Despite huge investments into CRM systems some pharma companies still struggle to get all of their staff to embrace and fully interact with them. Pf’s Iain Bate explores why, and what the future holds for technology in the industry.

There’s no doubt that technological developments have changed the way we live and work from year to year – maybe even from month to month in the 21st Century. But has the world of healthcare been travelling in the slow lane of the intergalactic highway?

The potential that technology offers to pharma, and the general world of healthcare, is enormous. But is the pharmaceutical industry, and its staff in particular, using it to maximise the returns of billion-dollar investments?

It would seem that technology is the ‘buzz word’ on the lips of a few of healthcare’s major players at present. The DH recently invited people to nominate their favourite health-related mobile phone ‘app’ – be it for keeping fit, to locate a hospital or chemist, or helping to manage an illness. Creative minds were also asked to design their own health app with a panel of DH judges deciding on their favourite from the most popular entries.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley says it’s the Government’s intention to give people better access to information using modern technology and the exercise is a “unique opportunity for the NHS and those who develop apps to not only showcase their work, but to bring to life new ideas and realise true innovation in healthcare”.

As part of the DH’s technology revolution, patients may also soon be offered online consultations with their GPs using programmes such as Skype. Clearly the Government is embracing the convenience technology offers to patients, but are other sectors in healthcare as interested? It would seem there is still some way to go.

 

In two minds

Pf ’s 2010/11 annual Company Perception, Motivation and Satisfaction Survey suggests that not all respondents are completely convinced by the power of technology in the workplace. Although the Survey – which relates to 2010 and the early part of this year – found that nearly 90% of respondents have access to a CRM system, only 43% find time to use it in the field and more than a fifth of people fail to accurately record post-call reports with important clients.

Questions have to be asked as to why, despite multimillion pound investment and training by pharma companies, there remains a percentage of staff that still ignore the power and potential of the technology at their finger tips.

Results from the Survey reveal there’s no difference in uptake by key account managers, primary and secondary care representatives, those in primary care roles only, firstline sales managers and secondline sales managers and the use of CRM technology between differing age groups – although surprisingly 10% of respondents in these positions with less than two years of experience said they did not have a CRM system, compared to just 5% more experienced colleagues.

The launch of the iPad in March 2010 promised to revolutionise the way sales representatives, and those in similar roles, use CRM systems in the field. However, nearly three-quarters (70%) of respondents from the Survey are still presently sent out with laptops containing their customer-relationship systems.

When quizzed on what they’d change about the hardware which houses their system, the majority of respondents said that their CRM was too awkward to carry, with poor running systems an issue and that batteries ran out too quickly. Apple claims its second-generation iPad now enjoys ten hours of use away from a plug socket in the field.

Yet the switch to the latest convenient tablet devices may not necessarily be about high levels of investment, it may be down to maximising value for money as Paul Shawah, Vice President, Multi Channel Strategy, Veeva Systems explains. “I would say the life cycle of devices within the industry is generally about three years, sometimes a little bit longer,” he said. “When a company invests in new technology they typically depreciate that over that period, so they don’t want to replace it in the field for that time to maximise their investment.

“However, with the introduction of game changing technology like the iPad, this has changed. We see a number of our pharmaceutical customers are justifying the business case to move to the iPad even before their tablets are fully depreciated. This speaks to the business benefit that pharma expects to achieve from the iPad and the related applications only available on that device.”

A convenient shield

Despite technology eliminating mundane process in the workplace and offering the potential to assist employees and improve their efficiency at work, it has historically been used as a shield to mask poor performance and abused as a means to waste company time – a recent online survey by AOL found that nearly half of Americans (44.7%) rank surfing the web as their primary activity during the two hours they ‘waste’ each day at work.

But it would seem that a high number of respondents do value the opportunities CRM offers. Almost two-thirds (64%) said they always enter correctly the amount of customer sales they make into their CRM. But 21% admitted they fail to always report face-to-face meetings with clients. More surprisingly, over a fifth of participants said they do not always record the number of products they had sold to clients.

The lack of honest accuracy is surprising considering the amount of time spent using CRM systems each day. A third said they spend between one and two hours a day on their system with a fifth spending three hours or more on their CRM. During their time using the management system, more than half (55%) said that call reporting was the most useful feature.

Although respondents were less impressed with the KAM abilities of their software with only 19% believing it to be the most useful facility. When questioned about what they would change given the chance, 45% said they wanted an improved database, over a quarter (28%) called for their system to be overall more useful, and 18% said they would prefer their CRM to be easier to use.

 

The next level

But what of the future of CRM systems? Will they be easier to use and have improved customer databases? David Round, General Manager, UK, Cegedim Relationship Management, says the regular interaction we now have with technology means we’ve all come to expect the latest developments.

“End users are significantly more ‘technology-savvy’ than their counterparts of even five years ago,” he explained. “If anything, the challenge for companies is to ensure that they provide their end users with the types of technology that they use as consumers. It’s also important to focus on the usability of your software to ensure maximum use. Technology companies – and pharma – must work together to develop a better understanding of the interaction, to ensure it meets users’ needs in the field.”

One main reason that users have become more ‘savvy’ is down to the use and interaction with social media. Whether at home or at work, websites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and most recently Google+ have driven an increased use of various forms of technology – especially on devices such as smartphones or tablet devices which reps are calling for in the field.

Pharma companies, both in the US and UK, have flirted with the idea of fully embracing the power social media harnesses, but at present are restricted by the PMCPA’s Code of Practice and by the FDA – who has again delayed the publication of its guidance.

The FDA says it is “difficult to provide a timeframe... due to the extensive work and review process, or ‘Good Guidance Practices’, which ensures that FDA’s stakeholders are provided well vetted guidances articulating FDA’s current thinking on a topic”.

Although the FDA may be unsure on how to direct healthcare companies, David Round believes the introduction, both professionally and personally, of social media has had an impact on staff and their expectations.

“For the modern professional person, much of their everyday life is conducted online – for example on shopping, utilities, insurance or booking a holiday – and many users then want the same level of capability from the tools they use in their job,” he added.

Dan Goldsmith, General Manager, Veeva Europe, agrees there has been a significant shift in the way we operate and interact due to our experiences online through tagged posts or hash-tagged searches. But although the 800 million users on Facebook – more than half which ‘log-on’ every day – and 175 million people on Twitter have no problem saying hello to friends, pharma finds it more difficult reaching out to people.

“Social media create a new avenue for healthcare dialogue and will only continue to pervade our lives,” said Dan. “Consequently, I believe that pharma faces two challenges. The first is to decide how to participate in the online dialogue with stakeholders and then to create those interactions through the channels we’re all familiar with, such as Facebook and Twitter.

“The second is to figure out how to leverage the model of social dialogue internally to support stronger collaboration and more focused communication among employees. Already, we see some companies taking advantage of the latest social business tools to connect employees with one another and to access and share information in real time.”

Clearly CRM solution providers understand the potential modern technology and social media platforms offer to companies. Whether pharma and its workforce get fully up to speed on the intergalactic highway sooner or later remains to be seen.

Are you lacking motivation and confidence at work? Do you feel anxious about the security of your job? As employment statistics continue to deteriorate, we could put these feelings down to the saddening status of the economy, but is that really a good enough excuse to work in a job you don’t enjoy?

Don’t get me wrong, we should always feel grateful for our job, especially in the current climate. But our jobs are what make us get up in the mornings. So, shouldn’t we make the most of our 40+ hours a week?

In any case, if you’re feeling down in the dumps at the moment and have realised that it’s not the economy, but actually, you’re not enjoying your job, it could be time for a change of scene.

Ask yourself these questions:

• How long have you be in your current job?
• Has your salary increased since your last job?
• Are your responsibilities at work increasing or decreasing?
• Are you involved in important decision making at work?
• Do you feel challenged by your role?
• Are you just hopping from one employer to the next staying in the same position?
• Have people hired after you been promoted faster?
• Do your colleagues seek out work advice from you?
• Do you dread going to work?

It’s pretty obviously which of these answers are good and which are bad signs of what you should do next.

It may be a case of considering other roles, as it’s true what they say: It’s much easier to find a job if you have a job. In which case, give an honest analysis of your career as it stands and assess your long-term objectives. Are you doing what you always wanted to? Is your current job a step in the right direction?

If not, or you can think of something better and more relevant to your personal career goals, no time like the present to sort yourself out. It’s only too easy to become too comfortable with your job and falling into a career slump.

But, it could also mean that you should think about discussing your feelings with your boss. Ask how you can contribute more to the company, and use your initiative to put forward some ideas to keep things fresh and involving. You’re more likely to enjoy your work if you’re doing different things and being recognised for your efforts.

A career rut is never easy and new opportunities can often feel out of sight. But if you’re feeling unmotivated and lacking stimulation in your job, it’s worth having a serious think about what you should really do.

Visit PharmaJobs for the latest vacancies in pharmaceutical sales.

The countdown to the Pf Awards 2012 has officially begun. The most exciting awards ceremony for UK medical sales professionals has now launched and is open for entries for what promises to be yet another competitive and compelling occasion.

The Pf Awards are unique. Not only are they supported by the ABPI, but all candidates entered into the process are nominated by their company and not the customer. This ensures that only the industry’s top performers get to take part – guaranteeing competition of the highest possible standard.

The awards are now in their 12th year and continue to recognise high achievers within the industry. They have evolved and been developed over this period using feedback from the industry, judges and an independent advisory board.

As always, our purpose and vision is to deliver a cross-industry awards programme which rewards excellence in pharmaceutical sales in a variety of categories. With this in mind, three new categories have been added to the selection of accolades to be presented in 2012; Sales Team, Joint Working and Customer Recognition Awards.

In the coming months we will be taking a look at each of the categories and outlining key criteria for potential candidates. We begin by examining the Joint Working, Medical Representative and Account Team Awards.

Joint Working Award

The new Joint Working Award has been introduced to recognise where a working relationship with a customer has made a meaningful difference to patients, or patients’ services. There is no set length of service required to be nominated for this category, although compliance with the ABPI Code should be demonstrated. To be considered, there must be positive feedback or endorsement from a customer and both parties must have a vested interest in the joint working initiative. Candidates can be in either a field-based or office-based role. During the assessment, candidates are required to give a short presentation outlining their joint working venture.

Medical Representative Award

The New Medical Representative Award, which has been a longstanding category at the Pf Awards, has been renamed as the Medical Representative Award. Candidates should have up to five years experience in a primary care role within the industry at the point of entry. An ABPI examination pass is also required. Candidates will be asked to participate in a company product sales call, complete a written case study and also present a pre-prepared presentation.

The Pf Awards 2011 winner of the New Medical Representative Award was Claire Carr (pictured) of Astellas. The award was Claire’s first as a medical sales professional and although she found the process to be demanding, it was also something she relished and embraced. “The experience was a challenging one from the initial nomination all the way through to the application process and then assessment day and presentation,” she said. “It was a tough, but very enjoyable day.”

Account Team Award

Key Account Management is currently playing an important role in the sales and marketing strategies of most UK pharmaceutical companies. Consequently, the Account Team Award is arguably one of the most relevant categories. Candidates need to demonstrate working to a clearly defined account plan. Teams also need to have a clearly defined account management structure in place and must work across multiple disciplines within the account. They also need to implement a degree of autonomy to select practice accounts and stakeholders.

The Assessment Day will be held on Wednesday 14th March 2012 at the King Power Stadium, Leicester – formerly known as the Walkers Stadium. The Pf Awards Dinner takes place on Thursday 22nd March 2012 at the Lancaster London Hotel.

How can I enter?

If you or a colleague would like to know more about the Pf Awards, the categories, criteria, and how to enter, please visit www.pfawards.co.uk.

The pharmaceutical industry is entering a ‘prove it works’ era that will rely increasingly on collaboration and partnership with the NHS, the ABPI has said.

Its new CEO, Stephen Whitehead, has said that the industry’s imperative to demonstrate the value of its medicines will rely on developing and using ‘real world data’.

But observers have warned pharma companies that if they want to use real word data, they must first ensure they ask customers ‘real world questions’, rather than rush out to provide data that suits their own agendas.

In his first address since becoming CEO, Whitehead said that for working partnerships to progress, the industry must show it is ‘part of the solution, not the problem’.

“For a number of years, the industry has worked in partnership with parts of the NHS to help redesign pathways,” he said. “We have moved beyond purchaser and seller transactional relationships; this next era will be based on partnerships and collaboration. And by using real world data we can, for the first time, provide evidence of value – we can prove it works.”

In line with this, the ABPI has published ‘The Vision for Real World Data – Harnessing the Opportunities in the UK’, which outlines how the UK industry can become a centre of excellence for the collection and analysis of Real World data (RW). It defines RW as data “that are collected outside the normal constraints of conventional randomised clinical trials to evaluate what is happening in normal clinical practice.”

The ABPI says that the collection of such data will lead to a better understanding of conditions and treatments in a wider population, help improve the management of chronic conditions, and the avoidance of preventable hospitalizations.

“Real World data will provide us with the means for assessing the true value of a medicine – it will provide us with the opportunity to improve patient quality of life while reducing NHS costs,” said Whitehead. “But to make the best possible use of Real World data we must have seamless collaboration between the NHS and the industry.”

The ABPI report makes a number of recommendations as to how the industry can make the transition towards RW data collection. These include the development of a toolkit for companies to present the case to global colleagues, and the need to engage at local, national and European level to streamline the regulatory environment for the conduct of RW data studies.

It also advocates increasing efforts to facilitate NHS partnerships with the industry in the collection and interpretation of RW data and further engagement with the wider medical community to ensure it is published in respected medical journals alongside traditional clinical trial findings.

The push for more Real World thinking has been widely applauded, but some commentators believe that much of what is needed to propel the new approach is already present in the system.

Andy Lee, Commissioning and NHS Partnerships Director, WG Group, said: “A lot of the data for RW studies is already there, it just needs a systematic approach to joining it up. The most important issue, however, is to demonstrate true partnership, not pay lip-service to it: if pharma is going to use real world data, it needs to make sure it asks the real world questions – and those are the questions that commissioners and medicines management leads will be asking, not necessarily those that pharma companies might like to try to prove. The two sides need to talk and agree the outcomes data that will really enable decisions to be made, and changes to actually happen.”

The Pf Company Perception, Motivation and Satisfaction Survey gives respondents from the medical sales sector the opportunity to have their say on their roles from behind an anonymous shied.

The survey continues to benchmark opinion as it moves into its 11^th year and explores the things which matter the most to respondents from a variety of roles.

Despite a challenging and changing marketplace in the last twelve months, motivation and satisfaction factors have not changed as much as would be expected. In fact, only one of the top ten motivation factors changed when compared to the results from the 2010 survey. Salary, job security, manager relationship, work-life balance and company culture again topped the motivation charts with autonomy and personal development the only two factors to swap places.

The biggest change was found in satisfaction factors – where belief in present products again came out on top. Company culture – which for so long was a regularly voted within the top five – fell to eighth position as staff vented their frustration at widespread job losses and changing working environments. Although employees did voice their satisfaction where job security was concerned in the last twelve months after the factor increased by three places in the standings.

The survey is conducted annually by Health Sector Publishing, publishers of Pharmaceutical Field, since 2002. It provides a temperature check of sales executives’ remuneration, motivation, satisfaction, perception and recruitment. It is managed by Dr Brad Payne of Conker Statistics – a Fellow of the Royal Statistics Society – and collects responses anonymously. The latest results were gathered in early 2012, but relate to 2011.