Managing Complexity with Smarter Alignments

May 29, 2019 | Tobias Schurrle

The animal health division of a leading European life sciences company wanted to improve its alignments process by reducing manual effort and improving accuracy in segmentation and targeting data.

By switching to Veeva Vault CRM Align, the team reduced the time to adjust territories from two months to four days. Territory updates are now made as needed instead of once per year, allowing marketing and field teams to receive more accurate segmentation and targeting data in their CRM.

A limited solution for a complex business

The consequences of having a limited territory alignment solution were significant for the organization. Besides the usual criteria of veterinary specialties, languages, and geographic location, the team had to factor in 500+ products across five business units and thousands of animal species. “The complexity of our business overwhelmed the solution we were using. We needed a more dynamic solution for our field force to focus on the right customers,” says the commercial program director.

Slow and costly manual processes added to the complexity. For instance, swapping reps when other reps were out sick or on holiday required a lot of manual modifications. Also, adjusting and updating territories – which usually takes days – took two months. Because of this, teams held territory adjustment sessions annually instead of quarterly. Consequently, their marketing and field teams were not receiving accurate information for their campaigns.

Moving to smarter alignments

Growing complexity, lack of resources for manual interventions, and the need for accurate accounts influenced the decision to find a better territory alignment solution.

Align helped the organization realize benefits that were crucial for commercial operations.

• Unlimited alignment rules for detailed segmentation and targeting
• On-demand territory updates for more accurate and current data
• 90% reduction in time spent on manual administrative processes
• An integrated and holistic view of customer interactions in each territory

The territory alignments processes are now not only more efficient but also smarter, giving commercial teams more agility, control, and overall visibility in accounts.

Learn how GSK uses Align’s key features, including Integrated Territory Feedback, to make field planning faster and more efficient.