Making Sense of the Tablet PC Revolution in the Pharmaceutical Industry Anthony S. Manson, Executive VP, Managing Director E-Sales Just as the iPod changed everything about the music industry, so is the tablet PC about to change the largest sales and marketing line item — the sales representative. According to recent estimates, there are 60,000 tablet PCs either in the field or on order in the pharmaceutical industry. Like many industries that have rapidly adopted new technologies, the change can be daunting and retraining a salesforce is a major challenge. The good news is that most of the top pharmaceutical companies have recognized the potential of the tablet PC and have bravely made the decision to embrace change. The amount of money saved on printing and shipping salesforce materials alone will pay for the investment in tablet PCs. But the benefits don’t stop there: marketing messages can be tested in different territories without the expense of going to independent companies to do the research. If a promotional message has to be revised because of an FDA requirement, it can be done instantly rather than recalling all of the printed literature. Reprints can be immediately ordered just by the physician’s signature. This tool can be more effective than any printed CVA because marketers can pretarget the message they want to deliver without flipping through a dog-eared piece. There are many challenges in deploying new technologies from changing a company’s processes to retraining its employees. The many tablet PC pilots during the past two years have identified where the keys to success are, and these are not just about hardware and software. Key Performance Indicators Set realistic objectives as to what the organization desires to achieve by deploying tablet PCs and detailing software. These goals are important as they determine how the technology should be used, and how success or failure is measured. Training It’s important to carefully plan the right methods to train the salesforce. This is not an easy objective; many representatives may not want to change. Be prepared for complaints, such as “this is just another way for the organization to spy on me and micromanage me.” Remember your reps are not just being trained on a new technology but a new way to detail the brand to a physician. Content Repurposing the visual aid is a starting point, but creating impact and easy-to-use content is critical. Keep in mind that what representatives want may not be what moves the physicians. Test the details with both sales reps and physicians. It’s important to distinguish between designing a library of content and providing relevant, targeted content segmented by physician type/behavior or call type. Creation of tablet PC content requires an information architecture, similar to designing a large Website or piece of software. If the information is not presented in an intuitive fashion, then it is useless. Process It is mission critical that there is an efficient workflow in place for not only the initial deployment but for ongoing optimization. Avoid rep fatigue by setting up a publishing calendar and updating processes to drive new and timely messages out to the field. With wireless technology, the rep can download the latest breaking brand news on the road before a call. Data Integration The tablet PC detailing software is a smart system and can synchronize with other databases allowing a rep to have a complete picture of the physician and recent marketing activity. The power of this integration is that the rep now knows what the physician did or saw the day before and can answer a question that he/she couldn’t before. Measurement The tablet PC is a computer and can capture reams of data, identifying the most important and actionable metrics that drive success. The most valuable assets in the organization are its data management and analytics skill sets. High-tech marketing requires a sophisticated data analytics function built in from the start that can make sense of the data and identify opportunities and challenges that need to be addressed. The tablet PC is about to change everything in pharmaceutical marketing. Embrace the change and it will lead you into what could be the most exciting time in the industry. The tablet PC is about to change everything in pharmaceutical marketing to healthcare professionals. Embrace the change and it will lead you into what could be the most exciting time in the industry. Avenue-e Health Strategies, New York, is a Sudler & Hennessey company devoted to offering e-marketing expertise. For more information, visit avee-health.com. October 2006 VIEW on E-Solutions

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