HEALTHCARE IT DELIVERY SYSTEMS: The Solution for Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Medical Device & Life Science

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1 HEALTHCARE IT DELIVERY SYSTEMS: The Solution for Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Medical Device & Life Science

2 Being driven by federal IT investments and health care reform, the United States is undergoing a major transformation of its delivery system having a profound impact on Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Life Science industries. Business functions are under pressure and are relying on technology more than ever to solve key business challenges. As budgets continuously decline in an extremely competitive environment, it is imperative for medical companies to pursue and manage R&D opportunities effectively and efficiently. In order to embrace this major transformation, medical providers need to understand the current challenges and trends and how they can leverage the right technology to solve some of their key issues. As a common practice, companies have adopted back office systems and CRM as part of their IT infrastructure to address structured information that s commonly found in databases. Structured information is identified data such as customers personal information, previous purchases, purchase patterns, etc While CRM lays the foundation for the IT infrastructure and allows organizations to do business in the macro sense, it does not address the essential unstructured data that is equally, if not most important. With the explosion of internet, social media, mobile computing and cloud, the business world has under gone a major shift at which unstructured data is generated and has now become the core of company assets. The legacy core technology systems does a great job in storing and reporting on structured data however, not so true for unstructured data. Legacy systems implemented were never designed to accommodate unstructured data and more importantly they were not upgraded as fast as business changes have occurred. Resulting in a big disconnect in business information, processes and underlying technology subsystem. Where to find Unstructured Data? There are dozens of examples of unstructured data in organizations commonly found external from the core systems that are often unmonitored, unmanaged, and undocumented. Depending on the type of company, some examples might include, asset tracking, research tracking, contracts, lab testing, field service, case management, campaign management, and a host of other processes. In addition, for most companies there is a whole class of business processes for managing relationships beyond the customer such as partners, vendors, investors, analysts, employees, contractors, and in some situations, students, patients, research subjects, and more. Most CRM systems selected to meet the requirements of the customer relationship management process fall short when addressing these other constituent groups. Page 1

3 The Benefits of Leveraging Unstructured Data Unstructured data holds a wealth of information that could potentially increase the bottom line. Customers who have adopted the technology to address unstructured data have realized or identified: Customer Identification & Retention - Utilizing data to identify potential customers and customizing offerings tailored to their specific needs. Cross-Selling Opportunities - Unveiling cross-selling opportunities that otherwise would not have been visible. Improve Forecasting - The consolidation and steady acquisition of customer data can identify both short and long-term trends in customer activity that can be used to generate custom product and service offerings Leveraging the Platform Approach Gone are the days of monolithic, resource intensive, time consuming, rigid IT systems that were deployed using the conventional waterfall development approach. This traditional methodology of creating core systems produced chaos in the enterprise architecture strategy, evolving into an array of disparate systems with no single source of truth. The result was often flawed business decisions, and in some cases, even the eventual demise of business altogether. Page 2

4 However, solution developers have long known that platforms offer the best leverage for building applications for the business environment. A platform generally has a defined, unified server software stack along with a database and development tools. Huge benefits are gained by leveraging platforms especially when it comes to maintenance costs and development times. This is why most enterprise core systems have evolved into platforms over the years and why open source development platforms and even cloud-based platforms are thriving. However not all platforms are created equal. While the basic services described above are a good starting point (server software stack and database) there will still be quite a bit of heavy lifting left to the developer. Of course, with enough developers any platform can be made to work in a business environment. But given the realities of IT resource constraints a platform that offers a broad array of services will likely yield a much higher return. For example Microsoft s xrm application framework, which is part of the Microsoft Application Platform, includes capabilities for security, authentication, business process modeling, business intelligence, both on premise and cloud support, and a large partner ecosystem. Given that most companies already own several if not all of Microsoft s platforms (Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Communications, SQL Server,.Net, etc.) it may be a natural fit into the IT landscape. Figure 1. Cloud computing logical diagram Page 3

5 Application Platform Benefits Streamline IT operations: Through a common LOB application platform that allows better leverage and maximize existing IT resources One platform, many applications: Extensible building blocks allow the quick tailoring of unique applications to fit many business needs Benefit from shared resources and infrastructure: Leverage existing resources and capabilities from other applications Increase the efficiency of IT: Reduce time and effort associated with development, testing, release management, change management, and administration Keep pace with business change: Change quickly when the market changes with dynamic applications services and a highly flexible data architecture Focus on strategic objectives: Spend less time and fewer resources on developing custom applications or trying to get packaged software to fit business needs and focus on high-level goals Empower the business through innovation and agility: Provide business users with the ability to make changes and rapidly provide new differentiated capabilities. Positiveedge Solutions has assisted several Fortune 500 companies across the globe. But we will focus on two companies which have leveraged the Microsoft platforms successfully. Both having similar lines of business, they have each addressed business challenges through Microsoft CRM and xrm technology. Roche: World Leader in Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals Roche ranks among the world s leading healthcare companies and has two strong core businesses: diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. As an innovator of products and services for early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, they contribute on a broad range of fronts to improve patients health and quality of life. Their mission today and tomorrow is to create added value in healthcare by focusing on their expertise in diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. BUSINESS SITUATION Roche receives numerous requests and ideas from various sources for research and development of commercial products. However, they have a business need that will allow them to track the requests as opportunities and manage their transition through different phases. The company currently has a custom developed system called MTAD that performs some of the desired functions. However, certain critical functionality and usability are not available within the system thus needing a custom platform eliminating barriers to effectively manage serious scientific opportunities. Page 4

6 Without a custom platform Roche would continue to experience: Missed Opportunities Without the ability to track and monitor requests, Roche missed opportunities that could have potentially increased the bottom line. Information Silo Unstructured information received externally where in silos and gone unmonitored, undocumented and unmanaged and ultimately resulted as being non-useful. Decentralized Information Decentralized information was stored manually in various documents forcing departments to create individual processes that yielded false results. SOLUTION The complex set of activities and information gathered during the scientific opportunity evaluation demanded a robust and flexible solution. PES proposed a Microsoft Dynamics xrm based solution, which offered a complex relationship management between opportunity and evaluation parameters at various stages. The solution was also architected to provide secure access to opportunities and related details to different teams within the organization. PES also developed a custom components using.net technology to facilitate a GUI interface with interactive workflows and discussion components similar to Google Wave. BENEFTIS With the implementation of the PositiveEdge solution manual request has been automated with a custom, simplified GUI interface. The application now provides a richer user experience that enables the internal team to proactively research and act on potential opportunities. It also offers improved workflows with enablement business rules with a centralized database that is accessible 24/7 via mobile devices and tablets. As a result, R&D processes are more standardized, centralized and automated that has generated new revenue opportunities with topline growth and improved return on investments. ABAXIS: A leading medical device manufacturer Abaxis, provides leading edge technology, tools and services that support best medical practices, enabling physicians and veterinarians to respond to the health needs of their clients. Abaxis mission is to supply point of care blood analyzers to both the medical and veterinarian markets. Headquartered in northern California, Abaxis conducts operations around the world. Page 5

7 BUSINESS SITUATION Abaxis sells equipment and provides credits on instrument consumables (rotors) to their customers after the sell. This process is managed by two different departments both the Medical and Veterinarian departments. Abaxis is in need of a CRM system to manage their leads, customers and track the rotor redemption process. SOLUTION PositiveEdge implemented a Microsoft Dynamics CRM system to assist Abaxis with managing their customers as well as the rotor redemption process for both the Medical and Veterinarian departments. The Rotor Redemption Process was implemented in CRM for rotor credit generation, notification and redemption. In addition, PositiveEdge developed applications built over CRM to assist with the following: Real-time integration with Marketo, Abaxis marketing application 360 degree view, AD Authentication, Training Certificate, Attach Documents, Event Information, Quote Print, Ring Lead, Flicker Box, ARS Integration, CTI Integration. Integration with Outlook 2007 via CRM 4.0 outlook client with support for offline mode BENEFITS The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Solution enabled the customer to manage their overall business processes through an efficient system. This in turn maximized their return on investment by using Microsoft Dynamics CRM (xrm). Online management of Sales & Service Automated Queue management Automated De-duplication of core records. Capability to generated PDF quotation directly from CRM Credit Redemption management with Faxing capability directly from CRM SMS Alerts on Service assignments Territory based data alignment Sales & Service Dashboard and Analytical reports Generate reports and download in major formats such as PDF, Excel, CSV, TIFF and MSHTML. Bi-directional integration with downstream applications Seamless lead generation multiple external systems Outlook integration with offline capability Page 6

8 Seamless accessibility using the Org Active Directory Configurable and Granular Security using CRM Roles Positive Edge Solutions PositiveEdge helps customers design, develop, and deploy software solutions for critical customer-facing business challenges. They specialize in finding unstructured data within core systems. With their uncommon commitment to project success along with their comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft technologies, backed by broad industry experience and methodologies, PositiveEdge consultants extend platforms such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM to create commercial advantage for their customers. By leveraging a unique onshore/offshore delivery model, PositiveEdge solution consultants can work around the clock to deliver solutions quickly and cost effectively. Microsoft Dynamics provides the robust platform that has formed the foundation of more than 100 successful projects deployed globally in multiple industries, across dozens of enterprises, with 100% delivery success. Deep Domain Knowledge Positive Edge consultants have the training and experience to find and exploit unstructured data in core systems. They have extended the Microsoft Application Platform into places that few would have imagined saving customers from risky custom-development projects or the need to rip-and-replace existing systems. From the front office to the shop floor, from contracts and legal to HR and QA, from service and support to mobile enablement, cloud computing, and social media integration they ve seen it all. Their projects extend across the pharmaceuticals and life sciences, biosciences, healthcare, banking, apparel, retail, manufacturing, high tech, telecom, property management industries, as well as government agencies. Technology leadership PositiveEdge consultants have a passion for integrating technology with people and processes to create commercial value for customers never deploying technology for technology s sake but rather using technology to tap into the organizational potential that exists waiting to be unleashed. They believe that all organizations can benefit from a fresh look at their existing systems to explore how to improve their return on their technology investment and enabling organizations to achieve remarkable business results. Scale Economically Their onshore/offshore delivery model is unique to software deployment services. While it is a proven model for custom development projects, they find that it offers unique advantages for their customers. With offices in the U.S., India, and Dubai, PositiveEdge can offer service on most continents by leveraging the onshore/offshore delivery model. This is particularly valuable for companies that have regional offices that need individual attention. Having worked with companies ranging from large multinationals to Silicon Valley-based startups, Positive Edge caters to the unique environments presented by customers of all shapes and sizes. Page 7

9 With the onshore/offshore model, PositiveEdge delivers: Follow-the-sun services to speed delivery The value advantage of having fewer consultants who must be accommodated on site Consistent and reliable services almost anywhere around the globe with only 25% of the required resources placed on site PositiveEdge can deliver this consistent and reliable experience for every customer engagement based on their unique perspective gained through more than a hundred successful customer implementations around the world, combined with their close relationship with Microsoft and a common set of tools and training that enable them to function as an integrated global team. Conclusions Leverage a platform such as Microsoft Application that allows for rapid development and deployment yielding high return. As your systems grow you ll have the capability to implement on a lower budget or strengthen your IT infrastructure to achieve coherence and economies of scale with cloud computing. PositiveEdge is amongst the top 5% of global solution providers in the Microsoft ecosystem and specializes in professional services for their customers. For more information about how to discover diamonds in the crevasses between your core systems or to learn more about how Positive Edge can help, visit or Sunnil@positiveedgesolutions.com Watch the Webinar at Page 8