Regulatory submissions assembled by copying files between folders and updating spreadsheet trackers -- version errors found after submission because there's no controlled document management?
Change control process running by email with no system of record, making it impossible to demonstrate compliance during an FDA or EMA inspection?
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Compliance Software Development
Regulatory submissions assembled by copying files between folders, change control processes run by email, and deviation records scattered across shared drives are an inspection risk. When a regulator asks for evidence that your change control process was followed, the answer should not be a search through an email archive.
We build custom regulatory compliance software for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Submission tracking, change control, deviation and CAPA management, controlled document lifecycle, and audit readiness in one system -- with the 21 CFR Part 11 audit trail that inspection requires.
Regulatory submission tracking and dossier management
Change control and deviation management with CAPA workflows
Audit trail and 21 CFR Part 11 / Annex 11 compliance
Pharmaceutical regulatory compliance software manages the processes that regulators inspect -- submission tracking, change control, deviation management, controlled document lifecycle, and audit readiness. RaftLabs builds custom compliance software for pharma and biotech companies that need these processes in a controlled system with a 21 CFR Part 11 audit trail, rather than in email threads and spreadsheet trackers.
100+Products shipped
·24+Industries served
·FixedCost delivery
·12-14Week delivery cycles
What pharmaceutical compliance software actually needs to do
Regulatory compliance in pharma is not about having the right policies. It is about being able to demonstrate that the policies were followed -- with a documented record that a regulator can trace from a product decision back through the change control process, the deviation review, and the SOP in force at the time.
When those records live in email threads, shared folder structures, and spreadsheet logs, that demonstration is difficult or impossible. Email can be deleted. Shared folders have no version control. Spreadsheets have no access log. During an FDA or EMA inspection, the inability to produce a controlled record of a regulated process is itself a finding -- often more serious than the underlying event the regulator was investigating.
Custom regulatory compliance software does not replace your quality system. It is the system of record that makes your quality system auditable. Every change request, every deviation, every document approval, and every submission is captured with the user, the timestamp, and the action -- creating a continuous audit trail that turns inspection readiness from a pre-inspection scramble into a real-time state.
What we build
Regulatory submission management
Submission tracker by product and regulatory market -- NDA, MAA, ANDA, and country-specific applications -- with current status, target dates, and agency correspondence log. Dossier assembly workflow that pulls approved documents from the controlled document module into the submission package, with a checklist against the required CTD sections. eCTD structure management and validation against agency formatting requirements. Approval status and renewal date tracking with automated alerts before product licence expiry. Variation and supplement management linked to the originating submission record.
Change control management
Change request initiation with description, justification, and affected systems or processes. Impact assessment workflow requiring assessment against GMP, GCP, and regulatory submission requirements before the change proceeds to review. Cross-functional review and approval workflow with configurable reviewer groups by change type -- manufacturing changes routed differently from analytical method changes. Implementation verification tracking with signed confirmation that the change was carried out as approved. Linkage to CAPA and deviation records where a change was initiated as a corrective action.
Deviation and CAPA management
GMP and GCP deviation capture with classification by category, severity, and affected batch or study. Root cause analysis workflow with structured input for contributing factors and root cause conclusion. CAPA assignment with due date, responsible owner, and effectiveness review date. CAPA effectiveness review workflow requiring documented assessment of whether the action resolved the root cause. Deviation trend reporting by site, product, process step, and category -- so systemic issues are visible before they become repeat findings. Deviation ageing report for open items approaching regulatory reporting timelines.
Controlled document management
SOP and specification lifecycle from draft through review, approval, and effective date. Version control with a complete history of every draft, reviewer comment, and approval. Document retirement workflow with supersession tracking. Read and understood confirmation collected from affected staff before a new SOP takes effect, with completion tracking by role and department. Training matrix linking document types to staff roles so the required reading list for each role is maintained automatically. Document search and retrieval with access controls by document category and department.
Validation and qualification records
IQ, OQ, and PQ protocol and report management with version control and approval workflow. Requalification trigger tracking by equipment, system, and periodic review schedule. Validation plan management linking individual qualification activities to the validated system record. Calibration records with certificate management, expiry tracking, and out-of-calibration event logging. CSV documentation structure for computerised system validation -- user requirements, functional specification, risk assessment, and test protocols stored as controlled documents with the system record.
Audit management
Internal audit scheduling with audit plan, scope, and assigned auditor. External audit management for regulatory inspections and supplier audits -- pre-audit documentation package assembly, finding entry during the audit, and response tracking. Finding classification by category and severity with CAPA linkage. CAPA response deadline tracking with escalation when responses are overdue. Audit readiness dashboard showing open CAPAs, overdue deviations, document approval backlogs, and training completion gaps -- so inspection readiness is a continuous view rather than a pre-inspection exercise.
Frequently asked questions
The primary regulations for pharmaceutical compliance software are 21 CFR Parts 11, 210, and 211 for FDA-regulated operations (electronic records, drug manufacturing), EU GMP Annex 11 for computerised systems in EMA-regulated manufacturing, and ICH Q10 for pharmaceutical quality systems. 21 CFR Part 11 specifies the requirements for electronic records and electronic signatures to have the same legal standing as paper records. Annex 11 specifies computer system validation requirements for EU manufacturing. ICH Q10 describes the pharmaceutical quality system elements -- change control, CAPA, deviation management -- that compliance software needs to support. We design the system to meet these requirements. Your qualified person and validation team complete the formal qualification process.
21 CFR Part 11 requires that electronic records are trustworthy, reliable, and equivalent to paper records. In practice this means: a complete audit trail of every record creation, modification, and deletion with user identification and timestamp; electronic signatures that are unique to the individual, cannot be transferred, and are linked to the signed record; access controls that prevent unauthorised users from modifying records; and system validation documentation. We build the audit trail into the data model from the start -- not as a logging layer added afterwards. Signatures are implemented with re-authentication and meaning capture. We provide architecture documentation for your regulatory team and can support the validation protocol and execution alongside your qualified validation specialists.
Yes. Most pharma regulatory compliance projects include integration with the site's ERP -- SAP, Oracle, or similar -- for batch record data, and with the LIMS for analytical results and stability data. Integration enables the compliance system to receive batch disposition decisions, analytical results, and equipment calibration data from the systems where those records originate, rather than requiring dual entry. The integration approach depends on what APIs or data exchange formats your existing systems support. We scope the integration during discovery because complexity varies significantly between SAP and Oracle environments and between different LIMS platforms.
A compliance software platform covering change control, deviation and CAPA management, and controlled document lifecycle for a single manufacturing or development site typically takes 16 to 20 weeks from requirements sign-off to go-live. Regulatory submission management, audit management, and validation record modules each add four to six weeks depending on complexity. Projects requiring formal IQ/OQ/PQ validation documentation run longer because the validation process runs alongside and after development. We agree the timeline and validation milestone dates at the start of the engagement so your quality and validation teams can plan their involvement.