How a Fortune 500 Global Pharmaceutical firm set up their AI/ML COE in India

A major US pharma company with a global workforce of over 11,000 people across 3 continents wanted to expand their capabilities by building a  Center of Excellence (COE)  in the Machine learning & Artificial Intelligence domain. The facility was key in driving innovation for the organization by leveraging cutting-edge AI and ML technologies. The client wanted to access and harness global talent to become a powerhouse for new initiatives. 

The client wanted to explore a partnership with Zinnov to create an effective COE framework design through a combination of learnings from our Globalization Excellence practice and peer assessment study. 

How Zinnov helped 

Zinnov devised a 360^o plan to address the challenge from multiples lens including the right location, portfolio and regulatory challenges. Zinnov stepped in to design a strategic plan and implement the strategy. The plan consisted of the following workstreams: 

1. Identification of the portfolio for the new center – This process required utmost consideration because the portfolio would be the core for the new center for the foreseeable future. 

2. Financial model: Zinnov built financial models for the next 3 years to identify the workstreams and the cash flows. 

3. While setting up a new Center of Excellence, there will remain some ambiguity hence it is important to hire, train and retain the right talent. Zinnov devised a retention strategy which comprised of functions like workplace culture, career progression, and compensation &benefits. 

4. We worked with various business units to
   1. Define the right HR policies and compensation structure, 
   2. Hire the right Center head,
   3. Outline the organization structure,  
   4. Incorporate the India entity and setup banking and payroll, 
   5. Organize change management workshops for a smoother transition for employees and the client
   6. Implemented Customer Success program to build close engagements with hired candidates

Impact Created 

The AI Center of Excellence has successfully completed its transformative journey, which began with the design of the COE. The center is now operational within a period of just 4 months. To ensure its sustained success, a strong governance structure was established, complete with well-defined KPIs.