Pague Menos / Extrafarma Group saved U$ 4,8 million in 24 months with Python-based RPA
A pharmaceutical retail group with over 1,600 stores and annual revenue exceeding U$ 2 billion invested in Python-based RPA to optimize its operations.
Millions in savings
Automations delivered
New automations in backlog
Actions with business areas
Pague Menos Group becomes the second-largest pharmacy chain in Brazil
Since opening its first store in May 1981, Pague Menos has become the third-largest pharmacy chain in Brazil by the number of stores, according to the Brazilian Association of Pharmacy and Drugstore Chains (“ABRAFARMA”). With the recent acquisition of Extrafarma—currently under review by CADE - the merged entity is expected to become the second-largest pharmacy chain in the country.
Pague Menos bases its business model on selling products and services focused on the health and well-being of its customers. Operating in specialized pharmaceutical retail, the company follows the drugstore concept, offering a range of branded and generic medications, both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC), as well as multivitamins, personal care, hygiene, and beauty products.
In total, Pague Menos offers a mix of approximately 15,600 items, sourced from 440 different suppliers. The company also provides compounded medications through six compounding pharmacies, meeting the specific needs of its customers.
Automated Processes
Legal processes: Medication licensing
Accounting processes
HR processes
HR processes
Challenge: Shortage of Specialists and High Licensing Costs
The Pague Menos/Extrafarma Group’s CoE is integrated into their IT and Digital Transformation framework. Initially, they relied exclusively on low-code RPA tools, planning to scale their automation efforts within this environment. However, as the automation initiative expanded, the demand for more automations led to escalating licensing costs. Moreover, the low-code tools provided limited development flexibility and necessitated additional packages to incorporate artificial intelligence and complex frameworks into their automations.
Lack of Governance Over Python Automations
Another challenge was the lack of governance over the existing Python automations in the company. The CoE lacked visibility into which automations were breaking, when they were breaking, and the reasons behind those failures.
Solution: Investing in Developers and Python Automations
The company already had Python experts on board and began investing in additional automation using this language, which has significantly increased project scalability and enabled greater integration with AI applications. Currently, only 15% of automations in production operate on low-code platforms, with the goal of migrating 100% of them to Python by 2025, including critical processes.
“We have been able to reduce costs with professionals and tools, while increasing scalability. I can develop significantly more automations than I could with Low-Code.”
Satya Andrade
Improved Orchestration, Governance, and Autonomy
With the BotCity Orchestrator, the group’s Center of Excellence (CoE) has gained visibility into the performance of their automations. They can now track automations across various departments, identify failures, determine how long they’ve been inactive, and understand the underlying causes.
The team also benefits from increased autonomy and efficiency, as they can develop automations tailored to their needs without the constraints of low-code tool limitations. By leveraging BotCity Orchestrator, the company retains full ownership of its automation code and is no longer dependent on restrictive tools.
Savings in 24 Months
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“We used to spend significant time adapting automations to the limitations of low-code tools. Now, with BotCity’s orchestration, we have the freedom and autonomy to develop solutions tailored to our needs. My team can now work independently while maintaining compliance with the company’s security standards.”
Satya Andrade
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Satya Andrade
Process Transformation and Automation Manager
