Ten days flat!, with ERYTECH
Julien Martel, you are a Project Manager at ERYTECH. Could you introduce your company?
Julien Martel : Erytech is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for rare cancers and orphan diseases. We manufacture medicines whose efficacy and safety are evaluated in the patient populations they are intended for.
Clinical stage … ?
JM : Yes. These are evaluation levels known as phases, usually ranging from I to III, with Phase III comparing the treatment’s effectiveness against the standard of care. There is also a Phase IV, which corresponds to post marketing authorization studies.
What were your expectations before starting this collaboration?
JM : Dynamics 365 Finance had been in place in the company for about a year. However, the initial integrator did not meet our expectations in terms of follow up and flexibility. We were looking for a more agile organization, capable of delivering truly tailored solutions that would closely match the needs of our different business teams. A genuinely customized offering was therefore our top priority.
How did you come to work with FiveForty?
JM : We first ran a test by having a consultant on site in our Lyon offices for ten days using a time boxing approach. On the first day, we provided a list of topics, with a delivery review at the end of the ten day period. Within the allocated timeframe, we saw that every need had been addressed, either through the right solution directly or through a clear and relevant estimate of what needed to be done to resolve the issue.
What ultimately motivated your decision?
JM : The imposed trial period was extremely convincing. In just ten days, it unblocked issues that had been dragging on for months and were frustrating our teams.
What initial assessment can you make of this collaboration?
JM : We now have a trusted partner we can rely on. Beyond the quick win support at the beginning, we are now entrusting them with evolution and deployment projects. Our business teams work with experts who help us build a system that truly meets our requirements.
What do you appreciate most about FiveForty?
JM : Their ability to understand who we are, our constraints, and our company’s pace, in other words their adaptability to a very fast moving environment.
“Our teams were frustrated”
In your view, what areas for improvement could be considered?
JM : Every six months or so, we carry out reviews focused on improving our relationship. We also communicate quickly whenever something does not suit us, in either direction. It is therefore difficult to answer this question when continuous improvement is already an established process.
If you had to recommend FiveForty, what would you say?
JM : Choosing FiveForty means choosing efficiency. They bring value to Erytech exactly where it is needed.
“Bringing value where it matters”
What would you advise people to pay attention to?
JM : Making sure that the company cultures and ways of working are compatible. In our case, FiveForty was first and foremost a great encounter that has grown into a true co construction partnership.
How is FiveForty different?
JM : The service provided by FiveForty is far more personalized than anything I have experienced before.
Three words to describe them?
JM : Flexibility, proximity, professionalism.
On a scale from 1 to 5, how would you rate your relationship?
JM : Five !
(*) – Time boxing : managing work through fixed time blocks.
