About Merz North America

Client: Merz North America 
Industry: Private Foundation – Family 
Key Stakeholders: Michael Hall (Senior Manager of Grants and Giving) 
Client Since: 2015 
Tools Used: SmartSimple Cloud 

Overview 

Merz North America is committed to improving patient outcomes by funding initiatives across commercial program support, medical education, charitable giving, and investigator-initiated research. In 2015, Merz North America partnered with SmartSimple Cloud to modernize its granting programs and automate manual, time-consuming processes. Nearly a decade later, the partnership continues to thrive, evolving in step with the fast-paced healthcare landscape. 

Challenges 

Merz North America’s grants program was growing — but its processes weren’t scaling to match. Key challenges included: 

  • Cumbersome manual tasks such as internal reviews, check requests, and signature collection
  •  A complicated user experience across the Grants and Giving portals
  • Inflexibility in adapting to new program types like corporate event sponsorships  
  • The need for a system that could evolve with the rapid pace of change in healthcare 

Solutions Implemented 

After a competitive review of several grants management systems, SmartSimple Cloud was selected for its: 

  • Highly configurable design, allowing for tailored workflows and fast updates 
  • Comprehensive functionality that included automation, tracking, electronic signature capture, and internal review coordination
  • User-friendly portals that simplified the request process for healthcare providers 
  • Scalability to support new initiatives and future expansion 

Merz North America used SmartSimple Cloud to overhaul and streamline its grants management workflows, reducing staff burden and improving consistency across all programs. 

Impact & Outcomes 

Since implementation, Merz North America has achieved a range of operational and strategic benefits: 

  • Automation of resource-intensive tasks, improving speed and accuracy 
  • Improved user experience for internal stakeholders and applicants 
  • Expanded program support, including corporate sponsorships and new funding categories 
  • System integration with external tools to reduce administrative complexity 
  • Adaptability to changing industry needs, keeping their system and processes modern 

Client Testimonials 

“Sharing our SmartSimple Cloud experience with other Merz departments and affiliates has helped us demonstrate our value and commitment to live our vision to become the most admired, trusted and innovative company for our customers. We’ve also been able to illustrate how the SmartSimple Cloud might be used in other areas of the organization.” 

“The SmartSimple team has been responsive, and we enjoy collaborating with them. They focus on teamwork and finding workable solutions. We love how the platform can be molded and tweaked to make it even more user-friendly. The Technical Community Support team has been wonderful, always working with us to find an optimal solution, and they always offer options when we present a problem. Others across our organization who have only ever associated our team with granting are now talking about us as a valued partner in the business, helping to create new opportunities for everyone.” 

— Michael Hall, Senior Manager of Grants and Giving 

Key Takeaways 

Merz North America and SmartSimple Cloud have built a dynamic partnership defined by regular collaboration and continuous innovation. By leveraging SmartSimple’s configurable platform, Merz has been able to future-proof its grants program, scale efficiently, and maintain operational agility. Nearly ten years on, Merz continues to unlock new capabilities within the platform — ensuring their team stays focused on what matters most: driving impact in the healthcare community. 

Kristen Neithercut