New Tool Expedites Process-Based Search Implementation in Vault QualityDocs

In April 2024, Veeva released Process Navigator Reference Hierarchies, a guide and accelerator for mapping documents to processes, enabling casual users to find process-related content faster.

In recent years, the biopharma and medtech industries have seen a shift in documentation search methods. Moving away from traditional smart numbering and metadata filtering, more companies now favor visual process-based searches, which allow casual users to find the content most essential to their jobs more quickly and efficiently.

In 2021, Veeva introduced Process Navigator, an intuitive drill-down interface, to advance visual, process-based search in Vault QualityDocs. The new feature was designed to let customers organize quality processes their way by identifying the processes most important to them and developing their own hierarchies. We learned, however, that this crucial first step can be the most challenging in starting with process-based search as no specific industry standards or best practices are in place to guide this work.

Veeva introduced Process Navigator Reference Hierarchies in April 2024 to provide a starting point. Available to all customers with live QualityDocs installations, they will be available in spreadsheet form and as a VPK file (downloadable via Veeva Connect) that can be loaded directly into existing Vaults. Effective 24R1, they will be automatically included as part of any new QualityDocs Vault.

Designed for flexibility, using a logical framework

Incorporating the latest industry standards, primarily ICH Q9 and Q10 and EU Annexes, as well as feedback from several of our customers, Veeva’s Process Navigator Reference Hierarchies model serves as an accelerator and a starting point for moving to process-based search in Vault QualityDocs.

The model maximizes flexibility for users. Both biopharma and medtech companies can use it and adjust it to align with their organizations as they evolve.

Figure 1

The hierarchies are organized into three basic process categories, as shown in Figure 1:

• Lifecycle management, for processes associated with product lifecycle during all critical phases, from research and development to clinical trials through to technical transfer activities.
• Operations, representing processes most relevant to supply chain, environmental health and safety, and manufacturing.
• Quality, including processes most closely connected with a company’s Quality Management System (QMS).

Each of these categories, in turn, is divided into process subcategories arranged in three different levels. The result is intuitive, easy-to-use process navigation that can put even casual Vault QualityDocs users on a fast track to finding process-specific content.

Diving deeper with demos and customer insights

So far, 44 companies, from small CROs to large biopharmas, are using Veeva’s Process Navigator. Haleon Systems is among a growing number of customers that have found that it helps improve user experience and increases user adoption.

This video provides more detailed information on Process Navigator Reference Hierarchies and includes a demo that explains how Process Navigator and the Reference Hierarchies work. The Process Navigator Reference Hierarchies model is also available to download here.

In June, Veeva’s 2024 EU R&D and Quality Summit in Madrid will highlight the latest developments with Process Navigator and the new Reference Hierarchies. Johanna Skepptstedt, associate director of quality at AstraZeneca, will share her team’s experiences working with Process Navigator. We look forward to seeing some of you there and sharing more updates and information on these Vault QualityDocs innovations over the next few months.

Visit the Veeva Connect QualityDocs community post to download the Process Navigator Reference Hierarchies.