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Mobile and Wireless Sales Force Strategies

Mobile and Wireless Sales Force Strategies

The dust seems to be settling in the mobile communications world after several years of upheaval. The mobile revolution seemed to take everyone by surprise, probably because it was an evolution rather than a revolution. Unlike the web, which was hyped to the skies in the late 1990s (by the current author among others!), mobile sales tools evolved from standalone laptops to more convenient PDAs (personal data assistants) to a wireless set up that enables representatives to take pre-sales information and file post-sales call reports on the move.

A few years ago, most people looked in bemusement at PDAs, which just seemed to be electronic calendars. They had heard about tablet PCs and wondered whether mobiles would ever be used for anything other than talking. That old bugbear of emerging technology in the pharmaceutical industry, the lack of provable return on investment (ROI), together with a scarcity of examples of its effectiveness, can now be addressed. The proliferation of options is still there, and in fact new methods of using technology are emerging as the potential for mobile and wireless among pharmaceutical representatives becomes clearer. Maybe pharmaceutical companies don’t buy until they have a very limited choice, in a latter-day variation on the old saying, 'No-one ever got fired for buying IBM'. But the days of companies hanging back and waiting for someone else to stick their neck out have gone.

So what is mobile technology being used for? The vast majority of companies have opted for sales force automation (SFA) features, notably increased sales force productivity and mobility, and improved territory management and gathering of customer data. eDetailing is important, but it can’t be done on a pocket PC, which means that companies keen to adopt will have to invest all over again in tablet PCs.

And devices? Most users have gone for a PDA or pocket PC, largely because of familiarity. However, the tablet PC is slowly gaining ground as its value as a demonstration device becomes clearer. The BlackBerry can’t be discounted either, since it now has almost universal uptake in the executive suites of the world.

Interestingly, mobile is not being used for what an outside observer might think was the primary purpose of representatives: to persuade doctors to prescribe more of their company’s products. Mobile is only - so far - being used to keep track of who, when, how often and for
how long representatives visit, not for what they say when they finally see a doctor.

These were the main takeaway messages from the eyeforpharma Mobile and Wireless Sales Force Strategies conference, which saw case studies from some of the leading players in Europe. The agenda was split into theory and practice: day one looked at strategic analysis and the business case for wireless deployment in the field; day two covered successful implementation, execution and ROI measurement. The main issues that were discussed were strategy, how mobile increases efficiency, implementation headaches and which device to use - a PDA, a pocket or tablet PC, or a BlackBerry phone.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Hosken has been closely involved in writing about, planning and implementing technology for the pharmaceutical industry for the past decade. After a career in financial and consultancy marketing, he joined Merck in 1997 as one of the pharmaceutical industry’s first internet strategy managers. He helped the company to get involved in using the web to market to doctors in a wide range of countries, moving to Acurian to develop its franchise in the clinical trials online recruitment market, and then held a range of pharmaceutical marketing posts in various agencies. He has been writing on pharmaceutical marketing and technology topics for Pharmafocus since 2002.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Mobile communication is emerging as a core part of the pharmaceutical sales process. Doctors are no longer strangers to technology, with devices such as PDAs (personal data assistants) playing a key role in conversations between representatives and physicians.

Ten years ago, technology was an enabling service, with the sales force its client. Now, increasingly, technology is not only setting the agenda, it is also setting the strategy. Technology projects tend to be driven more by the technology available than by the business needs that must be met. Dominant technologies such as Google, Skype and BlackBerry have now taken over the strategy.

So, how does the pharmaceutical industry drive, maximise and, just as importantly, maintain mobile adoption? What does it use mobile technology for? And which devices will best serve its needs?

The eyeforpharma conference on Mobile and Wireless Sales Force Strategies, held in Barcelona on 14-15 March 2006, addressed these critical issues, with case studies from leading European players attempting to provide answers. This Conference Insights review looks at the most pertinent factors driving mobile communication and its impact on sales force strategy in pharmaceuticals.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Day one: Strategic analysis and business case for mobile and wireless deployment in the field
Chairperson: Alan Mair, Account Manager, iAnywhere

Outlook for mobile eDetailing solutions: how innovative technology and traditional attitudes are changing the pharma business model
Jocelyn S Young, Research Director, Datamonitor

Ensure effective mobile delivery of data and new ways to overcome the barriers when maintaining a strong mobile infrastructure
Ashley Latham, Senior Specialist in eBusiness and Mobile Computing, Novo Nordisk

Effective collaboration of sales, marketing and IT to ensure execution of business and technology projects
Leandro Herrero, CEO, The Chalfont Project

How to sell a sales system: how Galderma transformed a recommendation into a self-selling standard across the company
Sean Burke, Vice President IM, Galderma

Learn from highly successful hand-held and wireless deployments from cross industry sectors
Keith Frimley, Business Relationship Manager, McDonald’s UK

How Ratiopharm implemented data communication technologies and increased sales force mobility as a result!
Stefan Langthalar, Head of Business Systems, Ratiopharm

Track 1: Workshop led by iAnywhere
Managing and securing mobile applications and data - experiences with large field deployments
Alan Mair, Account Manager, iAnywhere

Track 2: Workshop led by BlackBerry
How mobilizing data through BlackBerry phone devices can improve the medical field
Larry Bensadon, Oscar Castellano, Jacobo Crespo, RIM-BlackBerry Spain

Track 3: Workshop led by Dexterra
Implementing an adaptable mobility strategy
Richard Roberts, Director, Dexterra

Wireless and mobile technology for reps: is it easy or difficult to implement?
Marnix Kint, Field Force Support Manager, Pfizer Belgium

How Orion Pharma built a user friendly and user driven SFA solution
Pekka Koivuneva, Group Manager for Financial, Sales and Admin Solutions, Information Management Department, Orion Pharma

Wireless deployments: the business case for wireless investments and the ROI on tablet pcs
Rikke Ebel Nielsen, Vice President, Agnitio

Day two: Successful implementation, execution and ROI measurement
Chairperson: Richard Roberts, Director, Dexterra

Intelligence applied: from data overkill to effective technology utilisation on a sales rep level
Cem Oengoeren, European Director, Sales Force Effectiveness, IMS Health

Synchronising mobile/wireless devices with your mainframe CRM system
Alfredo Nissim, President, Infonis

Serono’s mobile and wireless deployment of pocket PCs to improve sales efficiency
Guilio Vannini, Director Marketing & Sales e-Solutions, Serono and Sylvie Ouziel, Senior Executive, Accenture

Amgen’s successful deployment of PDA applications in the field
Marc Leijten, Project Manager Mobility, Amgen

The business case for deploying tablet PCs to increase sales force impact and optimise collaboration between sales & marketing functions
Derek Pollock, President, Proscape Technologies and Ruediger Dorn, Director Process Manufacturing Industries, Microsoft

Learn how to execute a successful deployment of pocket PCs and increase sales efficiencies
Howard Brodsly, Commercial and Administration Director, Janssen-Cilag Israel

How Lundbeck and other pharma companies implemented tablet PCs to improve physician detailing
Morten Hjelmsø, Managing Director, Agnitio

Mobile and Wireless Sales Force Strategies