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ERP Integration Tips for Biotech Procurement | Blog | ZAGENO

Written by ZAGENO | June 17, 2025

Trying to manage biotech procurement without ERP integration is like running a relay race where no one knows when or how to pass the baton. Handoffs get fumbled, confusion abounds, and the whole team falls behind. That’s why more labs are connecting their procurement platforms directly with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems like SAP, Oracle, Coupa, and NetSuite.

Integration isn’t just about syncing systems, it’s about enabling smarter, faster decision-making across the organization. When done right, ERP integration helps procurement, finance, and lab teams operate from a single source of truth, reduce risk, and unlock greater efficiency.

By learning more about the benefits of smooth procurement-ERP integration, common challenges to avoid, and expert-backed integration tips, your lab can pass the baton like a pro.

Why integrate procurement software with ERP?

When procurement systems operate in isolation, teams lose time reconciling orders, invoices, and budgets across platforms. Integration offers a smarter way to work. Key benefits include:

  • Real-time data flow between procurement and finance
  • Improved compliance through automated approval and audit trails
  • Fewer manual errors in PO creation, invoice matching, and reporting
  • Greater visibility into spend, budgets, and supplier performance

According to McKinsey, approximately 70% of digital transformations fail to meet their goals. ERP integration is one way biotech companies can better align systems with strategy and reduce that risk in procurement.

ZAGENO integrates seamlessly with leading ERP platforms as well as standalone P2P (procure-to-pay) systems, allowing biotech companies to manage complex lab purchasing while ensuring financial and regulatory alignment across all touchpoints. 

Top challenges in procurement-ERP integration

Integration projects can stall or underperform if they aren’t approached strategically. Common pain points include:

  • Data mapping mismatches between procurement fields and ERP fields (e.g., GL codes, vendor IDs)
  • Lack of internal alignment between IT, finance, and lab ops
  • Manual workarounds that persist even post-integration due to poor user adoption
  • Over-customization that increases technical debt and slows upgrades

According to PwC’s 2023 Digital Trends in Supply Chain Survey, four out of five health and pharma executives say they are not fully achieving the results expected from their investments in advanced supply chain technologies. Among the top reasons? A focus on tools instead of strategy, neglecting change management, and underestimating the complexity of integration.

The stakes are high: Gartner estimates that by 2027, over 70% of recently implemented ERP initiatives are predicted to fall short of their original business case goals, and a quarter may fail entirely. Gartner also reports that the majority of ERP strategies are misaligned with business strategy, one of the root causes of poor outcomes and missed expectations.

This makes it even more important to define a clear integration strategies, evaluate how new technologies support long-term outcomes, and answer the question every stakeholder is asking: “What’s in it for us?”

5 tips for a smooth integration

  1. Define your goals early. Are you trying to improve audit readiness? Reduce duplicate data entry? Standardize processes across labs? Be clear on what success looks like and how you'll measure it.
  2. Choose a procurement platform that fits your ERP. Some systems offer out-of-the-box connectors. Others require middleware or custom APIs. Make sure your procurement platform supports native integrations or has experience working with your ERP of choice.
  3. Map workflows and user roles. Know exactly how requisitions, approvals, POs, receiving, and invoicing should flow. This includes routing logic for cost centers and coding requirements from finance.
  4. Start with a pilot. Test the integration with one department or research team. Capture feedback and make adjustments before a full rollout.
  5. Build in feedback loops. Talk to scientists, lab managers, and finance stakeholders before, during, and after implementation. A high percentage of failed ERP projects lacked adequate end-user involvement. 

How ZAGENO supports seamless ERP integration

ZAGENO’s biotech procurement solution was built with life sciences in mind, and that includes integration. Our platform doesn’t treat ERP connectivity as an afterthought. It’s foundational to how we help labs gain visibility, control, and speed without increasing complexity.

Whether you're using SAP, NetSuite, Oracle, Coupa, or another system, ZAGENO supports:

  • Seamless syncing of PO and invoice data across both marketplace and non-marketplace purchases
  • Approval workflows that mirror your ERP’s cost center logic and policy thresholds
  • Configurable tagging of GL codes and project identifiers to streamline reconciliation
  • Catalog integration that auto-fills supplier and product data into ERP-compliant formats
  • Real-time dashboards that reflect ERP-synced delivery updates and spend analytics

ZAGENO’s integrations are designed to reduce manual effort and bridge the gap between what labs need and what finance requires. By aligning procurement processes with backend systems, ZAGENO helps biotech teams stay compliant, scalable, and focused on science.

Pass the baton, don’t drop it

Integrating your procurement platform with your ERP is like perfecting that baton handoff. When timing, coordination, and visibility are aligned, your team gains speed, confidence, and a competitive edge. But when systems are disconnected and processes misaligned, you risk delays, duplicate efforts, and costly fumbles.

For biotech companies navigating tight research timelines and complex supply chains, integration isn’t just an IT task, it’s an accelerator. With the right tools and preparation, your procurement team can become a driving force behind R&D acceleration and operational excellence.