Zydus - Case Study

Case Study: Optimizing Pharma Quality with Factorian 

The Challenge: Legacy Historian Limitations and High Maintenance Costs
In a highly regulated pharmaceutical environment, the customer’s legacy data historian (OSI-PI) had become a strategic liability. Spread across 3 global sites, 12 manufacturing lines, and 86 machines, the system was increasingly difficult to scale. Managing over 5,000+ live tags required constant, expensive third-party system integrator support just to create custom live dashboards and batch reports. This environment led to: 

  • High Operational Costs: Heavy reliance on external integrators for basic system modifications and dashboard creation. 
  • Compliance Risks: Manual, time-intensive data retrieval for regulatory audits across disparate locations. 
  • Batch Variance: Inability to monitor 5,000+ live tags in real-time without custom-coded workarounds, risking costly off-spec batches. 

 

The Solution: The Factorian Platform
The customer replaced their legacy OSI-PI system with Factorian (in less than 3 weeks), creating a centralized, scalable data foundation without the need for constant outside (third-party integrator) intervention: 

  1. Validated Data Capture: Seamless, GxP-compliant integration with 86 machines, including diverse shop-floor sensors and PLC systems across all 3 sites. 
  2. Instant Accessibility: A “self-service” data layer allowing Quality Assurance (QA) and Production teams to pull reports from all 5,000+ tags without IT or third-party support. 
  3. Real-Time Dashboarding: Intuitive, “no-code” live monitoring of batch progression and environmental parameters for every one of the 12 manufacturing lines. 

 

Financial Comparison: OSI-PI vs. Factorian 

Transitioning to Factorian significantly reduced the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by eliminating excessive service fees and streamlining operations. 

Cost Driver Legacy Historian (OSI-PI) Factorian Platform Estimated Savings 
System Integrator Fees High; required for all custom dashboards / reports Near Zero; “no-code,” self-service interface 70–90% reduction 
Annual Support / Maintenance Estimated $25,000+ for 5,000–10,000 tags Unified, lower-cost modern license model with unlimited users 30–50% TCO reduction 
Infrastructure Costs Fragmented, complex IT management of several Windows based OSI-PI servers Scalable hybrid infrastructure of Factorian rugged fanless nodes and Linux VMs. 30–50% lower costs 
Dashboard Development $30,000 – $90,000+ per custom enterprise dashboard Included; built in-house by QA/Production $100k+ annually 

 The Impact 

  • Accelerated Batch Release: Automated reporting of all live tags reduced the “review-by-exception” cycle time, getting products to market faster. 
  • Reduced Dependency: Eliminated the “integrator bottleneck,” allowing internal teams to create and update reports in real-time. 
  • Golden Batch Consistency: By analyzing historical vs. live data from 5,000+ unique tags, operators maintained the “Golden Batch” profile, reducing waste and rework globally. 
  • Audit Readiness: Shifted from days of manual data prep at each site to “always-on” compliance at the click of a button. 

 

Strategic Outcome
By replacing their legacy historian with Factorian, the customer transformed their data from a stagnant expense into a strategic asset. Unifying 3 sites, 12 lines, and 5,000+ live tags ensured patient safety and operational agility through superior, scalable data integrity. 

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