Earlier this year, we published an article exploring some of the challenges market access teams face when adapting globally-produced evidence, value propositions, and communication materials for use in local healthcare systems. Charlotte Harding (Consultant – Market Access) wrote: ‘6 questions to ask when adapting global market access materials for local markets’. Here, Iain Shield (Senior Consultant – Market Access) returns to this topic, to explore how a digital approach can add value, drive efficiencies, and offer solutions.

Preparing to win: local considerations when developing global materials

Developing a strategy for the rollout and adoption of globally-prepared value communication materials by local affiliates is key. There will be pivotal choices to make, even if you deploy the materials to just a few markets.

The approach to demonstrating value in one market won’t necessarily work in another, due to variations in pricing, pathways, policies, competitors, etc. For example, a budget impact model in one market may need to be based around capacity, whilst another may need to focus on budget. Charlotte explores this in more detail here.

One of the best ways to enable local markets to efficiently adapt tools is to ensure that the original global materials are designed and developed with this in mind.

Be it a budget impact model, value proposition, or other visual aid, there will likely be differences across markets that require small (or significant) adaptations. Without a clear strategy, these can be challenging to manage, and could result in local affiliates disengaging. So, how can Global teams mitigate these risks?

1) Speak to local affiliates and involve them in the development of the global model

The best global materials are those developed with input from local affiliates. Great communication with Local Market Access teams should be a top priority. Local teams understand their markets and can provide customer and system insights. In her article, Charlotte outlined some of the key considerations that you should explore with affiliates, from a messaging and evidence perspective. Here are some things to consider from a design and technical perspective:

• How are Local teams using their current materials? Do existing tools work for them? Can new materials align? If they aren’t working, what is the challenge and how can we overcome this?
• Do all the Local teams have access to the same resources and platforms? Some customer relationship management (CRM) systems, that also deliver field team materials, require user licenses. Do all local affiliates have access? Will you need to ensure that the tool is compatible with several platforms? If the field team is a third party, will central management of materials be possible?
• Are multiple future updates anticipated? Maintaining only one version of a tool can simplify updates, but is not always feasible. How will efficient updates be managed?
• What technologies do Local field teams and healthcare customers use? Does the tool need to work for mobile and web? Should the tool be able to run offline?

Exploring these questions will give you the opportunity to understand the local nuances and challenges, and build adaptability into the original tool. Talking to your affiliates and the approvals/Signatory team during the initial design and development phases will reveal many of these hurdles ahead of time.

2) Be flexible and build in adaptability

With a bit of forward thinking and flexibility, it is possible to develop options that suit your situation and the needs of the local markets.

For example, we often recommend the use of placeholders for products. This can be a great way to build in flexibility and help future-proof a tool. Another option is to build a more comprehensive tool, where components can be switched off or reinstated to meet the needs of different markets. In general, simplifying elements wherever possible will make downstream adaptation easier.

There is a trade-off between developing an extensive, complex tool that can handle differences between markets, and developing a more basic tool that requires bespoke adaptation. How far you go, when to draw the line, and which specific requirements can be split into separate pieces of work, depends on many parameters. It can be a hard decision to make, although keeping it simple is always a useful guiding principle.

Digital options for market access communication tools

In order to effectively build in adaptability, work flexibly, and meet the needs of multiple local affiliates, many of our Pharmaceutical and Medtech clients turn to digital solutions.

‘Digital’ means different things to different people. In this context, we mean a software solution. In contrast to a Microsoft Office document like a Word dossier or PowerPoint presentation, a digital solution delivers enhanced design and functionality. Put simply, it can look and feel much more professional and deliver better results!

Digital options can also help solve some common challenges around managing distribution, withdrawal, updates, and compliance. They can also offer solutions for field teams on the move. There are several options to consider, with different benefits and drawbacks:

1) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms

CRM platforms, such as Veeva CRM, offering closed-loop marketing (CLM) presentations have built-in features that you and your teams will be able to use. Your teams may already be used to the platform, so it will be an easy step for them to use new materials that are integrated with it. CRM platforms offering CLM have the functionality to:

• Easily distribute materials to multiple devices – distribution is often based around permissions, which allows you to make materials available to field teams wherever they are, and gives you the flexibility to turn on/off different features for certain users or devices
• Enable centralised withdrawal and updates – you can easily pull materials to keep teams compliant. Features to push out new versions are also convenient when compared with the alternative of a file-based system
• Provide usage statistics – these can be used to inform future improvements and development
• Integrate effectively with your CRM system – can also be integrated with existing information and consent capture policies

When a CRM is already embedded within a business, it’s the obvious choice (although, as stated above, it is important to check that all Local field teams have access). Whilst these systems are quite flexible, there is often a defined approach; working with this approach rather than working around it is advisable.

2) Stand-alone software

Stand-alone apps distributed by mobile device managers (MDMs) can be a great alternative option. The MDM enables some of the functionality offered by a CLM platform: tools can still be available offline, and distribution can also be automated; however, you are creating something new that stands alone. There may not be a set process for review and approvals. You may run into complications as different teams get to grips with the process. Enabling an early dialogue between those developing the tool, those reviewing it, and those distributing it can be an enormous help. Establishing an end-to-end test environment is also important. As is early communication for how distribution packages can be securely passed between teams.

3) Web-based approach

A web-based solution can be a great option for a companion piece to augment core communication material delivered through another channel. This omnichannel approach can deliver the best of both worlds.

It is logical to think that a bespoke web application can solve all technology hurdles for market access materials; however, a web-based approach can present a barrier for tools that need to run offline.

Overall, web technologies are an ideal choice for developing materials (even if they aren’t delivered via a traditional client-server approach). Mtech Access adopt web technologies as a common code base and develop wrappers to deliver the materials across a range of devices and channels. This allows costs to be contained and development time can also be minimised, as code can be reused.

Enhancing your local market access tools with digital

Your rollout strategy needs to be as strong and considered as the materials themselves. Your strategy can impact how well the materials will be used and, ultimately, how successful your campaign will be. Digital has many features to offer and can help you get materials out there, as well as aid in delivering the narrative.

Mtech Access can help you navigate the options and maximise a successful launch. We do this by developing the materials, managing changes across markets, advising on the best digital strategy, and then delivering on it. To speak to our experts about your requirements, email info@mtechaccess.co.uk.

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What led you to become a developer working on market access platforms and tools?

I started my developer career 23 years ago. I moved into the market access space in 2011, focusing on developing various enterprise level platforms and tools.

I am largely self-taught as a web developer. I worked initially for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) where I was introduced to various database technologies and systems. This experience gave me a solid foundation in database management, which proved to be useful in my later work.

Between the MOD and moving into market access, I worked with an online university, enhancing and maintaining 29 platforms globally. This involved working on various tech stacks. I was privileged to work on every aspect of these solutions, from the database infrastructure right through to the user interface.

After working as a freelancer for some time, I was contracted by a market access agency, which is where I first got involved in this area of work. I have continued to work with David Niziol, Andrew Spencer, Anthony Bentley, Lydia Crowe, Iain Shield, and others in the industry ever since. The market access industry presented an exciting opportunity to develop tools that could have a meaningful impact on people's lives. I was eager to take on the challenge.

Today I work with an experienced team of professionals in this field, which has allowed me to continually grow and develop my skills and expertise.

So in your 10+ years working on market access tools, what changes have you seen?

In the last 10+ years, I have seen significant changes in the market access industry. While the core deliverables, such as budget impact models and value proposition toolkits, have remained largely the same, what has changed is the target platforms for these tools. Initially, we were developing tools for iPads and Windows devices. Then it shifted to Veeva CRM on these target devices, and now clients are using multiple platforms. As a result, responsive design has become a key focus for us.

Responsive design refers to the ability of a website or application to adjust its layout and content to fit different screen sizes and resolutions. The aim is to ensure a consistent user experience across devices. From a development perspective, this requires careful planning and design to ensure that the tool is optimised for use on different devices, from desktops to smartphones. For users, responsive design means they can access the same content and functionality on different devices, without any loss of functionality or ease of use.

Another significant change I have seen is the increasing interest and use of artificial intelligence (AI). AI has become a big focus for us. We are looking at ways to apply it to different tools, such as our Global Value Platform. Specifically, we are exploring how Large Language Modelling (LLM) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) can be used to help clients interrogate their global value materials. Instead of using a traditional keyword/phrase search, users would ask questions in natural language. Plus view automated summaries of document content.

Which types of tools/projects do you most enjoy working on? Do you have a favourite?

As a developer working on market access tools and platforms, I enjoy working on a range of different projects. However, I have a particular fondness for full-stack platforms. With these projects I am able to work on every layer of the infrastructure. Examples include Connected Insights, which is a real-world data platform, and our Global Value Platform.

When we developed Connected Insights I worked on everything from the database design to the user interface. This was a great challenge and provided me with a lot of satisfaction. The project required me to work with complex datasets and develop ways to visualise these data in a user-friendly way.

The Global Value Platform is another example of a full-stack project that I have enjoyed working on. This platform was developed to help clients interrogate their global value materials more effectively. Once again, I was able to work on every aspect of the project, from the back-end to the front-end.

In addition to full-stack platforms, I also enjoy working on bespoke projects. For example, I recently worked with a client to design a platform that enable data to be passed more efficiently between global and local teams. This platform was designed specifically for the client to save them time and improve their reporting and analyses. We have received great feedback on its functionality and usability.

“The software platform that Mtech Access developed for us has 100% improved the way we access and use these data across the company. Where before we had a very manual process, now the platform saves us time, data are a lot easier to analyse and the quality and safety of the data have improved massively. Our team loves it!” – Global Market Access and Health Economics Lead, Leading healthcare products and services company

Overall, I enjoy working on a range of different projects, but full-stack platforms and bespoke projects are among my favourites. These types of projects allow me to work on every layer of the infrastructure, whilst ensuring that the tools we develop are tailored to meet the specific needs of our clients.

What does a typical day look like in your role?

Every day is different and brings with it a new set of exciting challenges.

Typically, my day starts with a catch up with the developer and design team. Here we discuss our tasks for the day. This is really helpful from a resourcing perspective, and it's great to know what everyone else is working on.

From there, I prioritise any client-specific requests or queries that have come in overnight. After that, I dive straight into the day's tasks, working towards the next project milestone. This can involve anything from coding and testing to problem-solving and troubleshooting.

Throughout the day, I attend internal project meetings and meetings with clients. I work closely with project managers to ensure that our development aligns with the client's requirements and objectives. This collaborative approach means that we are always focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for our clients.

Despite the pace being fast and the work often challenging, I find that the varied nature of my role keeps me engaged and motivated. As a Lead Developer, I'm also involved in engaging with colleagues more than a typical developer. As such, I get to collaborate with a broad range of people and develop my skills in different areas.

Overall, I love what I do. Every day brings with it new opportunities to learn, grow and make a positive impact in the world of market access.

How has Mtech Access evolved since you joined?

Having been the first developer to join Mtech Access, I've seen the company evolve and grow in many exciting ways. When I first joined, there were only four of us in the entire organisation. Today, we have around 90 colleagues across six different offices.

Despite this significant growth, one thing that has remained constant is the culture at Mtech Access. While you might expect a larger organisation to have a different feel to a small-medium enterprise, I am pleased to say that the relaxed, friendly culture that drew me to the company in the first place has remained intact.

Despite the company's expansion, we continue to work with a team of enthusiastic people who are experts in their field. As a result, we are able to maintain a highly professional atmosphere while still enjoying the benefits of a close-knit team.

In summary, I am proud of the way Mtech Access has evolved since I first joined. We've grown in size and scope; yet, we've managed to maintain the culture and values that made me want to work here in the first place.

What makes Mtech Access different? / What might surprise an outsider about Mtech Access?

What makes Mtech Access different is the supportive and collaborative culture that exists throughout the company. At Mtech Access, we place a strong emphasis on working together as a team. That ethos extends beyond individual project teams or departments. The support we give each other is something that sets us apart from other companies, as it's not always a given in today's workplace.

Everyone at Mtech Access is approachable, friendly, and committed to working together to achieve our goals. This helps create a very positive and inclusive culture within the company.

If you could swap your expertise and role with a colleague from another team, who would you swap with?

I would choose to swap with a Designer. I have a lot of respect for the creative skills and vision that our design team possess. Whilst I do think about design as a developer, my perspective is primarily technical, and not purely creative. I would love to learn more about design principles, creative processes and techniques, and how to balance aesthetics with user experience.

When you are not at work, what do you like to do?

When I am not at work, my family and I like to spend a lot of time together. We have three children who are now all adults, but we still enjoy going out to eat and going to the gym. My wife and I love to travel and spend time in our campervan whenever we can.

Additionally, I like to help my sons with their clothing brand business, from time to time. Particularly with technical tasks such as enhancing their e-commerce store. Overall, I enjoy spending time with my family and being outdoors. Whether it's camping or just going for a walk in nature.

To learn more about how our developers apply their digital expertise to market access challenges, from apps to AI, please email info@mtechacccess.co.uk.

If you are interested in joining our team at Mtech Access, please visit our careers page for details of our current vacancies.

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What population structures can be supported and where do the data come from?

We can support any population structure, depending on the needs of the tool. In the UK, for example, this might include Integrated Care Systems (ICS), Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), Primary Care Networks (PCNs), providers, health boards and/or GP practices.

The population structure and data for population sizes can come from public sources or from our clients’ own datasets. We can also include population-level datasets where available, for example, prescribing, hospitalisations and disease management performance measures.

Within our digital tools, we typically use a population selection interface that allows easy searching via a text box and enables multiple populations to be clustered.

Can the tools save scenarios?

Yes, our tools allow the saving of scenarios. Where scenarios are saved will depend on the nature of the tool and how it is integrated with your CRM / deployment platform. For example, if your tool is a native iPad app, scenarios will be stored locally on the iPad. However, if the tool is integrated with Veeva CRM, scenarios will be saved locally on the device and then synced with the central Veeva system.

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Meet our panellists:

Anthony Bentley – Director, Health Economics

Lydia Crowe – Director, Customer Communication

Ryan Booth – Senior Graphic Designer

Rob Pitt – Senior Developer

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Veeva has quickly established itself as the industry standard CRM platform for the Pharmaceutical sector, and following its acquisition of the popular Zinc Ahead content compliance business in 2015, Veeva now offers the combined benefits of CRM and Closed Loop Marketing (CLM), as well as the robust content compliance features brought through ZINC now delivered via Veeva Vault PromoMats.

While ZINC has been the trusted content compliance system for many in our regulatory-sensitive  industry, the use of Veeva by Market Access teams remains limited.  Already established as a platform for managing the static digital, print or PDF materials typically developed by marketing teams, among market access teams Veeva is perceived as being unsuitable for the dynamic, data-driven HEOR apps and Budget Impact Models (BIMs) developed to justify and support a reimbursement decision.

Not true.  Not only is it now possible to deploy complex Market Access content such as BIMs and Health Economic apps via Veeva, there are compelling reasons why such valuable content should be deployed via Veeva to finally achieve the promise of integrated CLM.

1. Seamlessly integrate Market Access and Commercial activities

Arguably, the opportunity to present a budget impact model to a healthcare prescriber or payer represents the very pinnacle of sales and marketing efforts for Pharma, often seen as a final step before contracting and prescribing your product to patients.  Time invested pouring over a model demonstrates genuine interest in your product, as they seek to discover what impact your product might yield in an individual healthcare setting.

Yet, all too often, commercial and Market Access teams fail to integrate their efforts, “passing the baton” between teams rather than achieving a single siloed overview.  Closed Loop Marketing (CLM) is not new to market access teams, but to date integrating CLM data-points from BIMs back into an organisations’ CRM system have been expensive, inflexible and ineffective.  Expensive because an entire layer of programming typically needs to be incorporated into standalone BIM apps to permit 2-way communication with CRM servers; inflexible because changing data-points often means re-programming the model to accommodate such changes; and ineffective because without true integration of systems, the interpretation and use of the data is always going to be limited.

By deploying BIMs via Veeva, seamless integration of commercial and market access efforts can be achieved in an environment familiar to commercial teams.  Timelines of interaction with clients, interest areas captured via marketing automation systems, and prescribing history are all presented alongside the information captured from BIMs.  Rather than market access being a separate operation, deploying BIMs via Veeva means market access becomes an integral part of commercial efforts.

2. Verify value claims, and quickly react to payer / prescriber feedback

The development of any BIM is typically preceded by appropriate stakeholder research, competitive landscaping and message development.  Such pre-build work is meant to ensure that the resulting model presents value messages and results that resonate with the challenges faced by that healthcare setting, be that adverse events avoided, improved patient outcomes, or simply a clear financial gain.  But these assumptions are not truly tested until a model is presented live in front of a payer/prescriber.  Only then will the months of research and carefully crafted models be put to the test.

Feedback can therefore be hugely beneficial to the market access team, confirming the model and value proposition are received well.  But the advantages can go much deeper than this.  Cross referencing this data with different audience roles, different territories or following the arrival of a new competitive treatment, all mean that model assumptions and messages can be validated against the changing environment and, if necessary, adjusted to react to changes or unexpected objections.

And this approach is a hit with commercial teams, too, helping to instil confidence in a BIM, keeping it relevant and trusted as the go-to tool, and helping to confirm market access as a valued extension to the overall commercial effort.

3. Demonstrate a Return On Investment of BIMs to internal stakeholders

The complexity and science of market access is often poorly understood outside of the department. Recording CLM data to demonstrate usage is not new, but by integrating BIMs into the wider ecosystem of Veeva, market access can clearly demonstrate the impact of the model in the real world.

This might include determining correlations between BIM usage and commercial deals won, identifying the most effective users of BIMs in any given ecosystem and replicating their experience, or territory penetration and BIM message/focus.  Having the tool within Veeva opens up the power of its report generation functions to enable insights not previous possible.

4. Avoid the headache of multiple distribution platforms

To date, deploying standalone digital BIMs on devices like iPad or other mobile devices has been achieved by proprietary mobile device management (MDM) systems. However, the use of multiple systems (one for market access and one for marketing) presents an administrative and maintenance burden to users and IT teams alike.

Approving, updating and revoking BIM versions and users via an additional third party system carries not only an administrative burden, but introduces the risk of human error because it requires the manual management of materials and users across 2 systems .  An advantage of one centralised system like Veeva is how user privileges can be globally controlled, e.g. a deleted user is deleted from all access.

Such global software also means on-going support, commitment throughout the organisation, and centralised investment rather than requiring an additional investment because market access is “special”.

Like other MDM systems, versions and users can be approved, updated and revoked within Veeva.  Unlike other MDM systems, utilising Veeva means no additional administrative or cost overhead, and reduces the chances of human error.

5. Benefit from the investment in a single company-wide compliance system for all customer facing materials

With content compliance being such an important issue in pharma, the risks of non-compliance are significant.  As with MDM systems, the use of third party compliance control brings with it administrative burden, additional cost and the risk of human error.

The acquisition of Zinc Ahead by Veeva systems in 2015, and Veeva’s subsequent announcement that Zinc will not be supported beyond 2020 has brought the issue fore.  For those organisations already deploying Veeva, the transition is straight forward, especially for the “static” materials developed by marketing teams such as web sites, print or PDF materials.  But now that market access teams can also use Veeva for the dynamic, interactive HEOR and budget impact models, there is no need to fund, administer and maintain separate, propriety software

About Mtech Access

Mtech Access is an experienced and trusted MA, HEOR and Value Communication agency serving the healthcare sector.  It utilizes its industry knowledge and its design and technical expertise to develop powerful value communication tools to engage the various stakeholders and decision makers in healthcare systems around the world.

A full Veeva Agency Partner, it has developed a proven solution to integrate complex, dynamic models such as BIMs into Veeva for major Pharma organisations, bringing MA teams the full benefits of Veeva’s approval, compliance, distribution and CLM features to industry leading dynamic BIM visualisations across multiple mobile platforms.

 With Health Economics, Value Communication, Digital programming, Design and Veeva know-how all in-house, projects are managed from a single point of contact, removing the burden of project management, to-ing and fro-ing between disparate teams, contracting with multiple suppliers, and poor clarity over project responsibility.

Read more at https://mtechaccess.co.uk/all-services/veeva-partnership/

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