Mastering Biopharma CRM Selection: Your Essential Guide to Making Informed Choices

Unlock the full potential of your Biopharma CRM with this definitive guide, focusing on pivotal topics, essential questions for vendors, and the unique approaches implemented by Gridlex. Specifically crafted for Biopharma professionals, this guide delivers practical scenarios and insights, acting as a dependable resource as you navigate through CRM choices for your organization.

These articles are part of the Gridlex Weekly Newsletter focused on Biopharma technology, analytics, and operational topics. Please email gridlexnewsletter@gridlex21.com to join this newsletter and receive updates (not more than once per week).

Cover The Basics of a Core CRM First

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At the heart of every successful business operation is a CRM system that captures, manages, and harnesses vital data, allowing organizations to understand and serve their customers better. While enhanced features and specialized modules make a CRM stand out, it's the core functionalities that form the backbone of any efficient CRM system. Before we go into the detailed criteria for choosing a CRM for Biopharma, let's make sure the basics of a core CRM are covered.

 

Importance of Core CRM Features

• Organizations/Accounts: At the nucleus of your CRM are your organizations or accounts. These entities provide structure to your business relationships, mapping out interactions, transaction histories, and key details about the companies you deal with.
   

• Contacts: Every organization is made up of individuals. Contacts allow you to maintain details of these individuals, track communication, and ensure that the right people are engaged at the right time.
   

• Custom Fields: Every industry, especially Biopharma, has unique data needs. Custom fields allow you to tailor your CRM to capture specific data points that are pertinent to your operations.
   

• Custom Profiles/Forms: To further refine the user experience and data capture process, custom profiles and forms can be set up. This ensures that each user interacts with a system tailored to their role and needs.
   

• Opportunities: These are potential sales or deals that your team is pursuing. Tracking opportunities ensures you're always aware of potential revenue streams and the stages they're at.
   

• Schedule/Calendar/Tasks for Pre-Call Planning: Preparing for stakeholder interactions is vital. Integrated scheduling, calendar, and task management tools allow for efficient pre-call planning, ensuring that engagements are productive and objectives are met.
   

• Sales to Territory Mapping: In a vast market landscape, allocating sales reps to specific territories ensures even coverage and efficient resource use. This feature also helps in strategizing based on geographical data.
   

• Activity Tracking and Notes: A comprehensive history of interactions, meetings, and notes associated with contacts and accounts ensures that teams have context and can make informed decisions.
   

• Reporting: Reporting and analytics provide a snapshot of performance, ensuring stakeholders are informed at a glance.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does your CRM handle the basic functionalities such as organizations, contacts, and opportunities?

• Can we customize fields and forms to suit our unique Biopharma needs?

• How does your CRM facilitate sales to territory mapping?

• What provisions are there for tracking activities and interactions?

• Can we generate custom reports and dashboards based on our needs?

• What tools and features does the CRM offer for pre-call planning, and how are they integrated into the overall system?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

• Integrated Core Modules: Gridlex understands that at the heart of every CRM lie its core features. Our platform seamlessly integrates organizations, contacts, opportunities, and leads, ensuring a smooth flow of data across modules.
   

• Tailor-Made for Biopharma: Recognizing the unique needs of the Biopharma industry, Gridlex allows unparalleled customization, from fields to forms, ensuring that our CRM aligns with your specific requirements.
   

• Efficient Territory Management: Our advanced sales to territory mapping not only allows for optimal resource allocation but also offers insights into geographical performance metrics.
   

• Comprehensive Activity Logging: With Gridlex, every interaction, note, and activity is logged in detail, providing context and history for all stakeholders.
   

• Efficient Pre-Call Planning: With an integrated calendar, scheduling, and task management system, Gridlex makes pre-call planning seamless and efficient, ensuring every stakeholder interaction is maximized for impact.
   

• Dynamic Reporting: Gridlex's reporting and dashboard capabilities are designed to offer insights at a glance while providing the flexibility to dive deep when required.

 

Extensibility and Adaptability of the Underlying Data Model in CRM

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Navigating the biopharma realm invariably involves tackling unique, company-specific requirements that are often not addressed by standard and industry-specific modules in CRM platforms. Here are some representative challenges:

 

• Marketing Campaign Management: Juggling numerous campaigns across various channels like email, websites, and digital platforms simultaneously raises the question: How do we correlate interest from these channels and assign it to a particular contact or organization?
   

• Contract Assignment: With hundreds of contracts, each featuring a unique schema encompassing aspects like pricing and validity periods, how can we assign them systematically to an organization or account?

• Drug Catalog Management: Ensuring detailed drug or product information, including dosage, indications, and inventory levels, is assigned only to specific accounts and organizations poses another challenge: How is this managed effectively?
   

• Symposium Attendance Tracking and Contact Linking: Dr. Anderson, who attends a vital symposium on "Innovative Oncology Developments." In an ideal scenario, his attendance and key takeaways from this event should be logged in the CRM, providing vital insights to sales and marketing teams for future interactions. 

 

After CRM deployment, a myriad of such requirements will surface across departments like marketing, sales, legal, and compliance, typically eliciting one of the few standard responses from vendors: a flat denial due to incapability or an affirmation accompanied by hefty customization and financial outlays.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does the CRM accommodate new data entities and attributes unique to our biopharma processes, like specific attributes of marketing campaigns or contracts, without major redevelopment?

• Can we dynamically link new data structures (like a new contract model) to existing entities (like organizations or contacts) to reflect relationships and workflows?

• How does the CRM ensure that data related to specific products, such as drug details, can be restricted and made visible only to certain accounts or organizations based on our business rules?

• How are evolving business requirements, like additions or modifications to our product catalog or contract schemas, handled without causing disruption to ongoing operations?

• Can the CRM adapt to complex and varied reporting needs, enabling detailed insights on entities, such as marketing campaigns or contracts, that are customized and extended as per our business demands?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

Gridlex has a concept of “Models” to adeptly navigate numerous use cases, establishing sophisticated relations and workflows to address niche requirements. Envision a data model as an advanced spreadsheet where if a Biopharma company wishes to track a marketing campaign, it might create a “Marketing Campaign” model. Columns denote aspects like campaign name, target audience, and budget, while rows house detailed information for each campaign. In Gridlex, these spreadsheets/database tables are referred to as Models, columns as fields, and rows as records.

 

Model 1: Marketing Campaign Model

 

Model 2: Contracts Model

 

Model 3: Symposiums Model

 

Gridlex empowers the creation and tracking of unlimited models, managing underlying record data, and interlinking it with another Model (e.g., linking Contract 66 in the Contract Model to Smith Cardiology or linking Marketing Campaign 22 to the Symposium Model).

 

The prowess of extensible data modeling minimizes the need for custom code development, reduces bugs in deployment, and enhances the speed of execution via straightforward configuration adjustments. A majority of CRMs lack this potent data modeling capability. Even those that possess it often reserve it for their priciest editions (exceeding $300/User as of Oct 2023) and necessitate considerable consulting expenditures for implementation. This inflates costs, amplifies risk, and curtails velocity.

 

Easy & Fast User Experience With Lists, Views, Sorting, & Filtering

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For sales reps, swift navigation through CRM data is paramount. Dealing with various entities like organizations, contacts, and opportunities requires a system that offers both simplicity and power. Unfortunately, many CRMs fail to match the intuitive ease of a spreadsheet, leading users to extract data, causing potential data integrity issues. 

 

Importance of Effective Data Management Capabilities

• Mimicking Spreadsheet Functions: A sales rep's familiarity with spreadsheets is undeniable. They are used to the drag, drop, sort, filter, and adjust functionalities. When a CRM can emulate this while providing the added advantages of data integrity and interactivity, it's a win-win.
   

• Organizational Flexibility: With reps handling data related to multiple entities, such as contacts or opportunities, it becomes crucial that the CRM allows customization at various levels - be it organization-wide, unit-specific, or even individually tailored views.
   

• Data Integrity: Exporting data from CRM to work on spreadsheets is risky. It can lead to outdated data versions, potential losses, or even breaches. Keeping everything within the CRM guarantees data accuracy and security.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does your CRM compare in terms of ease of use with standard spreadsheet tools?

• Can you demonstrate the CRM's capabilities in creating customized views and lists?

• How does the CRM ensure data integrity when users manipulate and manage data?

• To what extent can views and lists be customized on the organization, unit, and individual levels?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

• Spreadsheet-Esque Interface: Gridlex understands the universal appeal of spreadsheets. That's why we've designed our data management features to provide the feel of a spreadsheet. Reps can drag, drop, sort, filter, and more, all with the added benefits that a dedicated CRM provides.
   

• Hierarchical Customization: Gridlex isn't one-size-fits-all. Administrators can set default views for the entire organization while also allowing unit-specific (e.g., Texas Sales) adjustments. Furthermore, individual reps can personalize their interfaces, ensuring maximum productivity tailored to their preferences.
   

• Upholding Data Integrity: With Gridlex, there's no need to export data. Reps can manipulate and manage all necessary data directly within the system, guaranteeing data accuracy and security. This direct interaction reduces the risks associated with data transfers and provides reps with real-time, reliable information.

 

Permissioning: The Heart of a Robust CRM System

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Effective permissioning is vital to any stellar CRM system, ensuring that specific information is accessible only to authorized personnel. This is notably crucial for Biopharma organizations, which predominantly operate with two distinct teams: the Commercial sales teams and the Medical Sales Liaisons (MSL) teams. The common approach of deploying separate CRMs for each - known as Commercial CRM and MSL CRM - is a practice adopted by many platforms due to their lack of a robust permissioning system. However, this approach invites several drawbacks, including:

 

• Dual User Licensing costs

• Separate Integration costs

• Different Underlying data models

 

Utilizing a CRM system that encapsulates all organizational CRM activities within a single platform, supported by a solid permissioning system, proves superior in terms of cost, risk, and velocity.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• Can we create entirely distinct profiles with unique pages, sections, and custom fields for the same account/organization (e.g., Smith Cardiology) and Contact (e.g., Dr. Joseph) for MSL and commercial teams, ensuring they remain invisible to each other?

• Is it possible for commercial sales reps to see when an MSL has engaged with a contact without viewing the specific details of the interaction, maintaining privacy while acknowledging both have contacted the same individual for diverse reasons?

• Can we establish two disparate call recording/activity profiles, each with its custom fields, for the same profile to cater to the varied recording needs of Sales Reps and MSLs?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

Gridlex champions an advanced permissioning system through the innovative concept of Units. A Unit is a configuration where permissions are linked to that specific unit. To illustrate, the "Texas Sales Region" could be one unit, while "National MSL" could be another, each boasting entirely different permissioning structures. Permissions within a unit in the Gridlex CRM can be defined at various levels on a CVED (Create, View, Edit, and Delete) basis:

• Organization

• Contact

• Activity

• Field

• Form

• Any model and field, and other attributes

 

Thanks to these detailed permissions and the capability to create unlimited Units, Gridlex can configure any permutation and combination of permissions, enabling users to harness the same underlying data architecture while securely segmenting teams from restricted zones.

 

Change with Confidence: The Undeniable Need for a Consistent CRM Deployment Model

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CRM administrators often tread a cautious line, weighed down by a mix of trepidation and responsibility, especially when faced with the task of making changes. The absence of a robust change deployment model amplifies this anxiety. Without a systematic approach to implement and test modifications, there's always the looming risk of unintended consequences—data inconsistencies, user access issues, or workflow disruptions. It's akin to navigating a ship through stormy waters without a compass; one wrong turn and the entire system can go awry. Hence, for many administrators, the very act of updating the CRM becomes a nerve-wracking endeavor. 

 

Here are three typical examples of configuration changes and the risks from things going wrong:

 

• Permission Level Changes: 

  • Update: Introducing a new drug class, with access limited to specialized sales reps.

  • Risk without Proper Deployment: Unauthorized reps could access or share sensitive drug information, leading to miscommunication or regulatory concerns.
     

• New Profiling Forms:

  • Update: CRM forms are added to profile HCPs by specialty and experience.

  • Risk without Proper Deployment: Incorrect profiling, like mismatching an oncologist with cardiology info, could erode the company's credibility with professionals.
     

• Activity Recording Fields:

  • Update: Adding fields to record interaction details with HCPs, such as duration and nature.

  • Risk without Proper Deployment: If dropdown inputs aren't accurate or relevant, sales reps might capture misleading insights. For instance, mislabeling a 'virtual' meeting as 'in-person' could skew data analysis.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• If you are a SaaS CRM vendor, how are configuration changes, such as permission sets, profiling form updates, and activity recording fields, rolled out? Are changes deployed directly to the live set, or is there a test version available?

• If a test version is available, how does it operate? Can data be shared between the live and test versions?

• Who possesses access to the test version?

• How are data fields and permission sets synchronized between live and test environments?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

Each Gridlex customer is associated with an Enterprise, and each enterprise can host any number of entities within it. For instance, Medico Global may encompass Medico US and Medico Europe. Furthermore, each entity can have a paired Entity wherein the Type is designated as Test. The test and live entity will share all organizations and contacts. However, when an organization is created in Test or an activity transpires in the Test Entity, it will be exclusively associated with the test entity.

 

This innovative change deployment model distinguishes Gridlex from other CRM vendors. A majority of CRM vendors lack a paired Test/Sandbox deployment model. Those few that do often possess a cumbersome process involving the creation of a Sandbox, accompanied by various versions of the Sandbox, each with different refresh rates and time lags. Moreover, these Sandbox versions are priced variably based on different software plans and editions. Gridlex has innovated around these limitations, offering a simple solution wherein the test entity utilizes the same data as the live entity, but any modifications are solely attributed to the test entity.

 

Mastering & Syncing CRM Data and the MDM

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In Biopharma commercial operations, data never exists in isolation within its originating system; it perpetually flows, syncs, and integrates across a myriad of platforms. A seemingly minor misstep in one system can spiral into significant complications as data traverses from the CRM to Master Data Management (MDM) and, subsequently, to Reporting & Analytics. Let’s delve deeper into how these repercussions are interwoven:

 

• The Domino Effect of Incorrect Affiliation Attribution in CRM: Example: Suppose a sales representative erroneously links Dr. Taylor to "United Health Group Practice" instead of her actual workplace, "Total Health Group Practice," within the CRM. This flawed data, once ingested by the MDM system, recognizes "United Health" as Dr. Taylor's official affiliation without scrutinization. Consequently, in Reporting & Analytics, sales linked to Dr. Taylor are inaccurately credited to "United Health." This not only distorts sales figures for both group practices but could also inadvertently misdirect marketing campaigns and sales strategies.
   

• The Ripple of a Sub-Specialty Mismatch: Example: Imagine a cardiologist who recently specialized in "Interventional Cardiology" but is still labeled under the generic "Cardiology" in the CRM. When this outdated data is mastered in the MDM, any sales or interactions involving this specialist are inaccurately logged under the overarching "Cardiology" category. Reporting & Analytics, deriving data from the MDM, thus portrays skewed analytics, which can misguide resource allocation for training, marketing, and incentive compensation, tailoring it to the general specialty rather than the distinct sub-specialty.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• Considering the straightforward action of a Representative updating a contact: Should this update automatically assimilate into the system? How is erroneous data mitigated? Who oversees the mastering? How is the mastered record reintegrated into the core system, and what is the process flow?

• How does your system manage contact mastering and synchronization from the MDM?

• Is there a procedure in place for creating a golden record?

• Does your system employ a versioning process?

• Can you elaborate on your approach to a soft merge?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

Gridlex seamlessly integrates MDM into the CRM platform, where golden record creation, mastering, and soft merges are integral to the process. Moreover, Gridlex adopts a Wikipedia-esque versioning system where all modifications and edits throughout the system are subject to version control. This means that in instances where a record encounters data integrity issues, it can be effortlessly rolled back to a previous, accurate version.

 

Medical Information Request (MIRF) and Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Collaboration

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The exchange of medical information between professionals is critical. Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) bridge this gap, ensuring healthcare professionals and organizations have the latest scientific knowledge. Key to this is the Medical Information Request (MIRF) process – a structured method for healthcare entities to request specific scientific information. A CRM tailored for Biopharma must facilitate and streamline this exchange, ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant communication.

 

Importance of MIRF and MSL Collaboration

• Structured Information Exchange: With a plethora of scientific studies and data being generated daily, a structured request mechanism like MIRF ensures healthcare professionals get accurate and relevant information, enhancing patient care.
   

• MSLs - The Knowledge Carriers: MSLs play a pivotal role in disseminating the latest scientific findings and engaging in peer-to-peer discussions with healthcare professionals. Their collaboration in the MIRF process ensures that the information exchanged is comprehensive and up-to-date.
   

• Regulatory Compliance: In the Biopharma domain, ensuring that the information shared adheres to regulatory standards is paramount. MSLs, being well-versed with these regulations, guarantee that the exchanges are compliant.
   

• Building Trust and Relationships: Timely and accurate response to MIRFs builds trust between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare entities, fostering long-term collaborations and partnerships.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does your CRM facilitate the MIRF process, and how is MSL involvement integrated?

• What mechanisms are in place to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the information shared?

• How does the CRM ensure regulatory compliance in the MIRF and MSL collaboration process?

• Can the system track and report on MIRF requests, responses, and MSL engagements?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

• Streamlined MIRF Process: Gridlex recognizes the criticality of timely and accurate information exchange. Our CRM has a dedicated MIRF module, ensuring structured and efficient handling of requests.
   

• MSL Collaboration at Its Core: Gridlex facilitates seamless MSL engagement, enabling them to provide insights, validate information, and ensure the data shared is comprehensive and current.
   

• Ensuring Compliance: With built-in regulatory checkpoints, Gridlex ensures every piece of information shared adheres to the latest regulatory standards.
   

• In-depth Tracking & Reporting: Beyond just facilitating the MIRF process, Gridlex provides detailed tracking and reporting, offering insights into MSL engagements, response times, and the quality of interactions, further enhancing trust and collaboration.

 

Mastering Integrated Communication: Shared Email Inbox, SMS, and Calling in CRM

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With a myriad of tasks to juggle daily, sales reps require an efficient system to manage communications. By integrating channels like shared email inboxes, SMS, and calling directly into the CRM, Biopharma organizations can elevate their communication strategy, ensuring no touchpoint is missed.

 

Importance of Integrating Communication Channels

• Boosting Rep Efficiency with Central Marketing: Let's consider Anna, a diligent sales rep who spends a significant portion of her day communicating with doctors, clinics, and hospitals. With the shared email inbox feature, Anna doesn't have to get bogged down with administrative emails. Instead, a central marketing or shared service team sends out regular communication on her behalf, ensuring that best practices are consistently applied, whether it's to confirm appointments or share vital product updates.
   

• Optimized Response Rates Through Diversified Communication: Picture a scenario where a new drug has been approved and needs to be introduced to a range of healthcare professionals. Rather than relying solely on one communication channel, the integrated system allows the back-office marketing team to craft targeted emails, send informative SMSs, and schedule calls, thereby enhancing the chances of a positive response.
   

• Amplifying Rep Capabilities: Envision John, another sales rep who is planning a new product launch in his territory. Instead of manually reaching out to all potential leads, the shared back-office marketing and sales support function can disseminate information using the CRM's integrated channels. This approach effectively triples John's outreach capacity without adding to his workload.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does your CRM facilitate integrated communication, especially through shared email inboxes, SMS, and calling?

• How can a central marketing or shared service team utilize the CRM's communication channels to assist sales reps in their day-to-day activities?

• How does the CRM ensure that the communication sent on behalf of reps aligns with their personal touch and style?

 

How Gridlex Does it?

• Revolutionizing Communication Strategy: Gridlex recognizes the challenges faced by sales reps in the Biopharma sector. With our integrated communication channels, we allow reps like Anna and John to focus on what they do best while ensuring they remain in the loop. The shared email inbox feature, coupled with SMS and calling capabilities, ensures consistent and timely outreach to vital contacts.
   

• Empowering Reps Through Shared Services: At Gridlex, we believe in harnessing the power of collective effort. By allowing a central marketing or shared service team to handle regular communications, we ensure that every touchpoint adheres to the highest standards of professionalism and efficacy.
   

• Tripling Outreach without Tripling Effort: Gridlex's innovative CRM features effectively amplify the capabilities of sales reps. Through our integrated communication system and the shared back office support, we ensure that reps can achieve thrice the impact with the same effort, driving tangible results in their territories.
   

Advanced Email Marketing Automation: Beyond Basic Approved Email Templates

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Given the vast number of contacts and complex communication needs, relying solely on basic message templates is far from optimal. A sophisticated CRM should offer more than manual email sending; it should provide automation, customization, and ensure regulatory compliance in every interaction.

 

Importance of Approved Email Marketing Automation

• Transforming Rep Outreach: Think of Sarah, a sales rep who needs to communicate the launch of a new drug to her extensive list of healthcare professionals. Using traditional CRMs, she'd draft individual emails, a time-consuming and error-prone process. With automated approved email sequences, not only is Sarah's work simplified, but also, the chance of a timely and consistent outreach is maximized.
   

• Securing Email Reputations: Leveraging adjacent email-specific domains for sending out these sequences ensures that the main corporate domain's reputation remains intact. Let's imagine a situation where an unintentional mass email causes recipients to mark messages as spam. This could severely impact the company's email reputation. By using specific domains, this risk is significantly reduced.
   

• Flexibility and Control in Communications: Email sequences don't just end at sending. Factors like timing, responsiveness to recipient actions, and adaptability matter. For instance, if a doctor responds to the second email in a sequence, the automation should intelligently halt further sequence mails to this particular doctor.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does your CRM handle the automation of approved email sequences?

• What mechanisms are in place to stop email sequences based on recipient actions?

• Can you describe the opt-out process for recipients and how it's integrated within the automation?

• What are the built-in processes to prevent the email domain from getting blacklisted?

• How does the CRM manage sequencing, especially in terms of intervals and rules governing the sending process?

• How is content approved and ensured to meet all regulatory standards before being integrated into sequences?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

• Elevating Email Automation: Gridlex understands the unique challenges faced by Biopharma sales reps. Our system doesn't just offer automated email sequences but ensures they're approved, regulatory-compliant, and can be sent from shared email inboxes, allowing for consistent and impactful outreach.
   

• Preserving Domain Reputation: Recognizing the significant consequences of domain blacklisting, Gridlex offers the option of using adjacent email-specific domains for marketing efforts. This layered approach ensures the main corporate domain remains protected.
   

• Intuitive and Responsive Sequencing: Our platform doesn't just "send and forget." We've integrated smart rules to ensure sequences adapt based on recipient actions. Whether it's stopping on receiving a response or adhering to a specific sending interval, Gridlex's CRM ensures each interaction is timely, relevant, and effective.
   

Interactive Visual Aids (IVAs): The Need for Flexibility and Scalability

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Interactive Visual Aids (IVAs) have become an indispensable tool for Biopharma marketing and sales operations. Yet, not all IVAs are created equal. The key lies not just in the content but in the underlying technology that powers these tools.

 

Importance of Advanced Interactive Visual Aids

• Addressing the Complexity Challenge: Consider Robert, a sales rep, trying to present the benefits of a novel drug using an IVA. With his current CRM's IVA tool, changes in flow or content updates are a nightmare, requiring intricate reprogramming. This complexity, embedded deep within the app, hinders scalability and adaptability.
   
• The HTML5 Advantage: Now, imagine if Robert's IVA tool was built on HTML5. Not only would it allow easy rendering and responsiveness across devices, but also ensure that high-quality videos stream smoothly. During a presentation at a remote clinic with unstable internet, Robert could still access his IVAs offline, ensuring his pitch isn't hampered.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How are your IVAs developed, and what technology underpins them?

• How do you handle updates and changes in the IVA content and flow?

• Can the IVAs be accessed offline, and if so, how is the offline experience ensured?

• What provisions are there for video streaming within the IVAs, and how is the quality maintained?

• How does your IVA solution ensure responsiveness across different devices?

 

How Gridlex Does it?

• A Modern Approach to IVAs: Gridlex recognizes the need for IVAs that are both powerful and flexible. That's why our solution leverages the strengths of HTML5. By doing so, we ensure easy rendering and unmatched responsiveness, regardless of the device being used.
   

• Offline Capabilities and Smooth Streaming: With Gridlex, you won't have to worry about connectivity issues. Our IVAs are available offline, ensuring that your team can present with confidence anytime, anywhere. Plus, our platform is optimized for video streaming, guaranteeing that your content gets delivered in the best quality possible.
   

• Scalability and Ease of Use: Moving away from tightly integrated and complex programming logic, Gridlex's IVAs are designed for scalability. This ensures that as your needs evolve, your IVAs can adapt swiftly and efficiently.
   

Manage The Benefits of Sampling while Minimizing Risks

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Effective sampling management in the Biopharma sector is more than just product distribution. With strict regulations like the PDMA to consider, the distribution of controlled substances to factor in, limitations on sampling to specific doctors within distinct time frames, and the need for licensing validation, the complexity can be overwhelming. The right CRM needs to accommodate all these aspects seamlessly while providing real-time status and workflows for efficient monitoring and management.

 

Importance of Sampling Management Capabilities

• PDMA Compliance: The Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA) has set forth stringent guidelines for sample distribution in the Biopharma realm. Adherence to these guidelines is non-negotiable, and any deviation could lead to severe repercussions.
   

• Controlled Substances: It's of paramount importance that controlled substances are managed with precision. Their distribution needs not only regulatory compliance but also accurate tracking to avoid misuse.
   

• Adherence to Limits: Regulations dictate strict limits for how many samples can be distributed to individual doctors by a specific rep within set timeframes. It's essential that these limits, with their multifaceted combinations, are monitored accurately to avoid overstepping boundaries.
   

• Licensing Validation: Before any sample handover, it's crucial to validate that the healthcare professional is licensed to receive such samples, ensuring an added layer of compliance.
   

• Real-time Status and Workflows: With multiple sampling activities taking place, having a real-time overview of the status and the associated workflows allows for efficient management and timely interventions.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does your CRM handle PDMA compliance during sampling?

• Can you explain the system's capability to manage and track controlled substances?

• How is the adherence to sampling limits, considering the intricate combinations of doctor-rep-time, ensured?

• What mechanism does the CRM employ for real-time licensing validation?

• Can you provide insights into the CRM's capability to give real-time status updates and track sampling workflows?

 

How Gridlex Does it?

• Ingrained PDMA Adherence: At Gridlex, we respect the gravity of PDMA regulations. Our system is inherently designed to check and ensure each sampling activity's PDMA compliance.
   

• Precision Handling of Controlled Substances: Every controlled substance's distribution is tracked meticulously in Gridlex, with immediate alerts for any discrepancies.
   

• Smart Limit Monitoring: With our intuitive system, reps don't have to juggle numbers. Gridlex provides automatic checks to ensure that the set limits considering rep, doctor, and timeframe are not exceeded.
   

• Instant Licensing Verification: Gridlex ensures that every sampling activity begins with a real-time check of the healthcare professional's licensing status, adding a layer of compliance to the process.
   

• Transparent Status & Workflows: Gridlex offers a comprehensive dashboard that provides reps with real-time status updates on their sampling activities and workflows, making monitoring and management a breeze.
   

Scale Your Speaker Program & “Lunch and Learn” Events with Confidence

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Outreach activities such as Speaker Program Events and "Lunch and Learn" sessions at doctors' offices are critical for educating and updating medical professionals on the latest advancements. Ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of such events is paramount. Here are some important elements of these events:

 

• Sunshine Act Compliance: Errors in identifying doctors and maintaining records can jeopardize Sunshine Act reporting.
   

• Efficient Attendee Management: Manual entry of individual attendees post-event is tedious and prone to errors.
   

• Relationship Building: The ability to send event invites helps reps in cultivating relationships with doctors.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does your CRM safeguard against mistakes in doctor identification, ensuring Sunshine Act compliance?

• Does your system offer features for quick bulk attendee data entry?

• Is there a module designed for pre-event planning and approval?

• Can representatives easily send event invites through your CRM?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

• Accurate Reporting: Gridlex prioritizes correct doctor identification, mitigating risks associated with Sunshine Act reporting.
   

• Bulk Uploads: With Gridlex's fast upload feature, reps can effortlessly upload multiple attendees, who are then processed and reconciled in the CRM.
   

• Streamlined Event Prep: Gridlex boasts a dedicated module for holistic pre-event planning and approvals, optimizing event execution.
   

• Seamless Invites: Gridlex enables reps to send out event invites seamlessly, which is a feature other systems often overlook, thereby enhancing relationship-building opportunities with doctors.
   

Harnessing the Power of Integrated Reporting, Analytics, and AI in Your CRM

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When CRMs intelligently channel vast amounts of data into actionable insights, they empower organizations to drive targeted, strategic actions and stay ahead in the market.

 

Importance of Integrating Reporting, Analytics, and AI

• Predictive Action Recommendations for Sales Reps: Imagine a sales rep preparing for a crucial pitch to a healthcare institution. Instead of merely relying on historical data, the rep has AI-driven recommendations suggesting the most impactful talking points based on real-time analytics. These insights could range from the most effective drug benefits to highlight, to addressing potential concerns the institution might have.
   

• Prescription Sales Data for Performance Tracking: Picture a scenario where a Biopharma company launches a new drug in the market. By integrating prescription sales data into the CRM, the company can receive real-time updates on the drug's performance. This data not only helps in gauging the success of the launch but also in identifying regions where the drug is most popular, allowing for focused marketing efforts.
   

• Optimizing Engagement with Healthcare Providers: Consider a sales rep who's trying to determine the best approach to engage a particular doctor or clinic. Integrated analytics could highlight patterns showing which communications or promotions the doctor responded to most positively in the past, enabling a more personalized and effective approach.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does your CRM's AI capabilities help in providing real-time action recommendations for sales reps?

• Can your system seamlessly integrate prescription sales data and allow for instant analytics-driven performance assessments?

• How does the CRM use integrated analytics to refine and optimize engagements with healthcare providers?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

• Actionable AI-Driven Insights: Gridlex understands that in the world of Biopharma, every engagement counts. Our CRM leverages AI and advanced analytics to provide sales reps with real-time recommendations. Whether it's identifying potential talking points for pitches or suggesting engagement strategies based on historical interactions, Gridlex ensures reps are always a step ahead.
   

• Seamless Data Integration for Performance Assessment: With Gridlex, organizations can effortlessly integrate prescription sales data, offering a holistic view of drug performance in real time. Our advanced analytics tools allow companies to identify market trends, gauge launch success, and focus their efforts where they matter the most.
   

• Personalized Engagements: At the heart of every successful Biopharma interaction is understanding. Gridlex's CRM utilizes its integrated analytics to study engagement patterns, ensuring that every interaction with a healthcare provider is informed, strategic, and effective.
   

Manage Sunshine Act Compliance Reporting In Your CRM

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Compliance with the Sunshine Act is a fundamental requirement for Biopharma organizations. The act mandates transparency in documenting any transfer of value (TOV) from pharmaceutical entities to medical practitioners. An adept CRM system becomes the cornerstone in this context, capturing every transaction accurately and ensuring that companies remain on the right side of the legislation.

 

Importance of Sunshine Act Reporting and Compliance Features

• Essential TOV Logging: Within the Biopharma landscape, the act of recording TOVs, be it papers or any other items, holds the utmost significance. Any oversight or misrepresentation can lead to non-compliance, potentially jeopardizing the organization's standing and resulting in penalties.

 

• Recording of Supplementary Activities: The ambit of the Sunshine Act extends beyond just direct TOV transactions. Ancillary activities and engagements, such as events or luncheons, must be meticulously recorded, reflecting the holistic interaction landscape.

 

• Data Integrity Across Platforms: In today's digitally connected age, ensuring consistent and accurate data across multiple platforms, be it CRMs or associated systems, is indispensable for coherent and compliant reporting.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How is TOV logging facilitated in your CRM, ensuring adherence to Sunshine Act standards?

• What provisions are in place to comprehensively track and record auxiliary activities like events or lunches?

• How do you ensure that data integrity is maintained across all integrated platforms?

 

How Gridlex Does it?

• Efficient TOV Logging: Gridlex's CRM solution is engineered with a sharp focus on TOV. It streamlines the entry process, safeguarding against discrepancies and ensuring each record aligns perfectly with Sunshine Act guidelines.
   

• Comprehensive Activity Tracking: Beyond standard TOV entries, Gridlex ensures every peripheral activity, from an event to an informal meeting, is captured with precision, painting a complete picture of all interactions.
   

• Unified Data Approach: Gridlex's commitment extends beyond just the core CRM. We emphasize maintaining impeccable data consistency across all integrated systems, assuring organizations of unwavering compliance across the board.
   

Streamlining Biopharma Operations with Efficient Work Management, Service Operations, and Help Desk Ticketing

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As Biopharma commercial operations delve deeper into intricate engagements with healthcare providers, wholesalers, and regulatory bodies, an effective work management and help desk ticketing system becomes indispensable. Here's why:

 

Importance of Work Management, Service Operations, and Help Desk Ticketing

• Streamlined Communication with Healthcare Providers: A physician might contact a Biopharma company with concerns about drug stocking or delivery delays. Using an integrated ticketing system, the company can promptly address the issue, ensuring that critical medications are available when patients need them.
   

• Centralized Customer Queries and Requests: Think of a situation where multiple clinics and hospitals are reaching out for training sessions on a newly launched drug or equipment. A ticketing system allows these requests to be organized, scheduled, and addressed efficiently, leading to smoother launches and better adoption rates.
   

• Efficient Internal Collaboration: Envision a sales rep who receives a unique question from a healthcare provider, one that might require input from the medical affairs or regulatory team. Rather than resorting to a maze of emails, the rep can raise a ticket, ensuring the right internal experts address the query, and the rep can provide a timely and accurate response.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does your system ensure quick and efficient responses to healthcare provider concerns or queries?

• Can the platform handle requests for training sessions from multiple sources and ensure they're organized and scheduled without overlaps?

• How does the ticketing system facilitate internal collaboration to address unique or challenging queries from the field?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

• Purpose-Built for Biopharma Challenges: Gridlex's ticketing and help desk solution is tailored to the unique scenarios that Biopharma companies encounter. From managing healthcare provider communications to ensuring efficient internal collaboration, Gridlex is built to handle it all.
   

• Unified Request Management: Be it training sessions, drug availability queries, or unique concerns, Gridlex offers a centralized platform. This ensures that every request from clinics, hospitals, or individual healthcare providers is systematically managed, tracked, and addressed.
   

• Effortless Internal Collaboration: When faced with unique field challenges, Gridlex empowers reps to swiftly bring in internal experts, be it from medical affairs, regulatory, or any other relevant department. This ensures that reps can confidently and accurately address any queries, strengthening the company's reputation and relationships.
   

Coaching and Performance Reports: Empowering Teams for Optimal Performance

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For Biopharma sales reps, real-time coaching from managers based on tangible performance metrics can be the catalyst for success. Integrating coaching within the CRM not only enhances the feedback loop but also solidifies the bond between managers and their teams.

 

Importance of Integrated Coaching and Performance Reports

• A Real-World Scenario: Picture Sarah, a sales rep who's recently faced challenges in conveying the advantages of a new drug to healthcare professionals. Her manager, David, noticed the dip in her performance metrics. Instead of waiting for a quarterly review, David immediately flags this in the CRM, attaching specific pointers and feedback. Sarah sees this interactive feedback, reflects upon her recent pitches, and initiates a dialogue with David about her challenges. All of this is captured seamlessly in the CRM, creating a collaborative space for growth and learning.

 

• Beyond Traditional Feedback: This real-time, actionable feedback loop is far more effective than generic training sessions or long-drawn annual reviews. It's about addressing challenges when they arise, leading to more agile and responsive teams.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How does your CRM facilitate real-time feedback between managers and sales reps?

• Can the feedback mechanism support back-and-forth interactions, leading to a genuine dialogue?

• How are performance metrics integrated with the coaching tool for more pointed feedback?

• Is there a way to track the evolution of feedback and see if the sales rep has acted on it over time?

 

How Gridlex Does It?

• Real-Time Coaching Mechanism: At Gridlex, we understand that feedback isn't just about pointing out areas of improvement; it's about fostering a dialogue. Our CRM is built to capture this interaction, creating a dynamic space where managers can provide feedback and reps can respond or seek further clarification.
   

• Leveraging Performance Metrics: With our integrated performance reports, managers don't have to rely on gut feelings. They can pinpoint specific areas where a rep might be struggling and provide feedback based on tangible data. This ensures that feedback is always relevant and actionable.
   

• A Seamless Experience: While the essence of our feedback mechanism mirrors that of a ticketing system, where issues are flagged, discussed, and resolved, we ensure it feels intuitive and tailored for the coaching experience. The focus remains firmly on personal growth and achieving sales excellence.
   

Beyond Installation: Commitment to Continuous Support & Adaptability

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The landscape of Biopharma is ever-evolving, driven by market demands, research breakthroughs, and emerging technologies. In such an environment, a static CRM system, once set up and left unchanged, fails to serve its purpose effectively. A CRM shouldn't just be a tool but an evolving partner, adapting and refining itself based on your unique, shifting needs.

 

Importance of Support, Integration, Changes, Configurations, and Improvements

• Scenario One: The Evolving Market Response - Acme Biopharma launched a new drug, and the initial CRM configurations were tailored to its launch strategy. Six months down the line, market responses dictate a change in approach. But with their CRM's "set in stone" design, they find themselves constrained, unable to adapt swiftly to these market shifts.
   

• Scenario Two: Seamless Integration Challenges - BioLife, another Biopharma organization, expands its operations and integrates a new research tool into its workflow. The CRM, which was once a catalyst, now becomes a bottleneck, unable to integrate the new tool effectively. The result? Reduced efficiency and fragmented data streams.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• How flexible is your CRM to accommodate changes post-installation?

• What is your approach towards customer support post the initial setup?

• Can you detail the integration capabilities, especially with emerging or less-common tools?

• How do you handle system improvements and upgrades?

• What's your policy on change orders and additional charges for modifications?

 

How Gridlex Does it?

• No Nickel & Diming: We understand the apprehensions about hidden charges and constant change orders. Our commitment to customer success means we operate with transparency and fairness. At Gridlex, we NEVER nickel and dime our customers. Our primary goal is to ensure you get the value and adaptability you need as your business evolves.
   

• An Ever-Present Partner: At Gridlex, we believe in partnership, not just provision. We're not just software vendors; we're collaborators invested in your success. Our journey with you doesn't end post-installation. As your business nuances change, we're right there, refining and reconfiguring to ensure your CRM aligns perfectly with your needs.
   

• Dynamic Integration and Configuration: Our system is designed with the understanding that Biopharma operations will integrate new tools and processes. Gridlex ensures that integrating these new elements or reconfiguring existing ones is as seamless as possible.
   

Navigating Through the Maze Of Cost Complexity of CRM Solutions

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Costs can often be a maze that organizations navigate with caution and apprehension. The financial investment into a CRM platform is bifurcated into several elements, each contributing to the overall expense incurred by the adopting organization. Exploring a CRM that not only offers robust capabilities but does so with a cost structure that is transparent, value-driven, and devoid of hidden charges is paramount for Biopharma organizations who seek operational efficiency without the fiscal perplexity.

 

Importance of Understanding and Navigating CRM Costs

Scenario: Acme Biopharma Co. made an investment into a CRM platform, enticed by the seemingly low initial licensing fees. However, as they navigated through the implementation and utilization journey, hidden costs emerged. Additional charges for various modules, exorbitant implementation fees, and lofty charges for ongoing support burgeoned their overall expenses, shaking their budgetary foundations.

 

Key Questions to Ask Vendors

• Can you provide a detailed and transparent breakdown of all potential costs?

• How do you structure your licensing costs, and what does it cover?

• Are there any hidden or additional charges for specific features or modules?

• What are the financial implications of implementation and ongoing support?

• How do managed services affect overall costs, and how are they calculated?

 

How Gridlex Does it?

• Transparent and All-Encompassing Pricing: Gridlex embeds simplicity at its core, reflected unequivocally in our pricing model. Our assurance extends beyond a mere CRM solution to include a financial structure that’s as robust and efficient as our platform. With a total cost of ownership that is 50% less compared to alternative applications, Gridlex provides an avalanche of value and fortifies your financial planning.
   

• Unified Platform Approach: Gridlex offers a pricing advantage that is 50% cheaper owing to our integrated approach. By amalgamating multiple apps into a single, potent platform, we nullify additional charges for individual features or modules. This not only curtails the total cost of consulting and implementation but also bolsters operational velocity by minimizing the applications in use.
   

• Inclusive Implementation and Support: Gridlex negates additional implementation costs, paving the way for a smooth, financially unburdened transition to our CRM platform. Furthermore, our ongoing support and managed services are generally embedded into the platform, ensuring your journey is devoid of financial surprises.
   

• Simplified Cost Categories: With Gridlex, costs are disentangled into clear buckets - Ongoing Licensing, One-time Implementation (complimentary with us), Ongoing Support, and Managed Services (pertaining to configuration). Each is meticulously designed, ensuring fiscal transparency and aligning with your organizational requisites.