The life science industry has to react dynamically to a rapidly changing situation, both in the technological and economic areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to operate in a completely new way. It resulted in the immediate digitisation of many processes and the transition to online communication, which was associated with the need to expand existing contact channels and focus on customer experience.
The key to success turned out to be the choice of the right platform, enabling the digital transformation. Salesforce perfectly fits this mission due to the support for industry regulations, and business processes, along with omnichannel communication, thus offering everything that is necessary for the life science industry. Salesforce is also a fully scalable technology – with the possibility to expand accordingly to dynamically changing company’s needs and business circumstances. In fact, it can be the most crucial technological ally in post-pandemic reality.
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The selected platform should support it and allow for the automation of the processes described in the strategy. Although the software itself cannot replace it. In the absence of a CRM strategy, fragmented processes will be automated without a proper overview of your business needs. Such a situation may lead to only partial benefits. Lack of a determined strategy certainly won’t support fully core needs that drive your business and won’t deliver an adequate return on investment (ROI).
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An action plan in the context of a CRM system for the life science industry should consist of three key elements:
- process,
- technology,
- people.
These areas complement each other and only together create the full range of digital transformation in the area of customer relations. Once there is a detailed plan in place, business requirements are well described, and proper resources are identified, we can choose the right platform that will allow for the implementation of these plans. At the same time, it is essential to define the needs in individual business areas, e.g., sales, service, marketing, and commerce.
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A well-chosen and designed CRM system must meet real business needs and allow for instant scaling in the future. In the case of the Salesforce platform, this process is much simpler. Individual tools are responsible for supporting specific processes and complement each other, creating a fully integrated system. Thanks to this, a company can easily automate activities and add new channels of cooperation with customers. Appropriate license setup and the care of an experienced implementation partner are essential for the entire project’s success. mapping of requirements efficiently along with a properly planned implementation lead to the perfect selection of specific CRM functionalities. Thanks to this, the purchased licenses are fully used, the system’s adoption by users is high, and these two elements translate directly into ROI.
Life science companies operate in a dynamic business environment and, at the same time, must comply with stringent regulatory requirements. These two factors mean that any changes in the context of CRM can be costly and, therefore, should be appropriately foreseen. However, having a platform as a solid foundation along with products with an easy possibility of integration and expansion mitigate risks related to project success and budget. Thanks to this, the company can spend the money saved in this way on the development of the system and employee training.
- CRM software can bring many benefits to a business, but it is not a panacea in itself. Only in combination with a well-thought-out strategy CRM becomes a powerful tool helping to achieve the company’s main goals.
- A correctly conducted stage of analysis of the expectations and problems faced by the company results in the right selection of products and licenses. Therefore, this element has a direct impact on the return on investment.
- Selected and purchased licenses should be used to the maximum. However, there are often situations where licenses are overestimated or not used. The native reporting module allows you to verify the license usage level easily.
- High adoption of the system by users affects the quality of their work and efficiency. Appropriate training and materials that allow you to familiarise yourself with the system help lower the entry threshold and facilitate the onboarding process. Reports are available so that you can track and control this process as well.
- An implementation partner with industry experience and an adequate portfolio of completed projects will help develop a CRM implementation strategy and the selection of Salesforce products and licenses.
