App Modernization for Roche: Legacy Excel Macros to a Cloud Native Tech Stack
50%+
Time saved through Automation of Reports. The new system automated the generation of PDF reports, eliminating the need for manual data entry.
65%
Cost Savings viz a viz the existing system by eliminating manual processes. Furthermore, making the system future ready in the process.
Industry
Healthcare
Investment
25k+ Man hours
Timeline
Sep 2021 - present
Cloud Native and Offline-First: Building for Roche Japan Diagnostics
Roche is one of the world’s largest biotech companies and the fifth-largest pharmaceutical company by revenue. It is a leading provider of in-vitro diagnostics and a global supplier of transformative, innovative solutions across major disease areas. Since 2021, Roche and SoluteLabs have partnered to work on initiatives across multiple geographies.
One of Roche’s internal initiatives was to move away from a legacy Excel macro that produced PDF reports needing a ton of manual data entry with results that would just be created locally. This business function was crucial for Roche Japan in its efforts to outperform its competitors.
Problem Statement
Roche Diagnostics would get data from lab reporting tools in the form of a CSV. Over the years, they internally built a manual system that would create PDF reports for internal use. They wanted to move away from an unmaintained, undocumented, and on-prem only workflows which couldn’t be analyzed downstream.
Challenges
The excel macros were thousands of lines long with the code and workflows written entirely in Japanese. We hired a translator to help with just the understanding
The excel macros were thousands of lines long with the code and workflows written entirely in Japanese. We hired a translator to help with just the understanding
The excel macros were thousands of lines long with the code and workflows written entirely in Japanese. We hired a translator to help with just the understanding
Japanese Code
Nil Documentation
Enduser Absence
Japanese Code
The excel macros were thousands of lines long with the code and workflows written entirely in Japanese. We hired a translator to help with just the understanding
Solution
We proposed to build two solutions for the the client: one was cloud native and the other would be an offline-first solution (Windows Installer) that would sync to the online solution whenever internet became available. This is because the end users would travel to places with less internet connectivity.
Offline Windows Installer
Cloud Native SaaS
Syncronization Module
Tech Stack
We picked a cloud native solution built around modern JS frameworks that enabled us to build a modern, robust and offline-first app.
Web Development
We utilized NextJS and NestJS as the primary frontend and backend frameworks to build the application on. Furthermore we picked DynamoDB as the database of our choice on the cloud and used PostgresQL for the windows offline installer.
Cloud & DevOps
We utilized Github and Github Actions for CD/CI for the backend whereas we used Vercel as our NoOps platform for the frontend. We used Terraform for Cloud Infra Deployment Automation as well while using Sonarqube for checking code quality with linters.
SoluteLabs’ expertise in technology and services is exceptional—they consistently delivered on time, paid attention to detail, and often exceeded our expectations. Their active approach made a difference, allowing us to be true partners rather than just mentors.
Exceptional Expertise and On-Time Delivery
Proactive Partnership Approach
Effective and Business-Focused Solutions
