AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global $26-billion biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery and development of prescription medicines. Through its work, the company improves the quality of life for those suffering from cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, autoimmune, and neurological diseases.

As a large enterprise in a highly regulated industry, AstraZeneca historically relied heavily on a combination of on-premises storage and infrastructure. But CIO David Smoley had a different content vision: to put collaboration at the forefront and content in the cloud. He sought an IT solution that would allow users, patients, and medical professionals to share data and make the most of new science in a lean, fast-paced, creative environment.

To support collaboration and business efficiency needs company-wide, Smoley and AstraZeneca deployed Box, enabling 65,600 users spanning more than 100 countries to work together in harmony.

"We're trying to drive change through innovation. We continue to reinforce our strategy with leading-edge cloud solutions."

David Smoley, CIO, AstraZeneca

Becoming a digital business with Box

Smoley had two goals: to make IT twice as good at half the cost and foster an incredibly productive workforce. His hunch was that Cloud Content Management would be much more efficient than the company’s existing on-premises solutions, requiring less need for capital and infrastructure, and that it would also make work more efficient by automating certain content processes.

Before the switch, nearly 70% of the company’s IT had been outsourced to third-party vendors. By moving content to Box, he was able to bring IT back in-house and create “technology labs” in Silicon Valley, Shanghai, and Cambridge, England. He also simplified content processes companywide by deploying cloud-based enterprise tools that are natively integrated with Box, including Salesforce, Office365, and DocuSign. They also ensured compliance with industry regulations like HIPAA and internal policies through enforcement of multiple DLP policies in Box. "Box has been fabulous in supporting compliance with laws and regulations and tracking violations," Smoley told Forbes. (1)

Now AstraZeneca's employees and outside partners rely on Box as the single place to store and share content. Cloud Content Management has become a powerful ally, driving productivity across the organization and giving teams the flexibility they need to innovate.

Mobile productivity that really works

AstraZeneca's field sales team, in particular, stands to gain tremendously from the move to a simplified content strategy. More than 8,000 sales representatives across the globe use iPads to access the company’s most up-to-date sales assets — presentations, datasheets, and contracts.

With everything stored securely in Box, field reps can easily access any file they need and be confident it's the most recent version. With the seamless Box and Office 365 integration, it's easy to open and edit Office files on the go, keeping each team productive wherever they are.

Sales enablement is just the beginning for the company. Now operating on Cloud Content Management instead of through outdated content barriers, AstraZeneca’s internal processes power the company’s bigger external mission of improving and saving lives.