Streamlining Electrical Equipment Onboarding at Merck Kgaa: Brett Gagnon’s Impactful Role

At Merck Kgaa, Brett Gagnon played a pivotal role in transforming the way new electrical equipment products were onboarded into the company’s digital catalog. The process, initially analog and fragmented, had significant gaps in compliance despite being fast for business development and product management teams. With Brett’s leadership and expertise, a cross-functional team spent a year reworking and improving the onboarding process, ultimately creating a system that not only ensured better compliance but also streamlined workflows for greater efficiency.

Identifying the Gaps in the Old Process

When Brett and the team began their work, the onboarding process for new electrical products was compartmentalized. Different teams were responsible for obtaining basic documentation, signing contracts, and then pushing products to market. While this process was quick, it lacked the necessary checks and balances to ensure global compliance, leaving the company exposed to regulatory risks. The gaps in documentation and certification requirements were particularly concerning, as they could lead to delays or complications in getting products to market in different regions.

Understanding the Current Process and Designing a Better Way

Brett’s first step was working with the special project team to fully understand the existing process and all of its facets. They analyzed every step, identified areas where compliance and efficiency were lacking, and collaborated to design a theoretical process that could maximize speed while maintaining a balanced focus on compliance. The solution needed to be comprehensive enough to ensure that products were fully compliant with regulatory requirements, but also fast enough to keep pace with business development goals.

Turning Theory Into a Digital Solution

The next phase of the project was transforming the theoretical process into a practical solution. Brett and his team worked with IT specialists to develop a cloud-based portal for the onboarding of products and suppliers. This portal was designed with user-friendly features that allowed suppliers to easily upload necessary documentation and track the status of their products as they moved through the process. One of the standout features was the inclusion of detailed examples of what high-quality, compliant documents should look like, giving suppliers clear guidance on what to provide.

The cloud-based portal also had built-in automated checks to assess whether a product posed a low-risk or required additional human expert review. If there were any gaps in the documentation or potential compliance risks, the system would flag the product for further review, ensuring that the product didn’t enter the global marketplace without thorough evaluation.

A Major Compliance Improvement and Streamlined Process

The results of the project were immediately visible. The new system closed critical compliance gaps, ensuring that products met the necessary regulatory requirements before reaching customers. What had once been an analog, compartmentalized process that was prone to delays and errors was now streamlined into an automated, digital flow that was faster, more accurate, and more reliable. The portal also allowed teams to track and manage suppliers and projects more effectively, generating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for senior leadership to monitor the success and progress of each product onboarding.

A Lasting Legacy

This project not only improved the speed and accuracy of the onboarding process but also laid the groundwork for future improvements. The system developed during this special project was such a success that it became a model for continued growth and refinement at Merck Kgaa. The company has since built upon it each year, adding new features, improving efficiency, and further enhancing the global compliance process.

Brett’s contribution to this project showcased his ability to bridge the gap between regulatory compliance and business efficiency. His leadership, technical expertise, and dedication to creating long-lasting solutions have had a significant and positive impact on Merck Kgaa’s global operations.

This initiative not only improved compliance standards across the company but also created a scalable, sustainable process for onboarding new electrical equipment. Brett’s role in this project highlights the importance of cross-functional collaboration, innovative thinking, and a deep understanding of both regulatory requirements and business needs—qualities that continue to benefit the company and its operations worldwide.