Reimagine Life Sciences Customer Engagement

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1 A Point of View Reimagine Life Sciences Customer Engagement - The Digital Disruption With diverse digital touch points such as social, web, and mobile gaining momentum, digital strategy is a critical imperative for life sciences companies today. The digital five forces - mobility and pervasive computing, Big Data and analytics, cloud computing, social media, and artificial intelligence and robotics are a cost effective way to sustain competitive advantage. These digital five forces enable industry players to understand and anticipate customer needs, drive innovation, as well as optimize products and services to improve patient and healthcare outcomes. The Digital Imperative for Pharma Sales and Marketing Life sciences companies have exercised caution in adopting and driving digital customer experience, mostly because of their inherently conservative approach, small user base, a highly regulated industry, as well as unclear industry guidelines on social media usage. Traditionally, their business models have been heavily dependent on leveraging blockbuster drugs. The profits that can be attributed to digital innovation pale in comparison to the potential profits from a blockbuster drug launch. As a result, life sciences companies have been incentivized to pursue the development and marketing of such drugs. However, we need to acknowledge that the era of blockbuster drugs has now slowed down. It is becoming increasingly difficult and cost prohibitive to find and develop those miracle drugs. A Glimpse into the Future of Pharma The emerging digital platforms and evolving market conditions are driving life sciences companies to come up with alternate business models and channels to enhance existing revenues. They are also under pressure to reduce costs and increase efficiency in the way they run their businesses. The establishment of professional and patient communities online and the increased use of connected devices, social media, and mobile is changing the way information seeking and sharing happens today. Digitally savvy patients and the medical fraternity at large are driving life sciences companies to evolve and thus prompting them to embed Digital ReimaginationTM into their businesses to enhance customer engagement. TM Introducing Digital Reimagination Digital ReimaginationTM is not just about digitizing an existing process or about implementing new digital technologies one at a time. Rather, it is about infusing an organization with agility to unlock infinite opportunities and create sustainable competitive advantage. Digital ReimaginationTM is a process wherein organizations reimagine customer segments, business processes, business models, channels, products and services, and workplaces by leveraging a combination of the digital five forces, namely mobility and pervasive computing, Big Data and analytics, cloud computing, social media, and artificial intelligence and robotics. Digital ReimaginationTM can influence everything from gaining strategic insights to ensuring tactical execution and managing interactions between life sciences stakeholders. Reimagine Sales and Marketing Digital technologies are going to redefine the way life sciences sales and marketing functions today. Think about the future; Imagine a diabetic patient who uses an insulin pump, where the insulin refills are aerially dispatched to him as soon as the smart system automatically senses the low level of insulin supply. This would eliminate long pharmacy queues for patients and hassles of supply chain management for pharma companies, and at the same time, ensure patients don t switch brands. But most importantly, it helps patients with medication adherence.

2 Sales & Marketing Healthcare Professionals Business Processes Customer Segments Big Data & Analytics Mobility & Pervasive Computer Workplace Patient The Digital Enterprise Channels powered by Digital Five Forces Social Media Cloud Computing AI & Robotics Business Models Right Information, Right time, Right channel, Right customer Products & Services Enhance Customer Experience Increase Sales & Marketing Efficiency Technology AdaptationAugmented Reality Workplace Modernization Digital ReimaginationTM: Life Sciences Sales and Marketing Let s take this scenario one step further. By intelligently tracking a physician s requests such as drug samples, a special delivery drone could be directed within a matter of minutes to the doctor s office. Consider the impact of such a service, given the time crunch that physicians face today. Imagine a med-tech sales representative, downloading the design of an orthopedic implant from their tablet and printing true-to-life models using a portable 3D printing machine - right in front of the doctor at medical exhibitions or conferences. Think about how this could enhance product perception, and potential market acceptance amongst the target audience. Digital ReimaginationTM would create the most lasting impact on the business model of the life sciences industry that it is ever likely to experience. Gamification mechanics are currently being tried and tested across the sales and marketing spectrum through sales representative and care provider training, prescription adherence, and medical education provided to patients. In the future, pharma companies could possibly be communicating with HCPs and patients through gamification and it can help reimagine customer engagement especially in the pharmaceutical context. Pharma companies have been grappling with ways to maximize the effectiveness of their promotional and sales dollars. Big Data and analytics has the potential to become a key benefit in their marketing resource planning. Implementing Big Data based predictive analytics solutions can enable them to triage prescription data with various structured and unstructured data sources including enterprise customer relationship management data, social media data, digital footprint of their customers - to extract meaningful insights in real-time. Predictive analytics can enable sales and marketing teams to create profiles of their top targets, analyze the most appropriate and effective channels, and the best ways to reach them at the right time. In other words, companies can now reimagine customer segmentation. Digital forces such as mobility, cloud and Big Data are already helping life sciences companies to reimagine business processes. Real time delivery of data to the sales force from cloud based systems in the form of dashboards, documents, and presentations and so on enable superior decision making and targeted marketing. 2

3 Reimagine Healthcare Professionals and Sales Representative Interactions The Digital Five Forces are maturing and precipitating with the shift from the internet to a digitally based knowledge economy. Pharmaceutical sales and marketing teams can leverage these digital forces to reimagine the way they formulate and execute strategies. For instance, they can triage data by leveraging Big Data and analytics to discover associations, patterns, and trends and identify the most influential doctors and accounts to focus their sales efforts on. This can also help identify physicians who warrant attention ones who could be at risk of switching to a competitor product, or could be a good target for promoting a drug prescription. Rich information around the physician s needs, and interests empowers the sales force to customize their messaging and targeting strategies. Sales personnel can thus provide actionable feedback to the brand team in terms of what s working and what s not. Cloud based solutions have further provided organizations extra flexibility and scalability to better manage and engage with customers anywhere and anytime. At the same time, mobility is playing a major role in reimagining various areas of the enterprise by injecting the mobile channel for effective communication and collaboration between HCPs and the sales force. Reimagine Physician and Patient Interactions With growing emphasis on accountable and high quality care outcomes, the question being asked is what must doctors do to become agents of change, and manage the growing expectations of patients? Big Data and analytics can reimagine the clinical decision making process by integrating structured and unstructured data. It can distill actionable insights from patient s health data from electronic health records, wearable smart devices, and behavioral data. In such a case, the physician can complement his experience, by practicing evidence based medicine and thus provide better care plans. Ultimately, a physician s workplace also offers the potential to be reimagined. Digital kiosks at the doctor s chambers can enable them to remotely connect with patients over a high-definition virtual video connection, digitally check their vital signs (heartbeat and pulse), and print a prescription at the end of the tele-appointment. With one click, doctors can digitally consult with other specialists around the globe, transmit the patient s information and get a second opinion on specific medical cases. The pharmaceutical industry can leverage these digital solutions to enhance top-of-the-mind awareness for physicians, as they consider the next medication for their patients, thereby ensuring enhanced prescription adherence. Reimagine Patient Engagement Patients are proactive in leveraging a variety of digital channels such as accessing medical information, participating in forums, blogs and communities. Patients are also ready and willing to share information in order to receive improved services. This evolving dynamics in the industry presents ample opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to leverage a Digital ReimaginationTM approach, and differentiate their offerings by exploring services. Organizations can help patients with more efficient treatments by bringing science and emerging technology together. The entire patient experience journey can be digitally reimagined at every touch point - from digital health records to consultation, using sensor devices, wearable glasses, smartwatch and gamification among others. With a pool of patient data from health records and sensor devices, Big Data and analytics can enable organizations and physicians to devise an effective treatment approach to prevent reversal of diseases and thus reduce hospital readmissions of patients. Despite a slow regulatory process, there are a host of technology solutions that empower patients to monitor and manage their fitness levels and wellness. Life sciences companies are already using digital technologies to encourage patients to adhere to prescription compliance by building mobile apps. Considering the current trend of digital penetration, patients of the future will increasingly expect medical information to be delivered through their preferred channel. This may include information on drug availability at the nearest pharmacy, virtual physician connect, health monitoring devices and so on. This patient demand will drive the life sciences industry to digitally reimagine customer touch points and channels along with integrated social media solutions. 3

4 Conclusion The paradigm shift to digital age marketing facilitates seamless information flow across channels, empowering customers to make informed decisions. It also helps organizations connect and use proactive thinking to address customer requirements. In order to gain a competitive edge in this digital era, life sciences companies will need integrated customer centric solutions leveraging all the digital five forces to reimagine their business, rather than incremental, disconnected innovation. In our opinion, flexible organizations that adopt the Digital Five Forces to reimagine key areas of their businesses will prove to be more successful. About the authors Raghunandan H Head, Life Sciences Sales & Marketing Center of Excellence Raghunandan (Raghu) has 18 years of experience spanning IT consultancy, delivery, and business development in the life sciences domain, as well as pharmaceutical sales, marketing, distribution, and operations. In the initial ten years of his career, he worked for pharma majors in various sales and marketing roles. For the past seven years, Raghu has been working in the IT Industry and has been associated with Life Sciences and Healthcare verticals. Raghu's expertise lies in managing business aligned IT consulting in sales, marketing, customer relationship management, Sales Force Automation, multi-channel marketing, and Digital Marketing. Parimal Nagtode Domain Consultant, Life Sciences Sales & Marketing Center of Excellence Parimal has been working in the IT industry for the past 13 years and with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for over eight years, associated with the Life Sciences and HiTech industry verticals. Parimal has managed several large deliveries of e-marketing and related projects for USbased clients and has worked on various digital marketing initiatives. Shekhar A Domain Consultant, Life Sciences Sales & Marketing Center of Excellence Shekhar holds a bachelor s degree in engineering and an M.B.A. He has over 14 years of experience in technology and business consulting with a focus on the Life Sciences industry. He currently supports innovation initiatives in sales and marketing, across digital marketing, social media and multi-channel marketing and related areas. 4

5 About TCS' Life Sciences Business Unit With over two decades of experience in the life sciences domain, TCS offers a comprehensive portfolio in IT, Consulting, KPO, Infrastructure and Engineering services as well as new-age business solutions including mobility and big data catering to companies in the pharma, biotech, medical devices, and diagnostics industries. Our offerings help clients accelerate drug discovery, advance clinical trial efficiencies, maximize manufacturing productivity, and improve sales and marketing effectiveness. We draw on our experience of having worked with 7 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies and 8 of the top 10 medical device manufacturers. Our commitment towards developing next-generation innovative solutions and facilitating cutting-edge research through our Life Sciences Innovation Lab, research collaborations, multiple centers of excellence and Co-Innovation Network (COINTM) - have made us a preferred partner for the world s leading life sciences companies. Contact For more information about TCS Life Sciences Business Unit, visit: lshcip.pmo@tcs.com Digital Reimagination is leveraging a combination of the Digital Five Forces - Mobility & Pervasive Computing, Big Data & Analytics, Social Media, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence & Robotics to reimagine six areas of an enterprise: Business Models, Products and Services, Customer Segments, Channels, Business Processes, and Workplaces. About Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that delivers real results to global business, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. TCS offers a consulting-led, integrated portfolio of IT and IT-enabled infrastructure, engineering and assurance services. This is delivered through its unique Global Network Delivery ModelTM, recognized as the benchmark of excellence in software development. A part of the Tata Group, India s largest industrial conglomerate, TCS has a global footprint and is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in India. IT Services Business Solutions Consulting All content / information present here is the exclusive property of Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS). The content / information contained here is correct at the time of publishing. No material from here may be copied, modified, reproduced, republished, uploaded, transmitted, posted or distributed in any form without prior written permission from TCS. Unauthorized use of the content / information appearing here may violate copyright, trademark and other applicable laws, and could result in criminal or civil penalties. Copyright 2014 Tata Consultancy Services Limited TCS Design Services I M I 09 I 14 For more information, visit us at