Case Study: Douglas Pharmaceuticals achieves 20% efficiency gains and boosts DIFOT to 95% with STARLIMS

Starlims Helps Douglas Pharmaceuticals On Its Lean Journey to Smart Labs

Douglas Pharmaceuticals, a rapidly growing New Zealand pharmaceutical company exporting to 40 countries, faced manual, paper-based laboratory processes that limited visibility, compliance and capacity as it pursued a “Smart Labs” lean transformation. To support expansion without unsustainable headcount increases, Douglas selected STARLIMS to provide a laboratory information management system (LIMS) and associated modules (microbiology, stability, SDMS) as the automation backbone for its Quality Control labs.

STARLIMS implemented a fully automated sample lifecycle, instrument and SAP integrations, audit trails, lab investigation and stability modules, and standardized workflows, enabling process optimization and shared services. As a result, STARLIMS helped Douglas eliminate transcription errors, improve GMP compliance and free up roughly four FTE equivalents for value‑add work; Delivery In Full On Time rose from 50% to 95% and Laboratory Investigation Reports fell by 50%.

Douglas Pharmaceuticals

David Hipperson

Quality Engineering Manager