CASE STUDY THE TRUE BENEFITS OF NEW TECHNOLOGY: ONE DEVICE STRATEGY INTEGRATES THE SMARTPHONE, TABLET AND LAPTOP WORLD S PREMIER PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY CHOOSES THINKPAD HELIX FOR Enabling its vision of a One Device strategy, and improving the user s mobile experience Bringing the efficiency of mobility with the performance of a desktop to the field Seamless integration of in-field tasks Advanced security and encryption Legendary ThinkPad reliability and toughness
MULTIFUNCTIONAL MOBILITY SOLUTION FOR EMPLOYEES ON THE MOVE CUSTOMER PROFILE Merck KGaA is a leading German chemical and pharmaceutical company, known globally for its innovative and top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Headquartered in Darmstadt, Merck is the oldest operating pharmaceutical and chemical company in the world, and its roots date back to the year 1668. With the goal to improve the lives of patients and customers, Merck is transforming into a highly specialized technology-oriented company. MATTHIAS FELDMANN IT Director Head of the CoE Mobility & Cloud We have had a sensationally low failure rate with more than 1,000 devices being used all over the world since the Helix was introduced.
CHALLENGES AND REQUIREMENTS Merck employs a field workforce of about 800 people globally, that is constantly on the road, consulting with customers, presenting new products and helping them with product supplies. The nature of these tasks demands juggling of multiple devices a tablet to present products to customers, a connected laptop to enter and carry out the orders and a smartphone to contact customers and the main office. Managing all these devices with disparate operating systems, connectivity options as well as applications had always been a matter of concern. The only way to resolve this hardware chaos was to upgrade to one device that could handle all these tasks seamlessly. Our sales representatives were often overwhelmed with the workload of using different devices for different needs. We wanted to consolidate the tasks and make life easier for them, recalls Matthias Feldmann, IT Director Head of the CoE Mobility & Cloud at Merck. It was in March 2013 that Merck decided to go for one device that combines the comfort of mobility and operational performance. The challenge was to not just choose a portable device which the field workforce could carry, while on the move Merck required a device that provided excellent connectivity and integrated the features of a smartphone. Given the fact that the device would be used in the field, Merck wanted a well-built and durable business convertible which ran a full work day on a single charge and came with the security features that the IT department needed. STEPHAN BÖRNER Sales Director - Consumer Health Business IN LAPTOP MODE The sales representatives have been working more efficiently and productively since the Helix was introduced. This has had a positive impact on sales.
SOLUTION Merck conducted an extensive two-month product test. We tested devices from Dell, Fujitsu, Apple, Acer and HP, in addition to the ThinkPad Helix. We had already worked with Lenovo in the past. But we still wanted to know what the competition had to offer, because the transition from a tablet, a laptop and a cell phone to a single device with a smartphone companion was a big step for us, explains Stephan Börner, Merck s Consumer Health Business Sales Director. Merck wanted to implement the One Device strategy, and it worked really well with ThinkPad Helix, he said. PRE-RELEASE ACCESS Merck had access to the new ThinkPad Helix devices even before its release in the market. With extensive demand study and customer feedback, Lenovo provided the best-fit solution for Merck. Also, another reason for working with Lenovo was that last-minute changes and requests from our side were quickly incorporated into these devices, said Feldmann. QUALITY AND VERSATILITY ThinkPad Helix convinced everybody involved from the beginning, thanks to its quality, versatility and performance. Moreover, the device supported our CRM software across platforms. With its detachable screen, flawless display and in-built SIM card slot coupled with the extra security and enterprise features, the field staff found the versatility and quality of the product to be excellent. SEAMLESS INTEGRATION In addition, employees cell phones could be fully integrated into the hardware configuration. As a result, the new devices were very well received by our sales representatives and the entire roll-out was completed in less than three months despite the fact that it included more than 800 employees, said Feldmann. IN TABLET MODE
LENOVO S SUPERIOR CUSTOMER CENTRICITY With quick on-site support and best-fit solutions, Lenovo turned out to be a true partner for Merck. The ThinkPad devices work perfectly, but if there is ever a problem, we are given a replacement unit via the on-site exchange service within the shortest time, Feldman explains. While talking about the operational efficiency of the device, Feldmann said, We have had a sensationally low failure rate with more than 1,000 devices being used all over the world, since the Helix was introduced. Merck has been using ThinkPad Helix for two years. The sales representatives have been working more efficiently and productively since the Helix was introduced. This has also had a positive impact on sales, said Börner, highlighting the power-packed performance of the ThinkPad Helix. HARDWARE DEPLOYED SOLUTION ThinkPad Helix with embedded 3G support, NFC and WiFi PRODUCT BENEFITS UNITS DEPLOYED Integrates smartphone functionality Combines the performance of a business Ultrabook with the mobility of a tablet Solid build quality to withstand field use 10 hours of battery life, eliminating the need to charge while on the move More power and ports than a traditional tablet 1000 DataSheet IN TENT MODE Lenovo, the Lenovo logo, For Those Who Do and ThinkPad are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lenovo. Ultrabook is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company names, product names, service names, etc., are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Lenovo 2015. All right reserved.