Veeva Viewpoint – The Global Reach of Regional Innovations
Our Veeva Viewpoint column features our best and brightest minds discussing the topics about which they are most passionate.
The Global Reach of Regional Innovations
Veeva View Point with Arno Sosna, General Manager, CRM
Recently, we spoke with Arno Sosna, vice president of CRM product management at Veeva, to understand how his worldwide team of product managers synthesizes local requirements into global CRM capabilities. We found Arno’s insights compelling, and we’re delighted to share them with you.
During the process of designing and innovating within regional requirements, there are global implications to address. Can you expand on that for us?
Even when you design at the local level, it’s critical to be aware of the global ramifications. There are inherent challenges in going global with a single application, because you still need to satisfy regional regulations and create go-to-market processes that reflect local business practices. In other words, a single application must satisfy different cultures, habits, work structures and legal environments. Since these elements vary drastically across the globe, Veeva product managers must deeply understand each individual region and its customers. Then, we build a single, global product that can change shape to operate in different regions, each with their own unique requirements.
Have you seen instances in which a global company deploys an innovation in a particular region, sees it perform well, and then expands its use to other regions?
Often times, a particular region will bring a great idea to the table. In a certain sense, Veeva’s global CRM application is made up of a collection of best practices we’ve found working with our customers across the globe. For example, a customer in Japan needed a new way of scheduling appointments. From that need, the One-Click Scheduler, was born, and it has become a standard in our scheduling function.
Another example of a regional innovation that took off globally was Photo Capture in China. China was having participation problems with their representatives at events, so companies began using Photo Capture at medical events to document attendance by taking photos of the audience and attaching them into the CRM. As they became familiar with its capabilities, customers started to get creative with this feature. For example, they would use it to upload a photo of information that they didn’t have the time to type.
As General Manager, CRM, Arno Sosna defines the direction of all Veeva CRM products, ensuring that Veeva delivers best in class products for each global region, with a focus on streamlined usability, rich functionality and end-to-end customer success. Arno has extensive experience as a Product Manager and System Architect of global CRM systems, and a background in life sciences that spans Rx, OTC and Animal Health businesses. Arno’s work has led him across several continents—Europe, the Americas and Asia—so he is familiar with an array of markets and can balance a global perspective with an understanding of local requirements.