Chanelle Pharma taps SAP Cloud ERP & AI for expansion

SAP has signed a partnership with Chanelle Pharma to roll out SAP S/4HANA Cloud (private edition) and SAP Business AI across the pharmaceutical manufacturer's operations.

The programme focuses on modernising Chanelle Pharma's core finance, manufacturing, and supply chain processes. It also aims to strengthen data governance and improve operational visibility across the business.

Chanelle Pharma exports to more than 90 countries and operates across Ireland, the UK, Portugal, and Jordan. It is updating its end-to-end operational value chain as it prepares for continued international expansion and tighter expectations around GxP regulatory compliance.

Programme scope

The deployment uses SAP S/4HANA Cloud in the private edition model, combining cloud delivery with dedicated infrastructure and greater control over configuration than public cloud services. In regulated industries, organisations often choose private cloud options because validation, audit trails, and change control requirements shape how systems are implemented and managed.

Chanelle Pharma will also adopt SAP Business AI. SAP positions Business AI as a layer that uses business data held in SAP applications for functions such as forecasting, exception handling, and workflow automation. The partners have not said which use cases Chanelle Pharma will deploy first.

Tenthpin and KaarTech will deliver the programme jointly. The plan is for a single-phase implementation, rather than a multi-wave rollout by region or function, with a targeted go-live in late 2026.

Clean core

The implementation strategy puts SAP's ERP platform first, establishing a "clean core" based on SAP best practices. The clean core approach aims to reduce deep customisation of the base ERP system, shifting more change into standard configuration and extensions outside the core application.

The programme then moves to integrate SAP Business AI, sequencing the work to establish stable data and process foundations before adding AI-driven tools.

Tenthpin will use SAP Signavio process assets tailored for Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations. Signavio is SAP's process transformation suite, used for process mapping and analysis and for identifying standard process designs aligned with SAP's ERP templates.

Regulation and supply chains

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is under pressure to improve traceability, strengthen quality management, and respond faster to shifts in demand and supply constraints. Compliance requirements also influence how digital systems are validated and how changes are controlled after go-live.

Against that backdrop, Chanelle Pharma's programme places particular emphasis on GxP expectations and data governance. Its international footprint adds complexity across manufacturing, planning, and reporting, as product portfolios and supply routes vary by market.

Aiden Dempsey, CIO at Chanelle Pharma, linked the rollout to the company's growth plans and compliance needs.

"This strategic partnership with SAP marks a pivotal moment in our growth trajectory. We are investing heavily in a scalable digital foundation that will accelerate our time-to-market and drive global manufacturing excellence. SAP S/4HANA Cloud and Business AI give us the competitive advantage to pioneer the future of the pharmaceutical industry while maintaining the highest standards of GxP compliance," said Aiden Dempsey, CIO, Chanelle Pharma.

Ray Joyce, Head of Ireland at SAP UK&I, pointed to shifting regulation and supply chain conditions, and the need for consolidated data across functions.

"Pharmaceutical organisations are operating in an increasingly complex environment, where regulation, supply chains and demand can all shift quickly. SAP's Cloud ERP strengthens organisational resilience and governance processes and provides data insights from across the business. This empowers Chanelle Pharma to operate with agility and remain competitive in a highly regulated global market," said Ray Joyce, Head of Ireland, SAP UK&I.

Tenthpin highlighted the single-phase structure and its approach to process design.

"Collaborating with Chanelle Pharma and KaarTech on this single-phase transformation allows us to deliver unparalleled value to an industry leader. By utilising Tenthpin's SAP Signavio processes, we are enabling Chanelle Pharma to seamlessly integrate SAP best practices. This helps Chanelle Pharma navigate operational and regulatory complexity with greater certainty supported by a resilient SAP digital backbone that can evolve with whatever comes next," said Simon Flowers.

The partners expect the ERP deployment to land first, followed by SAP Business AI integration as the programme progresses towards the targeted late-2026 go-live.