Revolutionizing sales order processes: Codexis’ journey to operational excellence

In the fast-paced world of modern pharmaceuticals, companies must continuously evolve their internal processes to stay competitive and meet the relentless demands of innovation and efficiency. Those who take the extra step to transform their operations—through structured, high-impact methodologies like Kaizen—experience remarkable gains in productivity, customer satisfaction, and overall performance.

This case study will highlight how Codexis not only optimized its processes but also enhanced customer experience, delivering measurable, sustainable results.

Leading the change in enzymatic solutions for pharmaceutical innovation

Codexis is a leading provider of enzymatic solutions, specializing in the development of high-performance enzymes that address the challenges of efficient and scalable therapeutics manufacturing. Powered by its proprietary CodeEvolver® technology platform, Codexis has revolutionized enzyme performance by significantly increasing activity, specificity, and stability. The company’s innovative solutions have played a pivotal role in the creation of some of the pharmaceutical industry’s most essential products, including Januvia (sitagliptin), Lipitor (atorvastatin), and Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir).

With a commitment to solving real-world challenges in small molecule pharmaceuticals and nucleic acid synthesis, Codexis continues to lead the way in the enzymatic manufacturing of siRNA therapeutics, a rapidly growing sector. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, the company has received multiple prestigious recognitions, including Green Chemistry Challenge Awards from the American Chemical Society, affirming its role as an industry innovator.

Building on this legacy, Codexis is focused on advancing its expertise to meet the evolving needs of the pharmaceutical and biotherapeutics industries. By continually advancing enzyme technology, Codexis remains at the forefront of solving the complex challenges in modern drug development and manufacturing.

Identifying opportunities for improvement in the sales order process

As Codexis continues to lead innovation in enzymatic solutions, the company has identified several key areas in its sales order process that could benefit from a more streamlined approach. While the existing system served its purpose for many years, the company saw an opportunity to enhance its efficiency and better align the process with the growing demands of the business. By embracing Kaizen, Codexis aimed to achieve continuous, incremental improvements that would optimize workflows and enhance the experience for both internal teams and customers.

Enhancing standardization and role clarity

Over time, the sales order process evolved organically, resulting in some variation in how tasks were approached. Despite the team’s strong commitment to results, the process would benefit from more clearly defined roles and responsibilities. A more standardized approach could help align the team’s efforts, ensuring that each person knew exactly what was expected of them and where they could contribute most effectively.

Streamlining manual tasks

A portion of the sales order process still relied on manual input for quoting, which, while effective, could benefit from automation. As Codexis sought to scale its operations, the team recognized that finding ways to reduce time-consuming tasks would allow them to focus more on what truly mattered—delivering value to customers. The goal was to make the process more efficient without compromising the quality of the service provided.

Improving visibility and tracking

In a fast-paced environment, it’s essential to have real-time visibility into the progress of tasks and workflows. The sales order process, although functional, lacked a robust method for tracking performance and identifying potential bottlenecks. Recognizing the need for greater transparency, Codexis implemented tools that empower teams to track progress in real time and drive continuous, data-based improvement.

Understanding the customer journey

Codexis has always been committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences, but the customer journey through the sales order process had not been fully mapped. There was an opportunity to understand better how the process could be fine-tuned to meet the unique needs of customers at every stage. By gathering insights and feedback, Codexis aimed to ensure that the customer experience would be smooth, consistent, and aligned with their expectations.

In each of the following areas, Codexis identified valuable opportunities to improve and simplify processes. Rather than focusing on challenges, the company embraced these opportunities as a path toward greater efficiency and enhanced customer satisfaction. Through Kaizen, Codexis was ready to drive positive change, building a more agile and future-ready sales order process.

Transforming the sales order process with Kaizen

Through a series of Kaizen-driven initiatives, Codexis took proactive steps to address the challenges and opportunities identified in its sales order process. A cross-functional team, including members from business operations, sales support, legal, finance, and IT, worked collaboratively to implement solutions that would drive efficiency and improve the customer experience. Below are the key actions taken to transform the sales order process:

1. Contract standardization

One of the first areas of focus was the standardization of contracts. Previously, the contract creation process involved various templates, manual input, and legal terms that lacked consistency. To streamline this, Codexis introduced self-service NDA templates, provided the commercial team direct access to the contract database, and streamlined legal terms to create standardized agreements. These measures aimed to reduce the time spent in contract negotiations and approvals.

2. CRM enhancement

Codexis worked to improve its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to better support sales operations. The previous system had some gaps, especially in automation and usability. To address this, Codexis focused on automating workflows to reduce manual tasks, improving usability for the sales team, and incorporating dashboards to provide better visibility and insights. These enhancements were designed to allow the sales team to work more efficiently and with real-time data, enabling them to prioritize and manage sales opportunities more effectively.

3. Sales opportunity qualification

Codexis implemented a “traffic light” system to improve the qualification of sales opportunities. This system allowed the team to quickly assess and prioritize leads based on their value and urgency. The feedback loop mechanism was introduced to ensure continuous evaluation of sales opportunities, allowing the team to adjust priorities as needed quickly.

4. New quote creation process

The process of creating quotes was standardized to enhance efficiency. Codexis introduced a clear approval matrix, defined standardized quote templates for each product and service offering, and implemented an escalation process for urgent approvals. This ensured a smoother, faster approval process and eliminated bottlenecks that previously slowed down the quoting process.

5. Order confirmation process improvement

The order confirmation process was streamlined by introducing a dedicated email inbox for receiving purchase orders, along with a standardized review process for confirming orders. This change improved the speed and accuracy of processing incoming orders and helped reduce delays in establishing and fulfilling customer requests.

6. Voice of Customer (VOC)

Understanding the customer journey through the sales order process was crucial to ensuring continuous improvement. The team mapped out the entire customer experience, identifying key touchpoints and areas where the process could be improved. To gather direct feedback, they implemented customer satisfaction surveys, allowing the company to measure and improve the quality of interactions at each stage of the process.

In each of these areas, Codexis applied Kaizen principles to make incremental improvements that ultimately resulted in a more streamlined, efficient, and customer-friendly sales order process. These actions laid the foundation for a more agile and responsive sales operation, capable of supporting the company’s expansion into new markets.

Figure 1 – Example of a VOC roadmap

Driving efficiency and customer satisfaction through Kaizen

The implementation of Kaizen-driven improvements at Codexis led to transformational outcomes across the sales order process. In just six months, the company successfully achieved its goals, driving greater operational efficiency and delivering a better customer experience. Some of the key results include:

• Contract standardization: By introducing self-service templates and streamlining contract terms, Codexis was able to cut contract processing time by 66%, accelerating the entire agreement phase and improving speed.
• CRM system enhancements: The enhancements to the CRM system resulted in 50% faster quote creation and improved overall sales team productivity. Automated workflows and better usability enabled quicker access to key data, allowing for more strategic focus on customer engagement.
• Sales opportunity qualification: With the introduction of the “traffic light” system, sales opportunities were better prioritized, helping the team focus on high-value opportunities and reducing time spent on less impactful leads.
• Streamlined quote creation: Standardized templates and a clear approval matrix resulted in 50% faster quote processing, ensuring customers received their proposals faster, which directly contributed to an improved customer experience.
• Order confirmation process: The introduction of a dedicated email inbox and a standardized review process streamlined order confirmations, reducing processing time by 33%. This improvement reduced delays and improved the overall customer order fulfillment cycle.
• Voice of Customer: Customer satisfaction surveys and the mapping of the customer journey allowed Codexis to gain real-time insights into customer pain points. This ongoing feedback loop led to continuous improvements, ensuring a more customer-centric approach and enhanced satisfaction throughout the sales order process.

These results highlight the measurable impact of Codexis’s Kaizen-driven transformation. As Britton Jimenez, SVP, Sales and Marketing, said:

“These milestones aren’t just numbers; they represent real wins for our customers (…). Each improvement removes obstacles, empowering our customers to reach their goals more quickly and confidently.”

The power of a shared purpose and continuous improvement

The transformation of Codexis’ sales order process wasn’t just about optimizing workflows—it was about creating a culture where every team member was empowered to contribute to a shared purpose.

“I stood in front of a wall full of colorful sticky notes, surrounded by ideas and a team ready to challenge the status quo. That moment, like many others this past year, reminded me how powerful a shared purpose can be. Today, I’m filled with gratitude for the journey, the lessons, and the people who made this possible.” – Britton Jimenez, SVP, Sales and Marketing

This sentiment captures the essence of Codexis’ journey: a shared vision and collective effort that led to real, meaningful change. By embracing the Kaizen philosophy, the company didn’t just implement a new process—they instilled a mindset of continuous improvement that empowers every individual to contribute to the bigger picture. Through collaboration, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Codexis turned challenges into opportunities, creating lasting results that will propel the company forward.

As Codexis continues to grow and evolve, the journey of improvement remains at the heart of its success. The Kaizen-driven transformation has not only sharpened operational efficiency but has reinforced the importance of teamwork, adaptability, and a customer-first mindset. With a clear focus on the future, Codexis is well-positioned to continue leading innovation in the pharmaceutical industry, always striving for greater heights and making meaningful impacts along the way.