Happy 2014 from All of Us

We'd like to wish all our subscribers, clients, colleagues, business partners, and friends a Happy New Year. Have a great 2014.

Featured Article - Transforming Finance Operations: Beyond the Blockbuster Model

Is your finance team efficient, agile, and able to deliver services that support innovative business models?

Forward-thinking leaders in the life sciences industry are embracing transformation as a comprehensive means of ­improving cash flow, margins, revenue, and brand loyalty, which include developing a more strategic role for finance.

The life sciences industry is at an inflection point. The business model built on blockbuster drugs and high reimbursement rates can no longer be counted on to produce strong revenues and returns…

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Creating Great Multichannel CRM Experiences: Advice from a 28-year Pharma Expert - podcast

Peter Lammers

Thought Leader: Peter Lammers, VP, Strategy, Veeva Systems

In this episode, Mr. Lammers talks about using a multichannel business strategy in life science companies. He defines the multichannel approach, covers the core challenges, offers his review on Pharma's adoption of multichannel, and provides advice for commercial leaders.

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Building Better Medication Adherence Models to Improve Health Outcomes - Podcast

Jim Dockery

Thought Leader: Jim Dockery, Executive Director, Market Data Insights and Innovation, Adheris

In this episode, Mr. Dockery covers several issues related to patient adherence, including using Big Data to predict patient behavior and improve adherence in a patient population, as well as how to accurately measure adherence rates.

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Unlocking the Power of Strategic Workforce Planning - Podcast

Mark Lanfear

In this episode, we discuss the challenges in pharma regarding workforce management, the growing trend of strategic workforce planning, and how this phenomenon will continue to evolve over the next 5 years.

Thought Leader: Mark Lanfear, Global Practice Leader, Americas Scientific Product Group, Kelly Services, Inc.

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Featured Article: The Physician Payments Sunshine Act

More than a mere reporting exercise, it’s an opportunity to proactively engage with key customers to build stronger relationships, trust, and transparency.

Is your organization looking through the right lens?

Strategically, Genpact views this as an opportunity for life sciences manufacturer’s to differentiate themselves.

As engaging with key customers continues to be a challenge, are life sciences companies

looking at this as an opportunity or just a necessary evil?

View the full article online

Emerging Care Management Models in the Pharma World, a case study by IDC

IDC Study Results

This IDC Health Insights Case Study focuses on emerging models of care management, especially in developing countries. Over the next couple of years, care management aimed at high-risk patients will emerge as a reality in the Asia/Pacific region.

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Benchmarks and Bellwethers: How Market Research Can Provide the Prescription for Launch Success - white paper

Encuity Research white paper

Manufacturers rely on market research in the form of customized awareness, trial, and usage (ATU) studies. ATU studies track physician and healthcare providers' brand awareness, patient types and product usage, pricing and access experience, attribute ratings and rankings, and intended future prescribing. As they are traditionally used, these studies simply track and report on key variables and produce nothing more than descriptive data. This descriptive data provides a good picture of "what" is happening in the market. But it does not necessarily answer the more critical questions, "So what?" and "Now what?" Learn more in this white paper.

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Six Keys to Effective Global Sales Training Design - white paper

Global Sales Training

The biopharmaceutical sales representative detailing physicians in New York faces a very different environment from his colleagues in London or Tokyo. Though they all may work for the same multinational company selling the same brand for similar indications, the languages, regulatory issues, physician relationships, and competing brands they deal with could be wildly diverse. Cost-effectively designing a coordinated sales training program for these reps can be extremely difficult. This paper looks at the challenges of designing a global sales training program and offers tips on making the design process more efficient and effective.

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Research Brief - CFOs on finance and procurement-process improvement

What do CFOs Say?

This research brief discusses process performance among medical companies (including health care, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and life sciences), specifically, by pointing out notable deviations from pan-industry averages.

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White Paper - Overcoming obstacles to transformation in the finance function

Finance & Accounting in the Life Sciences

EVPs, SVPs, VPs and senior directors of targeted life sciences and pharmaceutical companies were surveyed to determine the key challenges and priorities facing finance and accounting (F&A), finance administration and commercial operations. This paper shares the results.

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White Paper - Embracing the Sunshine Act

Under the Sunshine Act, the first data submissions reports are due March 31, 2014, and both the life sciences industry and the medical community have significant concerns about the amount of information that must be publicly disclosed. This white paper explores physicians' concerns and outlines actions that life sciences companies can take to help set their providers' minds at ease. Physicians' worries range from tarnished personal reputations to potential identify theft. Read how life sciences organizations can take this opportunity to build better relationships with their customers.

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Breast Cancer - 1 Year of Treatment in Time Lapse

As we come to the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here's an intriguing time lapse video of one young woman and her year of treatment for breast cancer.

Early detection is crucial. Keep fighting.

Flush Out Your Brain and Fight Alzheimer's & Parkinson's

Your brain creates waste, and the waste must be flushed out. We're learning more about this process by studying mice.

A recent Washington Post article illustrates how cerebrospinal fluid flushes out waste that has accumulated in the brain, including beta-amyloid protein. This system has been dubbed the "Glymphatic System" by researchers. The waste removal process is most efficient in the sleeping state. In fact, it is believed to be twice as efficient when sleeping. Findings have been published in the journal Science.

The newspaper article says the waste disposal process could be a factor in Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease.  It is possible a drug could be developed that could improve this cleanup cycle in the brain. Could these findings bring us closer to cures for numerous brain diseases? One can only imagine how big a market this could be if an effective drug makes it to market. Aricept was developed 15 years ago, and a generic will hit the market soon. The time could be ripe for new drugs in this field.

The next time you strive to pull an all-nighter, think about when you will give your brain a chance to clean out the toxins and get back to an optimum state. If this gives you a legitimate excuse to take that long nap instead of raking leaves this weekend, you're welcome.

References:

• Brains flush toxic waste in sleep, including Alzheimer’s-linked protein, study of mice finds
• Alzheimer's drug market starts to shrivel as caseload explodes
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Parkinson's Disease

Factoring the "what ifs" into supply forecasting: Why building a durable supply chain around a protocol is critical

Answering the "What IF" Questions

Download this free white paper now.

Effective supply planning requires decision making that strikes a balance between what's known and unknown, risk and budget, the needs of the trial and those of patients. The ultimate goal is ensuring that the right patients receive the right drugs at the right time. Otherwise, everyone sponsors, investigators, patients and society at large stands to lose. This white paper goes into great detail on the topic, including "what-if" scenarios, real-life disasters, and 15 industry references to additional information.

Provided by: Fisher Clinical Services

How Site Engagement Improves Patient Recruitment Using a Clinical Trial Optimization System

Using site engagement technology, sponsors are able to take greater control over patient recruitment by ensuring their study is top of mind with global sites. This white paper covers many of the issues related to site engagement, including a pharmaceutical company case study.

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Depression: Our Least Supported Major Illness?

I think everyone reading this can say they have been depressed at one time or another. Money problems. A recent breakup. Physical ailments. Addiction. Abuse. Genetics. The list of causes are endless. Maybe you "Buck up" and pull through whatever is causing your depression. Maybe you don't. Some people live lives of quite desperation for decades. Some take their own lives. The societal costs are staggering.

Check out this infographic for some key stats on depression.

Depression goes way beyond "Feeling blue." It can happen to anyone, even those who seem to have it all. The field of depression is a mile wide and 20,000 leagues deep. Major Depression, Dysthmya, Bipolar disorder, Postpartum depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and many more varieties make up the landscape.

I could go on, but I think the following TED video does a much better job explaining the primary issues regarding depression better than I can, especially the social implications.

Depression is one of the most studied conditions, with treatments ranging from counselling to pills to light therapy to far more aggressive approaches. We have a lot of research and science surrounding depression, but we don't have a cure, and our current approaches are often unsuccessful.

"It's a Wonderful Life" is an amazing movie. While we would all love to have a guardian angel who could bring us out of our depression and show us how much we have to live for, life doesn't usually provide those types of miracles.

How can health care and the life sciences better tackle depression? More research? More medications? Better health care plans for treating depression? Broader awareness campaigns?

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Transformation from the Inside Out at Sanofi

In this episode, Craig Flanagan and DJ Mitsch talk about a major culture change at Sanofi Pharmaceuticals North America: how they designed it, implemented it, what the results were, and the future of this significant undertaking. This podcast will be of great interest to anyone at a large company who is considering or has decided to implement a powerful culture change.

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Change Agents + Team Coaching = Transformation from the Inside Out at Sanofi

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Change Agents, Team Coaching & Organizational Transformation -
Sanofi Changes their Culture and the Game of Work!

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DJ Mitsch is in the 2013 PharmaVOICE 100

What Can Statues and Balloons Teach You about Your Marketing?

Does your marketing cover both types?

Do you employ a wide array of marketing vehicles? Do you struggle trying to understand if you're investing in the right ones?

I have a trick I use to help put marketing initiatives into perspective. It's a simple sort of lens, but it can give you the focus you seek when looking at the big picture regarding your marketing.

Think of any marketing device as either a statue or a helium balloon. Both have their strengths, and both can be extremely effective at delivering their message. But there are distinct differences.

Statues are stationary and essentially permanent. Once you learn a statue exists, it is easy to find it again whenever you wish, and you may visit it regularly if you derive a benefit. Helium balloons are obviously impermanent. When a helium balloon is released, it rises into the air, (usually) gets noticed by a number of people, and it quickly expires, often within a few minutes or maybe a few days. You cannot always be sure what path it will take, nor know exactly how long it will be visible.

Some statues are expensive to create, and most require regular maintenance, but they provide the bedrock of your marketing strategy. Helium balloons are relatively inexpensive, but you must be dedicated to launching new ones from multiple locations on a regular basis. Balloons are the worker bees of your marketing efforts. Let them swarm your target market. In some special cases, a helium balloon can even morph into a statue.

Let's break down a collection of marketing initiatives into these two categories.

Print Ad - helium balloon
Web Site - statue
Email blast - helium balloon
Blog post - helium balloon
Blog with RSS feed - statue
Directory Listing - statue
White Paper - statue
Tweet - helium balloon
Web ad - helium balloon
Podcast - statue
LinkedIn discussion - helium balloon
TV commercial - helium balloon
Web video - statue
Live webinar - helium balloon
Webinar archive - statue

Now that you have the concept, you can run all your marketing initiatives through this categorization. Do you have a good ratio, or are you too heavily weighted to one type while neglecting the other? Do your (temporary) balloons guide people to your (permanent) statues?

The next time you are in a marketing strategy meeting, discuss your current efforts as well as possible new initiatives in terms of statues and helium balloons. You will likely make better choices going forward.

How Do You Establish an Emotional Connection with Customers?

Watch this amazing commercial and then come back for the context.

We've all seen our share of pharmaceutical commercials. People skipping through fields, happy and healthy. Regulations prevent us from getting too specific about how the drug works, but we can't use that as an excuse for making mediocre commercials that waste air time and sometimes even alienate consumers. I feel we are not connecting enough with the consumer on an emotional level. We're leaving a gigantic opportunity on the table and our brands are suffering for it.

In most drug commercials you quickly know you are watching actors playing a role in front of the camera. The actors are just too perfect. They wear stylish clothes that are clean and pressed. They look like they just came from the salon. Their houses are immaculate. They are antiquing and canoeing and cooking and dancing and gardening. They are blissfully happy thanks to a breakthrough medication. Unfortunately, there's no emotional connection to the message. Therefore, the response is weaker than it should be and the company makes up for it by running more commercial spots. It's the brute force approach. Just get the branding out there and move product.

Consumers write off these commercials as fantasy. In the real world, we deal with pain and loss and uncertainty and hopelessness when we have a medical condition. And fear. I've never seen fear used seriously and effectively in a drug commercial, have you?

The problem is, most commercials only cover the end of the story. They don't cover the embarrassment and shame a couple may go through when they are having trouble physically in the boudoir. They don't show people suffering with COPD or diabetes, and reveal in real terms what it means to their lives. Sometimes they employ humor to avoid the real emotions associated with the condition.

Companies want to gloss over the problem, get right to the solution, and pitch you on how you can be happy again. But they miss the most crucial part of the story. People have to identify with the bad stuff before they can really get on board with the good stuff. Show you can relate to them before you offer them hope.

Take a look at this commercial if you haven't yet, and see a great example of how to tell the whole story. It's not a drug commercial, but I feel it appropriately demonstrates how emotion is a powerful force in reaching people. More powerful than money. More powerful than logic. So why is honest emotion so poorly executed in almost all of our commercials? That's the billion dollar question.

Yes, the example commercial is a bit long at 3 minutes. However, infomercials are 30 minutes long, and they run day and night, raking in billions for their companies. So length is not the problem, and budget is certainly not the problem. It's the fear of exposing the dark side of the condition, and all the anxiety and sadness that comes with it. That's why all we see is manufactured "Authenticity." It's a real miss by the advertising folks.

I think there is a place for story-heavy, long format commercials in the pharmaceutical industry. There's certainly a need for more authentic, emotional spots of any length. Do you agree?

This is a fairy tale

Five Keys to Successful Collaboration: Genpact and AstraZeneca Reveal What It Takes to Work Together

Organizations that believe a successful outsourcing partnership is built on a 400-page contract, an abundance of SLAs, and the sensation of stinging non-performance penalties are the same ones that, two years into a deal, spend millions of dollars on consultants to undo what went wrong. Avoiding that kind of scenario requires an outsourcing relationship that leverages five essential activities of collaboration, which are outlined in this case study.

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Are You Prepped for a Health Care Hurricane?

Are we prepared for a possible health care storm?

It's hurricane season, and it's also the season of the Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act. Obviously this directly affects the Pharmaceutical industry. Will it be a Class 5 disaster or a pleasant tropical breeze? We clearly don't know. Predictions abound, and many political factions are posturing and offering their thoughts. Most offer an extreme outlook on one side or the other.

I've visited over a dozen web sites this week looking for some consistency. I scoured news sites, analyst sites, and manufacturer sites, and I still have no clear idea how this will play out. The range of opinions and lack of consensus is downright intimidating. Some say this will revolutionize health care for all Americans. Others say it will be a bumpy ride for years, before we get it right. And still others say it will be the demise of quality health care as we know it.

So here we sit with far more questions than answers. Here are just a few causing loss of sleep in our industry.

• Will some pharmaceutical companies take a financial hit under the new system, while others benefit?
• How will it affect our market share?
• Is our pipeline strategically sound given this new health care reform?
• How will company health care plans be overhauled under the new plan?
• Will patients receive better treatment?
• Will HCPs know how to navigate the system?
• Will payers be able to process the reimbursements properly and in a timely manner?

I must admit that I don't trust any of the predictions I read. The issues are polarized beyond understanding. This is one instance where we should prepare for the worst and hope for the best. The key here is preparation.

Here are some points every pharmaceutical company should review before the program begins enrolling patients on October 1.

• Are we prepared to make quick and informative communications to the public?
• Have we game planned many of the possible issues that may arise?
• Will we add clarity or chaos to the mix of information?
• Is our customer service group staffed up and adequately trained?
• Have our reps been communicating with their HCP clients about the changes under the PPACA?
• Have we been working with providers and plans to ensure we are in compliance with their new processes?
• Are our pharmacy customers comfortable with the new processes for receiving and dispensing our products?

What are your thoughts on the PPACA? Leave a comment.

Follow This Hashtag for Health Care Trends in Social Media

Are you involved in health care marketing? If so, then you know social media is a mature, yet still growing opportunity. We already knew consumers were getting lots of health-related info from the Internet. Social media has only added more fuel to this information explosion. Twitter is a great way to stay on top of trending topics in social media for health care.

I highly recommend the hashtag #HCSM.

It stands for Health Care Social Media. There are often some very interesting conversations and resources in tweets that use this hashtag. You never know what you'll find at any given time, but most of the time there are some interesting topics. Just type #HCSM into your twitter search box and see what comes up. Here's a snippet of what I saw today.

Search results for #HCSM

You can even set it up as a column in Tweetdeck. Aren't you using Tweetdeck yet? Well, you should be. It's free, and it helps you organize what you see on Twitter.

Once you are "plugged in" to this hashtag feed, you can start following the thought leaders on this topic. Their posts will automatically start showing up on your Twitter page. And when you are tweeting on social media in health care, make sure you include the hashtag #HCSM. You may earn some new followers of your own.

Risk-Based Monitoring for Late-Phase Research

Risk-based Monitoring White Paper

A number of factors are leading to the paradigm shift in the way that clinical research is conducted. The increasing cost of research and the adoption of EDC technologies that provide real-time access to data have forced the industry to look at optimized methods of conducting clinical studies. In addition, several studies have shown that 100% SDV may not result in higher data quality. All of these factors have led to increased interest in RBM strategies.

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Risk-Based Monitoring for Late-Phase Research

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Risk-Based Monitoring for Late Phase: Implementation Strategies

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Risk-Based Monitoring for Late Phase: Implementation Strategies

Maria Harrison, Vice President, Late Phase Services, PRA

In this podcast, Maria Harrison discusses the past, present, and future of Risk-based Monitoring. She also covers challenges and solutions, as well as a real-life example of RBM in a clinical study.

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Risk-Based Monitoring for Late Phase: Implementation Strategies

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Risk-Based Monitoring for Late-Phase Research

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How to Have a Monster Fourth Quarter

Will your Q4 be like this...

Or like this?

With the third quarter winding down, we're nearly into the most important quarter. It's where you miss or make your numbers. Maybe crush your numbers. It's where you earn your bonus. It affects promotions and staffing decisions. Time is finite. You only get so many chances before the year is over and the bean counters tell everyone how you did. Your boss is eagerly waiting for these results.

Perhaps just as important, Q4 is a time for planning for next year. Maybe 2013 was a struggle. Maybe the company had a flat year, or only slight growth. Planning for next year is the first step toward crushing it in 2014.

Tell the world what your company is all about. Showcase the geniuses inside your firm. Don't just pitch. Provide useful, educational information. Demonstrate your expertise. Open the vault of knowledge. Establish industry credibility, your most valuable asset.

That one perfect lead can make your year. Add to your list of prospects now, and develop lasting relationships that will bear fruit over the months ahead. Sales don't happen overnight. Prospects can sense fear and uncertainty. Don't be fearful or uncertain. If you don't move with confidence and authority now, you are only delaying the process further. Are you up for it?

Don't settle for good enough. Don't let up and coast. End the year on a high note. Be memorable.

How do you get started? Ask yourself some honest questions.

• Do our prospects really know who we are and what we do?
• Do we have a strong funnel of prospects and a restocking plan for new ones?
• Are we using our marketing resources wisely and efficiently?
• Is our marketing portfolio diversified across multiple channels or do we bet on just a couple big things?
• Are we accelerating or taking our foot off the pedal?
• Have we done everything within our control to finish the year strong?
• Do we have a strong marketing plan in place for 2014?

What's stopping you? 

Budget? Get creative. Shake things up. Move money from unproductive sinkhole projects into things that move the needle.

Staff? Find a hungry intern who can't wait to prove herself. Give an employee a new project that takes him just beyond his comfort zone. Find an outside resource who can come in, do great work, and get out.

Lack of Executive Support? Show them you've got game. Challenge the C-suite to look at new ideas. Bring passion and intensity to your activities. They want to support your work, but only if they truly believe you will see it through to a successful outcome. Make believers out of them.

Stop making excuses, and start making a difference.

Here's the pitchy part...Click away now if it's not your thing.

Let us help you. We'll be a coach and a teammate to help you surge to victory in the remaining months of 2013, and prepare for a fast start in 2014. Our playbook is chock full of ideas, strategies, and tactics designed for winning in the life science industry: pharma, biotech, and medical devices. From print advertising and editorial coverage, to digital marketing campaigns and social media exposure, we can help you be victorious. Tap into our massive fan base (subscribers/followers/connections). Many of them are your future clients. What are you waiting for?

For print marketing coaching, contact Lisa Banket at lbanket@pharmalinx.com.

For online/digital bizdev coaching, contact Marah Walsh at mwalsh@pharmalinx.com.

Miley Cyrus Will Not Likely Be a Pharma Spokesperson

Could she be a future pharma endorser?

Sometimes a celebrity as a potential spokesperson for a product or a cause is a no-brainer.

• William Shatner for Priceline. Nailed it.
• LeBron James for Nike. Of course.
• Angelina Jolie for Louis Vuitton. Absolutely.

Michael J. Fox is clearly a magnificent spokesperson for Parkinson's Disease, as are many celebrities for other important causes.

While we see lots of celebrities jump onto causes and endorse organizations, rarely do we see a celebrity endorse a specific drug or other regulated product. Is it because using a compensated spokesperson can backfire, as Paula Dean did for Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug, Victoza?

Celebrities hold sway over their legions of fans. But is this influence worth it if the celebrity goes off the rails and becomes a liability? Endorsements seem to work best for pop culture products and lifestyle brands, where celebrity blowouts can be dealt with and the damage can be mitigated. But there are clearly industries where it doesn't work. Pharma is probably one of those industries.

This is almost certainly a good thing. Should I really ask my doctor to prescribe a drug just because a pro athlete or entertainer is paid to speak highly of it? Maybe it is better for celebrities to stick to hawking beer and sports drinks and underwear and luxury items, and stay away from regulated products.

Maybe it comes down to authenticity. Do we really believe celebrities use all the products they endorse? Not really. We take it with a grain of salt. We can't afford, however, to get caught up in potentially disingenuous celebrity endorsements when it comes to our health.

What are your thoughts on celebrities endorsing prescription products? Can these arrangements work? If so, which celebrities would you match with specific products? If not, why not? Leave a comment.

Kim Ramko, EY: 2013 PharmaVOICE 100

Kim Ramko, EY

Despite admonition from her parents to never own her own business, Kim Ramko, Americas Advisory Life Sciences Sector Lead, is an entrepreneur through and through. But where her parents managed a small, rural construction company, Kim builds global innovative businesses within the support structure of large firms. And while she may have inherited the entrepreneurial gene, she’s grown into an “intrapreneur,” building lines of business for some of the largest companies in the world.

Kim has always been diligent and driven. As high school valedictorian, she earned a full scholarship — she was the first in her family to even go to college. Kim majored in Computer Information Science, and she was so eager to jump into the working world that she finished college in just three years. Starting as a senior consultant, Kim stayed with KPMG for 10 years, making partner at 30 — at the time, the youngest partner in KPMG Consulting history.

Of her fast rise, Kim says, “It’s all about timing. I was the lead senior manager on a few big deals during a time when our practices were in a significant growth mode,” which helped accelerate her career.

People often think that making partner is the apex of a career — the highest height they can reach. But that’s merely the beginning and that’s just what it was for Kim. After KPMG spun off its consulting arm to BearingPoint, Kim moved on to Unisys to lead their Business Intelligence group, and later moved to CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation) to run a vertical business at the global level.

Through each of these career moves, Kim gained broad exposure to various parts of the industry, all while maintaining the common thread of innovative entrepreneurship at each of post. These collective experiences paved the way to her current post at EY. Since her appointment two years ago, Kim has quadrupled the size of the practice, with continued double digit growth rates.  However, these numbers do not capture the true impact she has had on the organization and the industry.

Collaboration has become a buzz word of sorts, but in Kim’s case, it is not simply a catch phrase.  She embraces the concept when it comes to finding solutions to the toughest challenges facing her clients. In one recent example, Kim dedicated much time to developing a unique solution for the chain of custody for drugs. Rather than limiting her insights to those within EY, Kim took the extra step of sharing them with leaders at other firms, putting the goal of finding a strong solution ahead of proprietary concerns. Kim is also a powerful advocate for women looking to advance in the industry. She recently had a role on an EY women’s advisory board, where she helped organize an 18-city road show talking to women at a local level about the issues involved in succeeding as an executive.

For the last 20 years, Kim has been building organizations from the ground up, helping organizations develop sustainable business models, collaborate effectively with non-traditional partners and demonstrate the value of their products to payers. She is a true change agent and is paving the way for life sciences companies to bring the next great lifesaving medicines to society.

Learn more about Kim through her PharmaVOICE 100 feature in the latest issue of PharmaVOICE.

To learn more about EY, visit www.ey.com.

Check out the other 99 PharmaVOICE 100 honorees in the digital edition of the issue.

Disruptive Technology: Creating Opportunity

by Tim Davis, CEO and co-founder of Exco InTouch

I’m often asked: what’s the best way to ensure our staff have the vision to keep Exco InTouch one step ahead of the competition? My answer is very simple: give people the freedom to express themselves and innovate.

Businesses really need to invest in their people in this way. Everyone who works for Exco InTouch is a bit of a geek; what we like to do in our spare time – as well as when we’re at work – is to investigate new technology. Our staff are constantly looking at what’s out there and bringing new ideas and innovations back into the office with them. They also have a deep understanding of the challenges faced by our customers. This, coupled with an expertise in current technology, allows Exco InTouch to continually solve problems with new ideas and technologies. Innovative ideas can be sparked anywhere; they’re as likely to happen in the kitchen making coffee as in any board meeting.

Disruptive technology is an odd phrase, which, at first glance, might seem to have rather negative connotations. However, the opposite is in fact true. With disruptive technology comes opportunity. At Exco InTouch we use our innovative ideas to create disruptive technology for the pharmaceutical sector to create a step-change in both the industry, and for those people using the technology.
Mobile internet is the very essence of disruptive technology in that it has come along and changed the way individuals act and behave. It has given individuals, even those in remote areas, access to information that they previously had no hope of being exposed to. The advances enabled in developing countries, such as health test reporting and gathering data on water salinization, are astounding.

In my opinion, a company should always be looking to identify the next disruptive technology and have the agility to adapt their services or products to introduce and exploit it. This is what we’ve done with mobile devices and mobile access to the internet at Exco InTouch. Be the leader, not the follower. There is a great skill in identifying the right disruptive technology, but picking a winner can reap great benefits. After all, any successful business is continually innovating and finding ways to be the best.

To find out more about how Exco InTouch is helping achieve better outcomes for healthcare programs through technological innovation, visit our blog page our view some of our case studies here .

About the Author:
Tim Davis is CEO and co-founder of Exco InTouch, the leading provider of mobile and digital patient engagement solutions to support the Clinical, Late Phase and mHealth industry. Having working in the clinical research technology industry for over 17 years, Tim is passionate about leveraging everyday technology to simplify the process of clinical data capture, both for the pharmaceutical industry and for the patients themselves. As a subject matter expert in the clinical technology arena Tim was recently recognized as one of the PharmaVOICE 100 for his vision in utilizing mobile technology to engage patients throughout the clinical trial and healthcare process.