The future of customer engagement in biopharma: thinking beyond CRM
Adapting business strategies in response to evolving consumer preferences
The biopharma landscape is ripe with opportunities for those seeking an edge over competition and a say in the future of customer engagement. What’s needed now is action, and action begins with assessment. What future customer engagement models are “best fit” for a given portfolio? To capability needs? The ability to win in this emerging future lies in the answers.
Understanding the case for change
Why so much change? And why now? It’s partially the emergence from COVID-19. The pandemic accelerated a shift in commercial business models and customer expectations. Customers expect different things and have different preferences: they demand personalization, digital ways of engagement, trust, data privacy and product innovation.
Not only are customer expectations changing, but many biopharma companies face a shift in their portfolios, from blockbuster, mass market medicines to targeted, specialty therapeutics. This shift in portfolio composition requires biopharma to think differently.
There is a pronounced portfolio shift toward targeted, specialty therapeutics
Lastly, there is a technology change wave on the horizon. New opportunities created by artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging tech coupled with Salesforce preparing to introduce new market solutions are leading many biopharma companies down the path: “what technology do we need to be successful?”
Now is the time for companies to understand their portfolio, customer shifts and ultimately, what that means for customer engagement. Doing nothing is not an option.
Your tailored customer engagement strategy begins with evaluating the:
- Therapeutic area archetypes prominent in your future state portfolio
- Customer types you will interact and engage with (patients, consumers, institutions, providers, payers, etc.)
- Customer type key needs and their desired experiences
- Capabilities that could help simplify collaboration and accelerate responsiveness
- Steps to help companies bridge silos and unite to deliver this experience
- Role technology and operations can have in bringing these capabilities to life
Customer engagement models of the future
We conducted primary market research interviews with key commercial business and digital leaders across the industry. We spoke with individuals across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. And we looked outside of biopharma for inspiration. The result? Themes and insights for understanding what customer engagement might look like in the future. Combined with our knowledge and foresight into the industry, we have identified a foundational set of models that will define the future of customer engagement for biopharma:
Learn where—and how—to play
- Shift therapeutic focus areas. Customer engagement platforms and applications have room to expand their capabilities into a multitude of therapeutic areas—from simple, low-touch interactions to complex customer engagements.
- Focus on new customer types. With new stakeholders come new customer types. The capability set needs to expand as well—to meet their needs and drive a unified customer experience.
- Deliver desired omnichannel experience. Evolving customer preferences mean that the right message, at the right time, in the right channels, is paramount. Customer engagement platforms should evolve too.
- Redefine internal users and personas. As collaboration and digitization continue to be more prevalent, it’s imperative that customer engagement platforms and applications support broader functions. Traditionally used by sales reps, medical science liaisons, and market access liaisons, the push for further collaboration and transparency means that field nurses, field reimbursement managers, and patient and medical call centers use the platforms as well.
Navigate the shift to thrive in the future of biopharma
It’s important not to react and jump into technology solutions and choices. Before embarking on a multi-year, multi-million-dollar technology initiative, pause, realign, and use this as an opportunity to define the vision and ways to better engage with and meet the needs of your customers and stakeholders. This vision should then inform your technology solutions and choices, not the other way around.
Biopharma organizations need a clear vision for their journey forward. Move ahead by:
- Defining your future customer engagement vision. Think holistically. Consider commercial and medical engagement functions and geography when determining the technological evolution of your engagement model.
- Determining and prioritizing business capabilities. Some customers have unique engagement needs. Align those needs to your goals to determine your capabilities and which technologies can help.
- Evaluating application and platform architectures. Leverage current technology by selecting the product and platform strategy that offers relevant new capabilities and helps you reach your business objectives.
