Sasaki is a member of the IT Solution Department. As Group Manager of a group that is responsible for applications used in the R&D field, from introduction to operation, she has worked on the introduction of large-scale systems together with the R&D division and Roche, leading the DX of Chugai Pharmaceutical. She talked to us about the appeal of taking on business transformation in the company from her perspective as a systems development professional.

 (Interviewee: Sasaki)

*Reproduced from Chugai Pharmaceutical’s official Talentbook website (https://www.talent-book.jp/chugai-pharm) Article details and employee positions are current as of November 2023.

Promoting the construction of global-standard systems. Redefining the process of drug discovery

Sasaki is a member of the DX Unit. She is working on the introduction of a large-scale, global-standard SaaS and the migration of applications to the cloud.

 

Within the DX Unit, whose mission is DX as a key driver of Chugai Pharmaceutical’s company-wide growth strategy, the group that I belong to is responsible for the planning, introduction, development, operation, and maintenance of platforms and applications used in the R&D field.

Currently, we are working on the introduction of a new solution with the aim of improving the productivity of the value chain, including clinical development and drug manufacture. Until now, Chugai Pharmaceutical has been using specific systems for inside Japan, but looking toward new business development, with the aim of building systems that are compatible with global standards, we are working with not only our in-house R&D divisions, but also Roche, with whom we have a strategic alliance, to pursue unique settings and the addition of functions.

 

Sasaki’s role in this project is as a liaison between the R&D divisions and the systems development team. Staying in close communication with both parties, she has strived to improve the efficiency of drug discovery processes using digital technologies.

 

‘My role is to realize the requests of the staff involved in clinical development and other areas in the systems. Because there is also a great deal of interaction with overseas parties, using English on a daily basis, I consider the necessary technologies and products, as well as the optimal settings and mechanisms, before communicating the specific requirements to the partners and vendors in charge of development, thus supporting the progress of the project,’ Sasaki explains.

 

Throughout her career, Sasaki has been actively involved at the forefront of system development across various industries. She described the sense of reward she finds in her involvement in drug discovery DX.

 

‘Making the value chain more efficient will mean that drugs are delivered to patients more quickly. I feel great pride in being able to participate in a project that can contribute to society from an IT standpoint.

Also, the healthcare industry is a sector that still has plenty of room for digitalization. My involvement in the process of using digital technologies to transform the business and create new value also gives me a sense of reward.’

Joining Chugai Pharmaceutical, a leader in the industry’s digitalization, driven by the potential of drug discovery DX

In her previous job, Sasaki was involved in the development and operational support of IT infrastructure, working on projects in multiple industries, including finance, telecommunications, and retail. Her experiences include systems development and project management. She looks back on how she came to quit her old job and take up a position at Chugai Pharmaceutical.

 

‘I wanted to be involved in systems development from the standpoint of the owner that creates business in a business-focused company, rather than as an IT vendor. There was also the fact of the numerous unique rules, including laws and regulations, with which the pharmaceutical industry must comply. Combining defensive measures to uphold what must be upheld with offensive digital technologies that drive transformation is no easy task. For that very reason, I felt that new innovations should be generated in that process.

In the pharmaceutical industry, Chugai Pharmaceutical was placing particular efforts into DX even back then. I was attracted by the way in which, among many companies that were failing to advance DX in any substantive way despite their will for transformation, Chugai was seriously engaging in reform as a company-wide effort, and I made the decision to go to work there.’

 

When Sasaki joined the company, it was right in the middle of promoting DX under the CHUGAI DIGITAL VISION 2030. While adapting to the unique business requirements of the industry, she was involved in the replacement of core systems and the migration of applications to the cloud, which were already under way.

 

‘I had participated in a variety of projects until then, including in finance, but the pharmaceutical industry, which involves human lives, was a first for me. What initially surprised me was the high awareness of quality, such as the strict management of the process from systems development to introduction in line with laws and regulations.

At the same time, the promotion of digital technologies also required a sense of speed. I felt keenly the difficulty of balancing these two seemingly opposing elements of quality and speed. While I learned the rules of the industry with the support of those around me and through training programs, I gained a renewed sense of the importance of demonstrating one’s value as a team.

On the other hand, I had accumulated experience in IT projects in a variety of industries. The company also has specialists with diverse backgrounds. Ensuring that the team functions effectively while coordinating with specialists in the various fields within the company, using appropriate methods, and maximizing the outcomes of the project is, I believe, one of my duties.’

Best practice that is unique to Chugai Pharmaceutical, created by its distinctive business model

At her previous company, Sasaki was seconded to a group company in the U.S., where she gained experience working on the proposal and introduction of RM solutions. She talked about Chugai Pharmaceutical’s appeal based on her knowledge of the differences between Japanese and Western organizations.

 

‘Chugai is a top Japanese pharmaceutical company, as well as being a member of the Roche Group. Its greatest strength is in the roll-out of its distinctive business model of concentrating on innovation with an emphasis on uniqueness and diversity, while maintaining its own independent management. While on the one hand, it has the typically Japanese attention to detail in its careful progress and management of operations, on the other hand, it is also equipped with the sense of speed and daring that is more common to the West. I am highly drawn to this characteristic.’

 

Sasaki, who also bands her group together as its manager, says that she finds the diversity of the people who have gathered at Chugai appealing.

 

‘It allows me to form a team by considering the strengths and weaknesses of each member, like, for example, “ This member with extensive consulting experience and that member from a system integrator background would be the best fit for this project with both consulting and system development elements.”

This is something that could only be achieved because we have so many people with diverse backgrounds. How well I combine team members effectively and lead them toward successful outcomes is a real test of my skills as a manager.’

 

It is precisely because of the open and transparent workplace environment that our diverse talent are able to fully demonstrate their abilities.

 

Sasaki continued: ‘An open organizational culture is firmly embedded at Chugai Pharmaceutical. This includes a culture of mutually respecting and supporting people’s challenges, regardless of gender, nationality, or length of service, regular one-on-one meetings between superiors and subordinates, and tools for visualizing and sharing company-wide employees’ appreciation for each other. Not once have I felt that it was hard to communicate across divisional boundaries.’

 

Sasaki was appointed as Group Manager just 18 months after she joined the company. This evidence of the equal opportunities that everyone is given to shine is unique to Chugai.

 

‘I was quite surprised when I was approached about the Group Manager position so much sooner than I expected. I think that this is a company that offers the opportunity to take on positions of responsibility, regardless of gender or tenure, or even whether a person is a new graduate or mid-career recruit.’

We believe in the power of the team. Making knowledge and insights as an IT specialist a driving force in Chugai Pharmaceutical’s business transformation

While ambitious to launch new projects, Sasaki also has the following vision that she is aiming toward in her position as Group Manager.

 

‘My sense is that it is important for managers not to impose their own standards on their subordinates. Expecting them to do things my way would place pressure on my subordinates, and it could lead to them losing the individual characteristics that they have fostered from their respective backgrounds. I hope to entrust more and more to them and lead them to successful outcomes.

The true appeal of teamwork is that it allows us to achieve things that we could not accomplish on our own. I hope to always maintain a positive attitude toward new things and the expansion of possibilities.

 

Sasaki also has a clear vision of what her role is in the pharmaceutical industry and at Chugai Pharmaceutical.

 

‘Complying with laws and regulations is, of course, a major premise, but if we are overly conscious of that, we will lose our sense of speed. Having upheld those regulations that must be upheld, my role is to make the drug discovery process more efficient as an IT specialist. I hope to explore better relationships between humans and digital technologies.

Every industry, not just the pharmaceutical industry, has its own distinctive way of doing things. Fortunately, Chugai has established an environment for learning through resources such as e-learning, and it is proactive about digitalization and transformation. I have never felt that being a regulated industry is a handicap.

On the contrary, I believe that there is new value in the introduction of digital technologies to such an industry, so I intend to keep accumulating experience so that I can contribute not as an outsider with no knowledge of the industry, but as someone who belongs.