Modular Content For Pharma

Mark Violi | 06.03.25

Originally published in MedAdNews, June 2025

Introduction

As the pharmaceutical industry responds to growing customer demand for information and pressures to contain costs and improve return on investments, it’s no surprise many have embraced Modular Content as a strategy to create, manage, and distribute personally relevant content at scale efficiently.

“Modular content” refers to the creation of standalone, reusable “content modules” that can be mixed, matched, and customized based on specific requirements. These modules can be tailored for different customer segments, market needs, target audiences, and communication channels. The approach promises advantages in terms of efficiency, personalization, scalability, reduced costs and time.

However, rolling out a successful modular content strategy in a complex, regulated industry requires more than just the creation of content. It demands a holistic approach involving planning, training, regulatory buy-in, process implementation, change management, and technology.

Early adopters of modular content have been building capabilities for several years, but many organizations are just beginning. This article shares key lessons learned from leaders in the field so new adopters can learn from the pitfalls they encountered and benefit from their successes. To provide a well-rounded perspective, we consulted members of The Stem network and key industry leaders including Merck (Brian Everhart), Grunenthal (Mubasher Hassan) and Joe Falcone (The Stem, formerly Bristol Myers Squibb). Their insights highlight critical lessons learned and strategies in transitioning to a modular content way of working.

Establish DAM, if not already in place

A Digital Asset Management (DAM) system – a centralized platform for storing, organizing, and managing digital content – is essential for the successful implementation of modular content in pharma. If not already in place, it should be prioritized to ensure efficient storage, retrieval, and governance of modular assets.

Key considerations when establishing or optimizing a DAM system include:

• Structured Metadata & Tagging: Ensure all modular assets are properly tagged for easy searchability and reuse across regions and teams.
• Version Control & Compliance: Track asset updates and approvals to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Integration with Other Systems: Connect the DAM with content management systems (CMS), Medical, Legal, and Regulatory (MLR) platforms, and workflow automation tools for seamless content lifecycle management.
• Governance & Access Control: Define permissions to ensure appropriate access for different teams while maintaining content integrity and compliance.

Step 3: Conduct a Pilot

Begin the implementation of your modular content strategy with a small scope pilot. Testing the process with a pioneer market and a limited number of brands allows teams to try modular approaches in a controlled environment, build confidence, uncover roadblocks, and create early success stories to fuel broader adoption.

B. Harvest Existing Content

Start by mining existing brand assets for reusable content elements. Review slide decks, emails, sales materials, and web copy to identify frequently used messages, claims, and visuals.

This step is not only efficient, but also helps ease stakeholders into the modular approach by showing how existing content can be repurposed rather than reinvented.

C. Seed Claims and Modular Library

With content harvested, the next step is to populate a claims library and a modular content library. Begin with a minimal viable library (MVL) that includes:

• Pre-approved claims, correctly referenced and tagged with relevant metadata
• Core messaging modules categorized by channel and content type

Step 4: Engage the Brands & Markets with Rollout 

With the foundations established and a pilot plan in place, it’s time to bring modular content to life across brands and markets. This step focuses on activating teams, scaling the approach, and embedding modular ways of working into day-to-day content operations. Success hinges on close collaboration between global and local teams, co-creation of content, and agile training to build confidence and drive adoption.

A: Co-Create with Brands and Markets

Global Therapeutic Areas (TAs) play a central role in modular content strategies, as they are responsible for creating content that meets both brand objectives and local market needs. To ensure effective adoption, global and local brand teams must collaborate from the outset. Close alignment and continuous communication between these teams ensure that content is both relevant and delivered on time, making it easier for local teams to adapt it to their specific markets.

Hassan reinforced this point: “We started co-creating content with markets instead of forcing a global-first approach. This made adoption much smoother. Now, regarding how global and local modules work together: we have both established brands and growth brands. For established brands, most content is already created, and global provides a basic toolkit for markets. Some markets, being more advanced, have additional needs, so they create their own local modules. The delta between global content and market-specific needs is covered by local module creation.”

Shifting away from a top-down content distribution model, Grünenthal embraced a more collaborative approach: “We moved away from the ‘global dumps content onto markets’ model. Instead, we adopted co-creation—where global works with markets to develop modules that are immediately relevant. This makes content more localized and effective.”

B: Be Agile in Training

One of the most common oversights in modular content adoption is underestimating the need for continuous, and right-sized training. As teams transition to modular content, many struggle to understand how modular components fit together, making structured and ongoing education essential.

Effective training should start with the fundamentals, focusing on the core principles of modular content—its flexibility, reusability, and potential for personalization. Rather than overwhelming teams with complex guidelines upfront, organizations should take a phased approach, gradually introducing more advanced topics as processes mature. Training materials must remain adaptable and continuously updated to reflect evolving modular content strategies and platform enhancements. Given the dynamic nature of modular content, resources should be designed to accommodate ongoing changes and improvements seamlessly – in essence, Modular training should be created.

To sustain adoption and engagement, training should be delivered in bite-sized, ongoing sessions rather than one-time, intensive programs. Regular reinforcement and providing teams on-demand resources for just-in-time needs helps teams stay aligned and maintain momentum as they become more comfortable with modular workflows.

Brian Everhart (Merck) highlighted the importance of keeping training and documentation agile:

“We spent a full year testing our approach to Modular Content. What we learned is that you don’t need to over-document every detail. Keep training materials practical, focused, and adaptable.”

By focusing on what is necessary rather than overcomplicating processes, organizations can make training more effective, ensuring that modular content adoption remains a smooth and scalable transition.

Step 5: Scaling Considerations

Building the Content Factory and Leveraging Automation

Once modular content has been piloted and adopted by key brands and markets, the next challenge is scaling. At this stage, the focus shifts from initial adoption to efficiencies at scale – a modular content “factory” model that combines process efficiency with intelligent automation to drive scale without compromising compliance or creativity.

A. Establish a Content Factory Model

A content factory is not a physical space – it’s a scalable operational framework that brings together modular processes, skilled resources, and enabling technology. It’s where volume meets velocity, and where modular thinking becomes embedded in everyday content creation.

Key elements of a pharma content factory:

• Centralized module creation and management with clear governance
• Pre-approved, reusable content elements for faster assembly and localization
• Design and layout templates aligned to different channels and use cases
• Defined roles and responsibilities across global, regional, and local teams
• A focus on quality, consistency, and compliance at every stage

This model allows content teams to efficiently serve diverse market needs while maintaining alignment to brand strategy and regulatory standards.

B. Embrace Automation and AI to Accelerate Scale

To truly unlock the potential of modular content, automation and AI must be leveraged across the content lifecycle—from creation to assembly, translation, and performance analysis. These technologies reduce manual effort, speed up approvals, and enhance personalization at scale.

Key automation and AI enablers:

• Generative AI (Gen AI) for generating original content elements like claims, CTAs, visuals, and headlines, as well as personalized variations for different audiences, channels, or markets. This speeds up content development and supports scalable personalization while staying aligned with brand and regulatory guidelines.
• AI-assisted authoring tools that recommend language, claims, or layouts based on approved assets
• Automated tagging and metadata assignment to ensure accurate and scalable content organization
• Rules-based content assembly engines that dynamically create emails, websites, or presentations using approved modules
• Translation memory systems that reuse prior translations for rapid localization
• AI-powered MLR pre-checks that proactively flag potential compliance issues – such as unsupported claims, off-label language, or missing references – before content reaches formal review, helping reduce back-and-forth cycles and speed time to approval
• Performance analytics that attribute engagement to specific modules, enabling smarter content reuse

By coupling modular foundations with the right AI tools, pharma companies can move from linear production to dynamic, on-demand content delivery.

Conclusion

Modular content holds transformative potential to reduce content development costs while driving personalization and efficiency. The proof is in the results early adopters have achieved. According to Hassan, “With modular content, we gain better consistency in messaging, improved traceability, and real insights into what content is resonating. Instead of just tracking clicks, we now understand how specific content elements perform…we’ve seen a 20-25% reduction in agency costs and up to 40% reduction in content creation time. Some emails that used to take over a week now take just 30 minutes to finalize.”

Implementing a modular content strategy in pharma is complex but achievable with the right approach. By integrating the main steps described in this article, pharma companies can achieve greater efficiency, compliance, and personalization.

Authors

Gregg Fisher, Managing Partner, The Stem – gfisher@thestem.com

Pedro Santos is a Lead Strategy Consultant, The Stem

with contributions from Joe Falcone and Stephanie Taubin, The Stem

The Promise of Agentic AI Content Systems in BioPharma & Life Sciences

Mark Violi | 05.15.25

Introduction

Since the explosion of Generative AI (GenAI) in 2022, daily breakthroughs in AI features and solutions have become the norm. Keeping pace with this change is a formidable challenge.   This shift mirrors the space race of the 20th century, with GenAI emerging as a modern Sputnik, poised to redefine entire industries.

In this high-stakes race, tech companies are moving swiftly to deploy advanced AI models capable of autonomous reasoning and action. At the edge of this revolution is Agentic AI — autonomous agents designed to handle repetitive work with limited human oversight.

Possible scenarios include:

A brand approaching Loss of Exclusivity (LOE) requires aggressive marketing and sales efforts but does not need new label or messaging updates. AI-driven content repurposing can maximize the impact of existing assets while optimizing distribution across channels.

A small brand with a limited marketing budget must generate omnichannel content efficiently and cost-effectively. AI-powered automation enables scalable content creation while maintaining consistency and compliance.

A regulatory label update that does not alter the brand concept may require slight messaging variations to reflect the change. AI-assisted content adaptation ensures accuracy, speeds up the update process, and streamlines MLR review.

A global brand with local adaptation must maintain a singular branded concept while ensuring regionally relevant messaging and compliance with local regulatory guidelines. AI can help tailor content for different markets without compromising brand integrity.

Sales enablement efforts require personalized digital content, including emails and Interactive Visual Aids (IVAs), tailored for specific healthcare professionals. AI-driven customization enhances engagement and ensures alignment with sales strategies.

Rare disease brands with limited budgets face challenges in patient identification and disease education. AI-powered content systems can help create targeted, educational materials to support awareness, diagnosis, and engagement efforts efficiently.

Patient access programs with regional differences by state require precise, localized content to help patients navigate insurance coverage, copay assistance, and reimbursement pathways. AI can generate region-specific materials that account for variations in state policies, payer requirements, and patient assistance programs, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information for patients and healthcare providers.

Illustrative Example of Agentic AI Derivative Content Development Workflow

To provide an example, the image below shows how an Agentic system could streamline the development of derivative content using 7 specialized agents, each responsible for a specific task within the content creation pipeline. Once deployed, these agents, working together, complete the entire end-to-end workflow up to MLR submission. Teams can determine the optimal points in the process to insert human-in-the-loop (HITL). As part of the deployment, establish both qualitative and quantitative KPIs to measure time and cost savings and evaluate the impact of agentic workflows. For a detailed explanation of what the agent is actually doing, refer to the end notes.

The benefits of this agentic system are speed of completion: From the initial input to the first human intervention, the system will require up to 5 minutes, instead of hours or days.

While the workflow is largely automated to minimize human involvement, human input remains essential at key points—particularly at the beginning and end of the process, as the content is finalized for MLR review.

Who Should Oversee Agentic Systems

Depending on the content maturity of Biopharma and Life Sciences companies, content operations are a shared responsibility including content operations, IT and omnichannel teams. Similarly, the decision to deploy and responsibility for setting up agents should be taken by this cross functional team. Once active, a decision needs to be made as to who would manage the agents. For a larger company, this could fall to the content factory function or marketing operations or for a smaller company agentic management could become a junior brand marketer responsibility. Note also that agents have the impact of reducing dependence on expensive human resources involved with content factory contracts.

How to Get Started

Introducing Agentic AI into content operations doesn’t require a full-scale overhaul. There are data challenges that need consideration with respect to data, metadata and business rules. It starts with a clear understanding of where these solutions can deliver the most value—and building from there. It also means staying flexible and preparing content to be optimized for generative engines. Below are key steps to guide the initial adoption:

• Identify a high-impact use case
  Start with a workflow that is both resource-intensive and ripe for automation. This could include content repurposing, version control, label updates, or preparation for MLR review. These areas offer clear opportunities for efficiency gains, faster execution, and measurable outcomes.
• Evaluate existing infrastructure
  Take stock of current systems, workflows, and team responsibilities. Understanding your content ecosystem will highlight where integration with Agentic AI can streamline operations without creating disruption.
• Align cross-functional stakeholders
  Content operations often sit at the intersection of regulatory, brand, medical, and IT. Early alignment with these groups ensures shared goals, proper oversight, and smoother implementation. Collaboration from the start accelerates adoption and increases the likelihood of long-term success.
• Define success criteria
  Establish what success looks like—whether that’s reduced time to market, improved compliance accuracy, or cost savings. Clear metrics help evaluate the performance of AI systems and guide future scaling decisions.
• Conduct a focused pilot
  Test the system on a defined use case with manageable scope. A pilot provides a low-risk environment to assess real-world application, integration with existing tools, and the agent’s ability to operate with limited human intervention.
• Learn, refine, and scale
  Use insights from the pilot to fine-tune processes, identify additional opportunities, and gradually expand the agent’s role across content workflows. This stepwise approach ensures each phase builds on real outcomes, not assumptions.
• Build team readiness
  As Agentic AI assumes more of the executional workload, content teams will shift toward strategic oversight and orchestration. Preparing teams for this change through training and upskilling will unlock new value and drive adoption.
• Leverage specialized consulting partner for project strategy and set-up
  Working with a consulting firm that understands both the AI landscape and the regulatory demands of life sciences can accelerate implementation. These partners offer strategic insight, technical know-how, and real-world experience to guide AI integration effectively.

Conclusion

Agentic AI marks a new era—not just for content workflows, but for how life sciences organizations operate at scale. Unlike earlier GenAI tools that required continuous human input, Agentic AI introduces autonomy, adaptability, and intelligent orchestration into processes that were once manual, repetitive, and siloed.

This isn’t about adding yet another tool to the tech stack—it’s about introducing the connective tissue to improve how work gets done. From accelerating time-to-market to enhancing regulatory precision, Agentic systems have the potential to fundamentally transform operational efficiency across the enterprise.

For companies ready to lead, the time to pilot is now. Early adopters will not only shape the standards of AI integration in life sciences—they’ll gain a competitive edge that compounds over time. 

Appendix:

Initial Input: The workflow begins with “User Instructions” (blue box on left), which serves as the starting point for content creation.

Data Processing: Instructions are processed through an agentic workflow that sends the instruction to a RAG Retrieval System

RAG Retrieval System: A Retrieval-Augmented Generation system accesses relevant information (i.e. text, images, ISI boilerplate, indication, claims document etc.)

Human In the Loop: The human in the loop allows a team of stakeholders representing various disciplines to review and provide comments on the generated content. Following the review, the comments are uploaded into the AI process and automated revision occurs. At this point, the AI is instructed on the format type of each of the assets and dimensions of the content.

MLR Decision: The final decision diamond appears to be “MLR Approval” (Medical, Legal, Regulatory).

Completion: The workflow concludes with Launch Materials and omnichannel deployment of content.

Authors

Gregg Fisher, Managing Partner, The Stem – gfisher@thestem.com

Noriko Yokoi is a Lead Strategy Consultant, The Stem

Building the Partnership Muscle: The Key to Delivering Successful Patient Experience Solutions

Mark Violi | 01.23.25

Originally published in Med Ad News December 2024

REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES

Here are just a few examples of how systems thinking and partnering across the health ecosystem have made a real difference in patient engagement in clinical trial and patient support settings.

Boehringer partners with pharmacy chain and trial solutions provider to make clinical trials more accessible

To reach underserved communities in the United States, global biopharma company Boehringer Ingelheim is partnering with Walgreens pharmacies and Emvenio Research, a decentralized trial network, to improve clinical trial recruitment and retention, as well as increasing diversity in Phase III obesity and type 2 diabetes trials. The project aims to educate Black and Hispanic adults, who are more likely to be impacted by these diseases, on clinical trials and empower them to utilize this treatment pathway. By bringing trial sites directly to communities, Boehringer hopes to engage patients where they are in their journey, and make trials more accessible for a wider group of patients.

Amgen partners with hospitals and digital health to improve adherence

Global biopharma company Amgen led a consortium partnership to empower patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease to take control of their recovery treatment plan and reduce the likelihood of further hospital admissions postheart attack. The program, called Rehab+, was based on digital tele-rehabilitation, with Liva Healthcare providing the app technology. Amgen partnered with rehabilitation hospitals in Spain, including La Paz in Madrid, Vall d’Hebron in Barcelona, and Virgen de la Victoria in Malaga, and Zuyderland in the Netherlands. The program was endorsed by the Spanish Society of Cardiology, Netherlands Society of Cardiology, and Foro Español de Pacientes (Spanish Patients Forum).

Partnering with a health-tech company to embed messaging in clinical workflows

MyCareCompass, a digital health solutions designed for oncology care teams, partnered with Kettering Health Network to decrease cancer patient fear and anxiety, improve patient satisfaction and outcomes, and decrease healthcare resource utilization and costs. The collaboration allowed for rich insights from oncology nurse navigators to understand gaps in patient education and associated impact, content aligned with health literacy best practices and cancer patient engagement data, full integration within Kettering Health’s EMR platform and operational workflow, and auto-deployed educational videos and content to patients from Kettering via email/SMS.

DELIVERING ON THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE PROMISE

Pharmaceutical companies are well positioned to coordinate the delivery of next-generation patient support thinking and solutions given their unique strengths including scientific innovation, financial resources, and specialized disease insights. Below are recommendations for flexing Pharma’s systems-thinking and ecosystem partnering muscles in service of better patient experiences.

ADVICE FOR SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Recognize friction and limitations of developing solutions in isolation, and the benefits of a multi-partner approach.

Measure what you need to change. To create solutions that are scalable across therapy areas and markets, understand what you need to change and build success metrics around that. For instance, if treatment adherence is the key issue, identify benchmarks and set concrete performance objectives for a successful program before initiating any partnerships.

Utilize cross functional squads. Involve market research, patient engagement, clinical operations or medical affairs, and communications and IT team members, but ensure there is clear accountability and responsibility in the squad.

Embed ecosystem partnering into job accountabilities. Partnerships may be in place with agencies or digital health providers to support partnerships, but consider explicitly tasking internal teams with ecosystem thinking and partnership formation. Consortiums including hospital or healthcare systems, patient organizations, health tech, and innovation networks should be encouraged. You could even consider creating a role specific to ecosystem integration.

Take an agile approach to partnering. Using lean methodology to build, measure, and learn enables your team to deliver solutions faster, but you want to learn first before you build. Leverage existing knowledge from market research and data from existing or previous programs to drive early decision making, and build solutions in a modular and agile way so new data can be utilized to pivot or adapt quickly.

ADVICE FOR MEDICAL, COMMERCIAL, AND PATIENT PARTNERING TEAMS

Leverage an ecosystem approach to codesign solutions that extend beyond a single market.

Share and learn from partners. Leverage pharma’s market research strengths to understand the intersection of patient journey and care pathway, and share what you learn with partners. Partners may have valuable knowledge to exchange including behavior change approaches, clinical practice data, and gaps in services for high-priority patient needs.

Engage partners early. Too often, partners may not be consulted until near the end of program development, almost always as a validation of the thinking that has gone into developing the program, rather than in shaping the program from the beginning.

Include nurses and front-line staff. Nurses are often overlooked in solution development but they are critical to delivering a great patient experience. Front-line hospital staff are often under-resourced and welcome digital tools and innovations that will enable them to do a better job for patients in critical care or emergency situations.

Leverage digital health partners and start-ups. As you consider build versus buy versus partner, think carefully about buy and partner. The ecosystem of digital health companies and start-ups is well developed and expanding quickly. Chances are there is a provider that would be eager to partner and would save time, energy, and money.

As you embark on 2025 strategic planning, give extra consideration to how you can embed ecosystem thinking and a partnership mindset into your patient engagement ambitions. The building blocks of successful patient engagement solutions are in place, they are just distributed across the healthcare landscape. Let’s continue to flex our partnership muscles to give our patients the solutions they deserve.

Authors

Gregg Fisher, Managing Partner, The Stem – gfisher@thestem.com

Debbie Denison is a Lead Strategy Consultant, The Stem

Improving Healthcare Provider Connections: The Power of Moments in Biopharma Engagement

Mark Violi | 07.01.24

Originally published in Med Ad News June 2024

Authors

Gregg Fisher, Managing Partner, The Stem – gfisher@thestem.com

Debbie Denison is a Lead Strategy Consultant, The Stem

Agenda 2024: Now What?

icoder | 03.04.24

Revolutionizing Biopharma: Gregg Fisher Explores AI’s Impact in PharmaLive’s Latest Feature

Gregg Fisher, founder and managing partner of The Stem, shares his expert insights on the pivotal role of artificial intelligence (AI) in revolutionizing healthcare communication and patient care to PharmaLive’s “Agenda 2024: Now What?” feature.  

Fisher highlights, “NBx (or next best) is fast becoming a standard approach for improving biopharma field force productivity,” reflecting on the transformative potential of AI and machine learning algorithms to improve the quality of customer insights, the relevance of sales force targeting and the impact of omni-channel customer interactions.

Fisher shares several best practices for successfully deploying NBx solutions, including:

Organize and Plan

• Vision: Define clear rationale of NBX value to drive brand objectives. Clarify NBX is the “Intelligence Engine” that provides a continuous, dynamic approach to customer engagement.
• Governance: Define roles across functions to support decision making and collaboration. Assign sponsors and core team responsible for delivering the NBX program.
• Program management: Use agile, “sprint” focused, management for quick builds, learning, and experiments from proof of concept to soft launch to builds. Drive alignment with cross-functional teams for clear scope of work, due date expectations, and regular communications for awareness and agreement to project deliverables.
• Vendor selection: Select for expertise in data science with predictive and generative AI/ML to allow for  growth in complex use cases and data. Assess strategic guidance from real-world experiences with data sources, agile design approach, reuse of system connectors, KPIs, and experimentation process for new and refined use cases.
• Field engagement: Drive early and consistent field engagement for buy-in and continued learnings for ongoing NBX value. Use peer-based communications, training, and case studies to build trust in “real-world” field usage.

Design and Build

• Use case planning: Start with “User Story’ real-world design as input to use case requirements. Triangulate multiple, real-time data signals to increase the value of customer intelligence.
• Data and systems architecture: Define an architecture that is flexible with modular, configurable and adaptable features. Prioritize reuse of data connectors for similar data objects to minimize implementation complexities.
• Omnichannel integration: Optimize pre-Launch learning from HCP activity (i.e., channel preference, content affinity and knowledge level) to leverage during launch phase to personalize engagements. Design an activity scoring system across “data signals” to assess HCP targets and digital utilization value to reduce “noise” to field.
• Field interface: Reduce admin and simplify NBX response for field users. Plan for efficient view and access for NBX across Territory, Customer, and First-Line-Manager dashboards.

Measure and Optimize

• Success metrics: Differentiate between response KPIs and quality KPIs. Take an “ROI” approach to each Use Case to verify the value based on outcome intended.
• Operating model: Design an operating model to establish processes to evolve and refine use cases. Educate internal stakeholders and field end-users on the update process and schedule for expectation setting and refinement validation.

Fisher’s commentary sheds light on the urgency for the industry to transition from experimentation with AI to its full-scale deployment, aiming to leverage its capabilities for more personalized and efficient healthcare solutions.

Practical Applications for ChatGPT and Other Large Language Models in Biopharma

Mark Violi | 02.22.24

Originally published in PharmaLive.com 2/16/24

Authors

Gregg Fisher, Managing Partner, The Stem – gfisher@thestem.com

Mike Spitz, Lead Strategy Consultant, The Stem

Driving Sustainable Omnichannel Change

Mark Violi | 10.11.23

Originally published in Pharmaceutical Commerce 9/29/23

A look into ways to approach change management using three factors.

The change of pace in biopharma customer engagement continues to accelerate, with artificial intelligence (AI) being just the latest tool. As life sciences companies race to shift to omnichannel customer engagement, many may find that they need help.

We find that the hurdles organizations face vary based on their maturity. Less mature organizations struggle with basics of securing senior management support and crafting strategy, while more mature organizations struggle with knottier issues of execution.(1) A universal challenge is moving beyond pockets of innovation to enterprise-wide transformation.

Operationalizing omnichannel requires shifting mindsets and behaviors, pivoting ways of working, recalibrating performance, and finding funding. Taking a whole organization on this journey requires a purposeful change and transition management effort.(2)

In this article, we share insights from the trenches gleaned from clients and experts on how to approach change management along multiple dimensions. We distill three key success factors to move toward omnichannel reality:

1. GIRFT(3) the strategy

2. Ace the customer roadmap

3. Make change a personal journey

GIRFT-ing the strategy

In an age of agile thinking, the approach of “get it right first time” (GIRFT) sounds old-school. But not when looking at defining a global strategy for customer experience. It often takes years get the strategy right before scaling to global operationalization.

Ipsen provides an instructive example. Aurelie Rognon, director of global customer experience notes: “We spent a year working with one brand globally and locally, with different markets, to define an omnichannel strategy: what it means, what needs to change, what we need to avoid. This enabled us to have a win with a big brand, to show how we can make it real and embed it in the global and local brand strategy.”

Luca Frangoni, global head of content & omnichannel excellence at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) offers another example. BI created an “omnichannel blueprint” which provided the direction for capability-building and change management. In BI’s definition, the blueprint incorporates:

• KPIs and success measures

• Aligned language, end to end process, integrated data flow and platforms

• Change management concept

• Governance rules to ensure integration across product and capability teams

• Communication guidelines on omnichannel

The result was common process, platforms and language across customer experience, advanced analytics, and content management. According to Frangoni, the blueprint was critical to help the organization work in an aligned way and recognize that “omnichannel change is long-term.”

In global organizations, articulating a clear strategy is critical to transition people’s mindset and behavior, by demonstrating value. Co-creating with stakeholders is a best practice that builds a common understanding of customer focus and experience and to provide a solid foundation for operationalization.

For organizations who are working on their omnichannel strategy, be sure to:

• Identify relevant roles in the organization to take ownership of the omnichannel strategy, e.g., global head of franchise, customer experience lead, omnichannel director

• Co-create and show what effective omnichannel strategy means e.g., through testimonials from general managers (GMs) concept boards, events, training

• Forecast impact and set expectations early with GMs, by including budgeting plans

Acing the roadmap

There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for getting to the future state. Some organizations benefit from small steps, while others leapfrog, monitoring and evaluating results along the way. In both cases, the need is to move the whole organization along without getting stuck.

Creating a capability roadmap is a best practice for bringing together different functions and aligning on changes to customer experience over time. It’s also a way to understand the process and technology changes that will occur over time to create the evolved experience.

Daan Vens, the Innovation and Business Excellence Director BELUX at AstraZeneca, attributes a lot of his success to his roadmap. He created a “crawl, walk, run” roadmap that articulated how AZ would change local customer interactions, starting with basic interactions and evolving from there.(4) Importantly, he took an outside in approach that showed how the customer experience changes, he then linked process and technology changes to get there. This approach allowed his team to accomplish a lot in an organization known for its sales force effectiveness (SFE) culture.

“It’s all about the customer roadmap. It’s so simple and few organizations apply it. It may be less shiny at step one, but it’s much more effective in the long term.” says Vens.

To build an effective roadmap:

• Focus first on how customer experience will change over time; then overlay process and technology requirements to get there

• Run road-mapping sessions with medical affairs, market access, legal, privacy, regulatory MMLR functions and commercial together

• Stay focused to achieve a level of mastery in one phase before moving onto the next

• Assign accountability for building the roadmap, e.g., business excellence director, head of business operations, commercial & digital director

• Appoint an accountable role for change management e.g., change officer, change management director, omnichannel operations lead, VP omnichannel

Making change a personal journey

Lasting transitions are achieved by taking people on a journey—extracting the personal drivers from the strategy story. Simply put, define what change means for each person so that benefits are tangible. According to Susana Bento, global omnichannel operations lead at Grünenthal, we “naturally start seeing wins on the journey and we celebrate. As we glimpse adoption, we make all the noise we can.”

Omnichannel change is deeply experienced by sales teams—first line sales managers (FLSMs) are critical to manage the transition journey by bridging the gap between headquarters and sales representatives. “We need to get first line sales managers on board early because they answer rep concerns, e.g., What does it mean for me? What am I expected to do differently?” according to Vens.

“The marketing teams, as content creators, are also challenged,” according to Susana Bento. She says, “As the omnichannel operation evolves, demand for rapid creation of diverse and personalized content delivered grows. In most organizations, marketing teams struggle to cope with this demand. A classic example is the modular content operation, which puts pressure on marketing and medical teams, and MLR functions. Here, change management is key to ensure adoption of new processes.”

While organizations have made quick progress implementing capabilities, bringing people along moves slower. This frequently becomes the greatest challenge, because not everyone understands what omnichannel is. According to Aurelie Rognon, this means repetition is important. “Repeat again and again, through all communications: what we’re going to do, how it’s going to help, what’s in it for us.” Aurelie says.

As you think about the people side of change management:

• Partner with impacted functions to build the personalized omnichannel capability framework and learning plan, e.g., for marketing, sales, medical, HR—through omnichannel centers of excellence, customer experience trainings, cmnichannel capability forums.

• With HR and L&D, build an omnichannel competency framework, update impacted roles across the organization and execute learning journeys.

• Run VoC (Voice of Colleagues) polls, implement improvements and celebrate success.

Most of the ingredients to accelerate from omnichannel strategy to reality are now available, even considering variations among brands and countries. Those who have started to shift mindsets, behaviors, attitudes, and ways of working have already seen the impact.

Authors

Gregg Fisher, Managing Partner, The Stem – gfisher@thestem.com, The Stem

Anca Davies-Rusu is a member of The Stem network and a thought leader in omnichannel customer strategy and an agile change practitioner.

References

1. According to Nov 2022 McKinsey survey of 100 Life sciences digital and analytic the organizational hurdles for use of digital and analytics have shifted since 2020 from strategy formulation and executive sponsorship to issues of execution and change management.

2. “Change” happens to people, even if they don’t agree with it. “Transition”, on the other hand, is internal: it’s what happens in people’s minds as they go through change. Change can happen quickly, while transition usually occurs more slowly.

3. Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) is a tried and test concept e.g., in the UK, NHS England designed a GIRFT national program to improve the treatment and care of patients through in-depth review of services, benchmarking, and presenting a data-driven evidence base to support change. https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/

4. Daan’s approach was inspired by Ranjay Gulati. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/the-outside-in-approach-to-customer-service

The Stem Celebrates 10 Years

icoder | 06.09.23

Ten years ago, The Stem was born as a new breed of consultancy serving customer engagement innovators in biopharma and Health.

Our concept was simple: to enable our clients to partner with the world’s leading independent talent to help them navigate fast-moving changes in customer engagement.

Back then, we anticipated two parallel mega-trends: 

1. The evolution of bio-pharmaceutical customer engagement, fueled by shifts in technology and patient/customer behavior.
2. Changes in the nature of work leading to a growing independent talent force capable of working effectively in a distributed fashion.

We called ourselves a “networked consultancy” to capture the essence of a business model which would provide clients with high quality consulting services, delivered through teams of seasoned independent talent, drawn from a global network.

Our vision was to “Harness the collective wisdom of independent talent to improve health experiences”.

We wanted clients to work directly with world-class experts, and we wanted our independent consultants to be able to work on innovative projects that would change the nature of Health customer engagement.

This month, we celebrate our 10 year anniversary and I couldn’t be more proud of what we have accomplished.

After 10 years, we have:

• Delivered over 500 projects.
• Partnered with over 37 clients.
• Engaged with over 250 consultants.
• Worked in over 35 countries, across 6 continents.

None of this would have been possible without our clients and network consultants.

I am truly grateful to our clients for believing in the strength of our model, the expertise of our talent, and trusting us to work on their most challenging customer engagement projects. 
 
And, I am humbled by our consultants. Your talent, dedication, innovation, versatility and camaraderie never cease to amaze me, and we owe our success to you.

Gregg Fisher
Founder & Managing Partner, The Stem

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About the Stem

Founded by Gregg Fisher in 2013, The Stem is a global management consulting firm specializing in customer engagement strategy and operations in the health & life sciences sectors. The Stem’s unique “networked model” draws on a senior leadership team and the industry’s most seasoned independent talent, offering clients a nimble, cost-effective and refreshing alternative to traditional consultancies, without sacrificing control.

Harnessing the Value of AI In Customer Engagement

Mark Violi | 05.17.23

Gregg Fisher, The Stem’s Founder and Managing Partner, recently had the chance to interview both clients and practitioners on the state of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning as it applies to customer engagement in BioPharma. Ganes Kesari, one of The Stem’s thought leaders on AI/ML, joined in the conversations.

We identified 4 promising use cases for AI/ML in customer engagement, and 4 critical success factors for execution, and captured these learnings in this article which was recently published in Pharmaceutical Executive. Special thanks to Tom Gaschler and  Eduardo Cornejo for contributing.

Read the article on PharmaExec

Authors:

Gregg Fisher, Managing Partner, gfisher@thestem.com, The Stem

Ganes Kesari, Chief Decision Scientist, Innovation Titan; Consultant, The Stem

If you build it, will they come? Seven Steps To Driving Enrollment in Next-Generation Patient Support Programs

Mark Violi | 02.17.23

Originally published at Pharmaceutical Commerce

Leading brand and commercial organizations are making significant investments in building next generation patient support programs. These programs integrate modern digital, data and behavior science techniques to differentiate brands in a competitive environment, while improving adherence and supporting patient outcomes. But, too often, these programs struggle to realize their promise because of underwhelming enrollment.

Potential solutions to the enrollment challenge are influenced by many factors, including therapeutic area, lifecycle stage, competitive outlook, country-specific market constraints, and corporate culture. Whilst no silver bullet exists, our experience has inspired us to define 7 critical success factors for driving enrollment in next generation PSPs.

The 7 Critical Success Factors for Driving Enrollment in Next Generation PSPs

1. PSPs must deliver compelling value and address a real unmet need

HCPs only recommend PSPs if they see clear potential for it to make positive, tangible differences to the way they care for patients, and the way patients care for themselves. The same goes for patients. Unless PSPs help them improve the way they live with their condition, they are unlikely to enroll or stay engaged.  Too often, assumptions are made about unmet need and little regard is given to options currently available to address the issue.

PSP teams should consider two questions: ‘Is this a burning need that, without addressing, the patient will have limited success with therapy?’, and ‘Is there any existing support that our PSP would be competing against?’ Recognize that your competition includes drug companies as well as other content and service providers.

In-depth research will help you to understand the scope and shape of the problem faced by individuals, be they the patient, carer, nurse provider or consulting physician. It makes no sense to create a PSP for a problem or inconvenience that does not exist, or one for which a solution is readily available.

Action: Run co-planning sessions with patients and providers and perform competitive analysis.

2. Integrate PSP messaging into brand strategy, value messaging and communications

Pharma teams put significant effort and spend into brand strategy, value message development, marketing, and communications focused on the product launch, but similar attention is not paid to PSP messaging. If PSPs aren’t prominently factored in as part of strategic launch planning, companies are missing a golden opportunity. PSPs should be an integral part of the messaging architecture and align with value messages.

PSPs should be prominent in the creative assets and communications materials at launch or shortly thereafter to help HCPs and patients appreciate the benefits of a new therapy and the accompanying support being offered.

Action: Create a comprehensive enrollment strategy prior to launch

3. Target the right audiences with a combination of face-to-face and non-personal

Understand who, besides the physician, has responsibility for supporting patients. Promotion of any PSP should factor in communication with the wider clinical team, including nurses, nurse educators and pharmacists. 

Sales reps often don’t have the time to integrate PSP messaging into a sales call. So,  consider having small teams of virtual reps whose sole focus is reaching out to the wider clinic to talk about patient support. Focusing on the staff that directly engage with patients is important and can be done affordably. Depending on the number of clinics and the therapy area, one person per market can be sufficient, and will make a big difference to patient enrollment. 

While face-to-face engagement is the anchor of successful enrollment, don’t assume conversations alone will draw in and maintain patients on your PSP. Ensure influential members of care teams have the right materials and opportunities to actively engage the patient with your PSP. To raise and maintain awareness of PSPs, consider a mix of peer-to-peer educational events, KOL speakers, testimonials, webinars, and rep-generated emails. Finally, don’t assume a digital-only approach will work, as digital channels struggle to drive enrollment unless they form a part of a more integrated channel mix.

Action: Create a targeting and omni-channel enrollment plan for each PSP.

4. Simple enrollment at the point of care (PoC) creates sticky engagement

Enrolling patients at the PoC makes practical sense. This is a time when clinical teams can give influential endorsement and spend time answering any questions. Make sure all areas of the PSP are well covered, but not too onerously described, since patients forget much of what is discussed in a clinic. Providing scripted guidance, information leaflets, brochures and support materials that allow care teams to readily share the benefits of the PSPs helps secure initial patient enrollment and longer-term engagement. Reinforcing the ‘what’s in it for me?’ in follow-up materials and ongoing care team discussions keeps patients engaged.

To make the process of onboarding seamless and effective, consider innovative approaches to transactional confirmation with sign-up at clinics. Alternatively, QR codes on support materials or sample products allow people to connect directly to information on their phone and quickly fill in any required forms.  Having patients complete tasks at home, supported by reminders from the clinic and online guidance reassures the patient and extends the engagement beyond the clinic. Making the process as simple as booking a table at a restaurant or buying goods online can be the difference between patients signing up or not.

Action: Map the enrollment flows and patient experience.

5. Co-create and partner with patient influencers and advocacy groups

Many patients look to national and international patient advocacy groups for information and guidance on managing their disease/condition. These groups have access to very specific, and sometimes niche populations. They understand the lived experiences of these populations.  Genuine and compelling value can be revealed through direct engagement with patient organizations, either as part of the development of a PSP or through the co-creation of one. Shared ownership of PSPs can solve enrollment issues, as the endorsements of patient advocacy groups creates awareness and credibility with patient groups. If you are looking to run a PSP in a particularly rare or difficult-to-reach population, consider running webinars and/or providing simple brochures or tools to the relevant patient organizations. Similarly, patient online influencers can play an important role in creating patient awareness of PSPs.

Action: Research patient advocacy and influencer partnerships.

6. Monitoring helps drive the evolution of PSPs

To demonstrate that your PSP is delivering value, whether to support resource investment or to showcase your PSP to external customers, you will need to build in processes that allow you to assess and measure the success of the program rigorously and continuously. Such monitoring helps to support decisions concerning the PSP by providing insight into how many people were made aware of the program, how many were trained on it, how many received materials, what proportion of patients were offered the program and consequently signed-up. It also lets you see the percentage of patients that may have fallen out and then explore ways to recapture the attention of these audiences.

In some instances, especially if you have little experience of running PSPs, it might help to run a pilot program to identify unforeseen blockers, determine enrollment drivers, understand how scaling works, and clarify operational efficiencies.

Action: Develop a measurement plan for each PSP.

7. Curiosity, innovation and cross-functional collaboration in the internal culture creates favorable conditions for successful PSPs

Next-generation PSPs can be unfamiliar territory for many organizations, which may result in watered down programs. Innovative PSPs are best realized when teams are aligned with cross-functionally, and with a genuine curiosity to analyze the data and solve problems together. Cross-collaboration takes many forms, depending on the company, but there are a few areas we believe help deliver impactful PSPs, and these revolve around having clear research/customer engagement guidelines that generate favorable co-creation of PSPs with customers. First, ensure that there is a global infrastructure that promotes transparency and efficient knowledge-sharing between PSP teams and affiliates. Second, modernize guidelines and policies for risk assessment that acknowledge the vital role of PSPs. And lastly, explore building a natural ecosystem where PSPs are embedded into a platform-based approach. An initial unbranded offering allows outreach to the public followed by in-platform deployment of content that leads to patient conversations with doctors.

Action: Define internal barriers and plans to mitigate.

Frequently, PSPs are seen as a marketing tactic rather than as “products” requiring careful planning, promotion, and maintenance. When brand teams and commercial organizations have a limited view of PSPs, it often shows up in the limited enrollment and usage the program generates. The seven critical success factors articulated in this article can help you avoid this fate and deliver a program that brings real, differentiated value to patients and providers, which can be seen in enrollment.

It can be difficult to skillfully incorporate these critical success factors as they frequently require significant change in mindset and business practices.  Seeking the help of those with extensive experience with PSPs can help you along your journey.

Author

Gregg Fisher, Managing Partner, The Stem – gfisher@thestem.com, The Stem

Gregg Fisher is Managing Partner of The Stem, a global management consulting firm specializing in customer engagement and digital transformation in Life Sciences. The Stem’s unique networked consulting model draws on the industry’s most seasoned independent talent offering clients a nimble, cost-effective, and refreshing alternative to traditional consultancies. The Stem provides specialized expertise in customer engagement insight, strategy and analytics, digital transformation and excellence, program management, and impact measurement.