“Pharmaceutical companies, for a while now have employed pharma SFE software to use online/offline reporting to facilitate updating of reports by the MRs and its review by the management. The use of mobile apps in particular has been useful in tracking live updates and providing the user freedom from having to be in office or in front of a computer. This proves to be a major advantage as medical representatives are required to always be on the move, visiting doctors and other people of interest.”

However, implementing pharma sales force automation does come with its share of hindrances which need to be addressed. The following are some of the challenges faced and successes that can be achieved in terms of sales force automation in the pharma industry.

Challenges

1. Reluctance by users

Be it the top management or the medical representatives, when it comes to changing routine, there will be some resistance initially. The learning of and adapting to new systems when it comes to reporting and analysis may seem unnecessary, but it has to be kept in mind that if companies don’t get along with the current now, there will be difficulties catching up later.

2. Inaccurate data

The quality and usability of the reports are largely based on the raw data it is processed from. If the input updated from MRs is inaccurate or irrelevant, the reports will not be as effective as expected.

3. User training

For the success of any new system to be implemented, it is necessary that the personnel involved are trained to adapt to it. The MRs should be given training about the reporting process and the various features such as online/offline reporting that can be used in order to provide more accurate and useful information. No matter how good the sales force automation software is, if there is no proper implementation and execution, the goal cannot be fully achieved.

4. Monitoring

After the setup of the SFE software, the implementation should be closely monitored. It has to be ensured that the MRs are entering the right data using the right means to accurately capture the information.

Successes

1. Organized data

A good, sales force automation software will enable the organization to fetch the relevant information in an easy to understand format. This can help to make important planning and execution decisions and in turn drive higher sales.

2. Customer retention

Customer retention can be challenging for companies when they are not ready to change as per customers’ want. Using sales force automation software will help pharma companies in collecting the feedback from the doctors and using it to improve efficiency in sales.

3. Lesser sales time

With all the relevant data easily available in the SFE software, the MRs can access this information through their mobile devices before meeting with the doctors and finish the job much quicker. This provides the opportunity for the MR to make more calls for the day.

4. Tracking and follow up

In the competitive world of pharma sales, an SFE software will help you in scheduling meetings and calls to the doctors and also in the follow up process. This ensures that no prospects are missed and helps in achieving maximum sales.

Using the features of SFE software, companies can gain more insight about the various aspects of their organizations’ business processes and lead to success.