In a special feature-length supplement in the September 2006 edition of Pharmaceutical Marketing Europe, Jonathan Foster and Rob Stringer of IMS Information Management (IM) Consulting discuss key factors in the development of successful IM strategies and best-practice implementation.
The increasingly complex pharma market, legacy issues and the growing trend toward globalization require a well thought-out, effective information management strategy that supports evidence-based effective decision making across multiple markets.
The value of information comes from the ability to leverage it in support of strategic and tactical decisions that drive sound commercial investment and revenue growth. Deploying a solution that leads to effective business decisions is key to an efficient business process. Business intelligence platforms and tools - including data integration, advanced analytics, reporting, dashboards and scorecards - have the power to collate and disperse complex information rapidly, enabling comparative analyses of performance across multiple dimensions, faster responses to key business issues and improved results.
Despite the many analytical tools available to pharma companies, the majority fall short of industry requirements at the technical, ROI and end-user levels. Complex and diverse pharma information characteristics and processes require tailored, high-tech applications and resources that speak the same language. A consistent and harmonized approach that enables every area's performance to be compared and best-practice lessons to be shared across territories is essential. Effectively supporting the information needs of pharma operations requires a unique combination of technical and business expertise focused on specific goals. Companies that understand the importance of defining the right metrics, as well as "best-practice" implementation and intuitive interfaces, are the ones that succeed.
In this article, Jonathan and Robert share case studies that illustrate the implications of these issues and how IMS helps clients improve their commercial success.