Case Study: Leading International CRO Company achieves compliant, automated revenue recognition and improved financial visibility with Appian Low-Code Platform

How Appian helped a Life Sciences organization improve their revenue recognition process

A leading international CRO—supporting more than 300,000 patients and 22,000 employees across 45,000 global sites—faced imminent changes to revenue recognition accounting standards. Their legacy financial application was brittle and hard to modify, threatening major system disruption and extra manual effort, so they opted for a proactive, agile automated platform instead of refitting the rigid system.

By implementing the Appian Low-Code Platform they preserved current workflows while automating revenue processes, connecting to existing databases and improving data entry, quality, and context. The solution delivered end-to-end transparency, stronger reporting and CFO visibility, more efficient billing and work tracking, and the ability to calculate revenue under the new standard—enabling a seamless regulatory transition and simplifying financial management of clinical trials.