Engaging stakeholders? It’s all about data, and many have known that all along. Even without the recent hypes to concentrate on the issue. Not so long ago Veeva, one of the pharma CRM giants, introduced the innovative MyInsights dashboards for custom data visualizations – and the number of users adopting these is growing. Viseven Group, too, has been enthusiastic about the service almost from the very beginning and has confirmed itself as a certified MyInsights vendor. So what’s so special about these dashboards that make pharma consider them as powerful tools?
How Veeva MyInsights work?
In essence, MyInsights are custom-developed dashboards integrated directly in Veeva CRM, so that the user can see all the data that’s relevant for them in one place, and then dive deeper into CRM if they want to take immediate action (e.g. schedule an activity or interaction).
The three main principles behind the concept, as defined by Veeva themselves, are as follows:
- Actionable – the user gets exactly the insights they need to take action in their routine workflow on a daily basis. For example, KAMs may use dashboards that display the account plan fulfillment and other account-related data.
- Flexible – the dashboards are developed individually to match the need of particular roles in your organization, which means software that’s tailored to be perfect.
- Real-time – as the dashboards are visualizations within the CRM, the data there is the same as it is in the system, with timely updates, reflecting the status of each index at the given moment.
Here is a practical use case:
As the user here is responsible for oncology accounts, we see that the data visualized includes exactly that, with the account that needs attention marked red (maybe this is the way managers in that specific organization can handle such situations more quickly based on their workflow). The user can then “pull the string” on that piece of data to discover what needs to be done.
And once this shortest route towards discovery finishes, immediate response is given (remember? We were in the CRM all the time!)
What’s happening in the CRMscape
According to statistics, about 60% of the entire promotional budget in pharma is typically allocated to field force activities. Numbers vary from region to region, of course, but the reality is, reps are still a big deal, with each visit being in itself a discernible investment. Yet, only about a third of the HCPs can see how these calls add any value to their practice. Not that the doctors are downright reluctant to see reps as such – in fact, 74% of them are interested in speaking about new products with medical representatives.
So what gives? Simple enough, it’s the question of distinguishing strategy from tactics once again. As representatives knock on another HCP’s door (or send them an invitation to a remote detailing session), they need to be aware of what the previous interactions have been, how successful they have been, and how far the activities have gone in the overall account plan. Otherwise the rep risks falling into the trap of telling the same thing over and over again – or stepping on the same rake as their colleagues.
Even if the HCP account is invariably tied to a rep, there are still many things to consider while preparing for the visit. Who are the influencers? How likely is the doctor to remember the previous interaction? What were the outcomes, if any, of the latest follow up activities?
It turns out that closed-loop marketing, which we typically imagine as a cycle, actually has two loops, just like human blood circulation. While the strategic planning (and content adjustment) based on feedback from the fields is done by marketing and SFE, and comprises the “major circle”, there is also a shorter loop, corresponding to tactics. This is when the representative (or Key Account Manager) gets to define the concrete tactical moves based on very immediate insights.
In practice, this means questions like “how do I start the conversation?” “Shall I demonstrate another alternative patient profile?” “Will it make sense to invite them to an online meeting with that KOL?” and many other.
Everyone needs their own set of data
Here’s what an actual medical representative wrote online, addressing himself to beginner colleagues (quoted verbatim):
…this is usually required if you want to be a successful representative. You want to know ahead of time, who you are going to plan to visit for that given day. And your post call notes for one, will help you to do this better, by helping you to organize a plan or strategy.
And you will want to write this plan in your notepad; to discuss the important points you want to go over with your clients…
This may seem too obvious to even mention if you are working on a more abstract level of marketing or brand management. However, consider the way situation looks for the representative: post call notes, in many cases, serve too many functions at a time: registering outcomes, but also planning follow up, including other information, maybe from other reps, that the doctor incidentally mentioned at the visit, notes on preferences, interaction frequency, etc., etc.
Modern CRM/CLM systems have partially solved the problem; tablet users can use filters to arrive at the CRM data on the account in focus. However, as we know, CRM per se is for everyone and for no one in particular.
In reality, each user, depending on their role, will only need a specific chunk of that huge data pie, the information they need on a daily basis to perform their own activities.
More data does not always mean better
…especially when most of this information is only there to obscure the view on what interests you. In recent research, about 40% respondents in life sciences / pharma industry (both sales and marketing professionals) claimed they actually wanted access to less data BUT more useful information. At the same time, it turns out that only some 21% of them have access to all their relevant data in one place, while practically the same amount has to dig into 9 different sources.
That’s UX from hell when you think of it. At the age when people throw tantrums about minor inconveniences like having to do more than 3 taps on the sensory screen to order a pizza (while still wanting the whole thing to be 100% secure), the outcomes of rep calls dealing with prescriptions depend on inconvenient, confusion-prone and cumbersome procedures.
If a person has to use several applications (or pages within a single app) to arrive at some 5 to 20 figures you need, chances are, they will revert to paper and pencil after 40 seconds, if only just to write down the results of their search query before searching further.
This, in essence, is why Veeva MyInsights have been introduced – and why the idea of customized, role-fitted dashboards is becoming so attractive to executives pharma-wide.
Are you ready to harness the power of personalized software to empower the field force in your organization? The key to success lies with professionally developed dashboards that fit into the workflow! Think of which roles in your department may need custom insights – and what data they need. Once you have figured out this, there is little to wait for. Being a certified Level 4 Veeva partner, Viseven team creates dashboards that comply with the professional requirements from Veeva and help get the most out of every tech opportunity that platform provides. Contact our Veeva specialists online at any time to get more information or order the dashboards you have neded all this time.
