If you missed the live event, you can watch the full session on demand.
About AbbVie
AbbVie is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and delivering innovative medicines that address some of the world’s most complex and serious diseases. With a focus on immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care, AbbVie operates in more than 70 countries. The company is also deeply invested in advancing clinical research and development, driving efficiency and agility in its global operations. The Strategic Change Enablement team, led by Joy Shelledy and Amanda Swearengen, plays a key role in transforming AbbVie’s R&D operations, particularly in modernizing and streamlining process management.
AbbVie’s journey began with a familiar challenge: fragmented process documentation scattered across SOPs, Visio diagrams, SharePoint sites, and institutional knowledge. This lack of cohesion created barriers to clarity and hindered scalability for change and automation.
By centralizing processes within BusinessOptix, AbbVie created a unified, dynamic model now serving over 5,000 users globally.
“We spent so much time just trying to understand what is baseline… before we could get going with improvement ideas.”
— Amanda Swearengen, AbbVie
Jeff Alker emphasized that success with AI begins with preparation, not technology. The team at AbbVie used BusinessOptix to simulate changes before implementation, enabling data-driven decisions and alignment across functions.
“Now we say, let’s actually look—visually look at this process—because we have it now. And let’s talk about what’s not working.”
— Joy Shelledy, AbbVie
“Being able to have a tool that allows you to visually show what the change could look like, run things, you actually have a real justification for process change, and that you're focusing on the thing that is going to create the most impact.”
— Joy Shelledy, AbbVie
BusinessOptix’s simulation capabilities allowed the team to model proposed changes, quantify potential outcomes, and build confidence with leadership before any formal commitment. This "try before you buy" approach, as Jeff describes it, is not just a feature of the platform but a strategic method for de-risking transformation.
AbbVie took this a step further by conducting a full proof of value before selecting BusinessOptix. As Joy shared during the webinar:
“Honestly, the try before you buy was one of the biggest selling points for us, and certainly for our leadership teams, when they recognized that that was a capability.”
— Joy Shelledy, AbbVie
This capability ensured that leadership could see realistic, scenario-based projections and avoid assumptions based on incomplete or inaccurate narratives.
This philosophy aligns with Jeff’s recent blog on process classification frameworks, which explains how APQC-style taxonomies can bring clarity, consistency, and scalability to enterprise transformation.
The NelsonHall Process Insight Report echoes the panel's key point: AI initiatives succeed only when built on clean, connected, and governed processes.
“Before you can scale AI, you need visibility, structure, and agility. Build a foundation first, and the technology will follow.”
– Jeff Alker, BusinessOptix
Now that AbbVie has established its foundational framework, the focus is shifting toward metrics, simulation, and measurable improvement. The structured visibility delivered by BusinessOptix allows the team to pinpoint inefficiencies, model improvements, and track real-time ROI.
More importantly, this approach positions AbbVie to confidently explore AI across key R&D processes, including clinical trial operations. With processes clearly defined, documented, and tested through simulation, the organization is equipped to identify where automation and AI can drive the greatest impact, from cycle time reduction to resource optimization.
BusinessOptix is proud to support this transformation with the tools to model change, test before deploying, and continuously adapt. This work lays the groundwork for the future of process excellence across the research lifecycle.
Our strategic collaboration with SS&C Blue Prism further enhances this approach, combining intelligent automation with deep process insight to help AbbVie unlock new efficiencies, scalability, and governance across clinical trial operations.
As a recent recognition of our ongoing innovation and impact, BusinessOptix was named ISV TAP Partner of the Year by SS&C Blue Prism.
Watch on BusinessOptix.com(Recommended for the full experience and related resources)
View on PEX Network
Read Jeff Alker’s blog on Process Frameworks