to a higher court and Glenmark having to deposit the 10.7 million USD with the tax office.
The team worked under crunched timelines and submitted a strong case backed with all the relevant facts. Internal teams collaborated to ensure that all fronts were covered. While business finance team prepared business rationale behind the transactions, took the authority through the same in series of meetings which helped them understand the pharmaceutical business. The taxation team ensured water tight documentation and the local finance team built a rapport with tax officers to ensure clear line of communication.
The Kenya tax office appreciated Glenmark’s transparency and willingness to share details resulting in the matter being resolved amicably outside the appellate tribunal. The overall tax liability for Glenmark was reduced to a mere 0.2 million USD, moreover the entire matter was settled in 4 months. This was a record achievement brought together through the collaborative efforts with not only the internal teams but also the government authorities.
Hypertension or HTN affects every 1 out of 3 Indians and almost 50% are unaware of their condition. As the market leader in the Anti-hypertensive (AHT) space Glenmark’s strategic objective is to increase HTN Awareness & Diagnosis through in-clinic & out of clinic initiatives. We realized the need to make these initiatives more impactful and decided to aim for something that had never been done before. Associating with the a globally popular platform GUINESS WORLD RECORD (GWR) we attempted for the 1st time in the history of Indian Pharmaceutical Market to create the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the Most Blood Pressure (BP) Readings in 1 Hour (Multiple Locations).
The event was planned in September 2018 leveraging the ‘World Heart Month’ Campaign that drove HTN awareness and diagnosis aggressively. On Monday 24thSept’18, we targeted to screen 8200 participants across 41 centers. The biggest challenge was ensuring uniformity against each of the macro and micro Guinness requirements at all 41 hospitals while detailing out the event flow, obtaining approvals & ensuring video footage of the entire achievement.
For uniform execution at each center, we had a structured communication plan to align Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), event partners, hospital staff and field force. Dry runs were also conducted at selected centers to ensure that we were prepared for all contingencies. The result of these cumulative efforts was a phenomenal achievement of screening 11,416 participants in 1 hour across 37 locations, breaking the previous record (5315) and creating a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORD.
This achievement has not only helped us drive awareness on a massive scale with coverage across 36 newspapers and other media; but has also resulted in stronger relationships with KOLs and Key Brand Leaders (KBLs). In last 1 year, we have added 7,80, 000 new patients strengthening our presence in the AHT market and helping Telma to become the 1st Glenmark brand to cross 1750 million mark in September 2018.