Automating free-of-charge medicine and device requests, from request to SAP order
Free-of-charge (FOC) schemes for medicines and medical devices involve requests, approvals and orders that are easy to slow down and hard to audit. A workflow engine integrated with SAP takes most of the manual handling out, with a clear trail for every decision.
Sales, medical and supply chain teams all touch an FOC request: someone asks for product, several people approve it, and someone keys an order into SAP. Every handover is a chance for delay, error or a missing approval.
Where manual processes fall short
- Bottlenecks while requests wait in inboxes for the next approver.
- Re-keying errors when approved requests are typed into SAP by hand.
- No shared view of what is pending, approved or rejected.
- Weak audit trails for schemes that compliance teams need to be able to explain.
Workflow engine plus SAP
A workflow engine routes each request through the right approvals based on your hierarchy and business rules, with automatic reminders. SAP integration means approved requests become sales orders directly, using the product, pricing, inventory and customer data already held in SAP, with no duplicate entry.
How the process runs
1. Request
Staff submit FOC requests through a simple form that captures product, quantity, recipient and justification.
2. Approve
Requests route automatically to the right approvers, with reminders and a recorded decision at each step.
3. Order
Approved requests create sales orders in SAP, with availability and delivery dates checked in real time.
4. Track
Dashboards show pending, approved and fulfilled requests, and changes stay in sync between both systems.
The benefits
- Fewer manual errors: no duplicate orders, missed approvals or keying mistakes.
- Faster fulfilment: shorter lead times from request to delivery.
- Audit-ready records: who requested, who approved and what shipped, in one place.
- Better use of people: teams spend time with customers instead of on paperwork.
Making implementation succeed
Map the current process first, including the unofficial workarounds. Involve sales, medical, finance and supply chain early, since each owns part of the approval chain. Test in a controlled environment and improve in short iterations based on user feedback before rolling out across markets.
Related: see how intelligent automation and OCR sped up the licence-to-operate cycle for a global pharmaceutical company.
Running FOC requests by email?
Tell us how requests, approvals and orders work today. We will show you what an automated, auditable flow could look like.
Get In Touch →