PCCA is a global manufacturer and distributor of personalised medicines, supporting pharmacies and healthcare providers worldwide with high-quality, custom-compounded pharmaceutical ingredients. Its UK operations play a critical role in serving customers across the region and have relied on Advantex for several years to manage and support their IT infrastructure.
Background
As part of a wider organisational shift, PCCA began decentralising IT responsibilities from its US headquarters, giving the UK business an opportunity to gain strategic control over its own infrastructure, security posture and operational decision-making. To support this transition, and to strengthen resilience in an increasingly demanding digital environment, PCCA appointed Advantex to deliver a major IT infrastructure and cybersecurity upgrade across its UK sites.
The Challenge
PCCA’s UK operations required a modern, independent IT environment that could stand on its own while still integrating smoothly with the organisation’s global systems. This meant replacing legacy infrastructure, strengthening cybersecurity, and ensuring business continuity without disrupting ongoing operations.
The decentralisation strategy also required PCCA UK to establish control over its identity management, cloud services and on-premise systems. Achieving this would involve rearchitecting foundational elements such as Active Directory, Microsoft 365 tenancy and server platforms — all while maintaining strict regulatory, security and pharmaceutical-sector compliance standards.
In short, PCCA UK needed a resilient, future-ready IT estate that would give the business greater agility, stability and security in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
The Solution
Advantex delivered a comprehensive end-to-end upgrade, working closely with PCCA’s US-based global IT team to ensure alignment across both regions while giving the UK operations the autonomy they needed.
The solution included:
- A new UK Active Directory domain, ensuring local control of identity, access and policy
- A full Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration, moving the UK team into an independent cloud environment
- Implementation of advanced cybersecurity measures, including Multi-Factor Authentication and Cisco Secure Email
- Upgrading all legacy hardware to HPe enterprise-class systems to support performance, stability and scalability
- Modernisation of server operating systems and key line-of-business applications
- Advanced disaster recovery capabilities, leveraging Zerto with Microsoft Azure for robust failover and business continuity
These upgrades created a secure, scalable and high-performance environment that supports PCCA’s present operations while preparing the organisation for future growth and innovation.
The Benefits
The completed upgrade has given PCCA UK a modern, resilient and autonomous IT environment that strengthens every layer of its operations. By moving to a dedicated UK Active Directory domain and completing the Office 365 tenant migration, the organisation now has full control over its identity management and cloud services, enabling faster and more strategic decision-making.
The introduction of advanced cybersecurity measures, including Multi-Factor Authentication and Cisco Secure Email has significantly enhanced protection for staff, systems and distribution channels, while the deployment of enterprise-grade HPe hardware and updated server platforms has improved performance, reliability and scalability.
Enhanced disaster recovery capabilities, powered by Zerto and Azure, now provide robust continuity and peace of mind, ensuring the business can quickly recover from disruption. Delivered on time and with minimal operational impact, the project equips PCCA UK with an IT foundation built for growth, innovation and long-term resilience.