When launching a new digital product in pharma, one of the biggest challenges is global rollout and scaling. With a lot to be considered—local regulations, language and translations, capability and capacity, on-boarding regional teams—it can be overwhelming to know where to start to ensure your digital strategy is deployed efficiently, without compromising on quality.
The secret lies in finding the right balance between planning, process, structure, and flexibility. It might sound like a dichotomy, but when you have each of these elements in the right measure, your digital product launches are more likely to stay on time and go off without a hitch.
Setting Up for Success
Before you even consider introducing your digital product in new markets or brands (beyond a strategic plan), it is important to make sure you are creating the best “basic” product for end users. Project managers working within pharma come under pressure from the business to deliver a roll-out rapidly, but when you rush you often end up with an end product that is not fit for purpose and needs significant re-work post-launch, which is costly and time consuming.
One of the best ways to set your project up for success from the get-go is to build a set of tools that facilitate the rollout during the design process. Having a robust and well-built design system offers the flexibility to create the variation needed between markets, whilst ensuring consistency in branding, style, and user experience.
Once you have a solid minimum viable product (MVP) that delivers against the needs of the end user, it is critical to discuss and agree on what success looks like so that you can build a scale-up plan that delivers to expectations. This needs to include:
- Defining the rollout plan – Which markets are you focusing on? How have they been defined and why? Different markets have different regulatory needs, and the lived experiences of those using the product—HCPs or patients—will be different, and the changes and processes that need to be followed must be built into launch strategies and timelines.
- Understanding the MVP – It takes time to perfect a new digital product, both before and after launch. It is important to understand what the MVP is for each market, and accept that it will need to be updated and improved after launch.
- Preparing your stakeholders – Your internal stakeholders need to be taken on the journey so that they are clear on what the project entails. They need to understand that rollouts take time, and see the value that following a process will add to the organization.
- Setting key performance indicators (KPIs) – Taking the overall objectives, build a series of measurable KPIs that allow you to define success in line with the end goals of the project.
- Building a timeline – Digital design takes time, and hiccups are likely to occur along the way. It is important to define the risks, assumptions, and considerations before you begin, and build flexibility into the timeline for any unexpected challenges
Develop a Pilot to Avoid a “Mayday” Experience
Once you’ve defined the project, the best course of action is to develop high-level prototypes that can be tested with real end users. Companies often skip this step due to the time this process can take, but it is invaluable in saving time post-launch; if any elements don’t deliver to the end-users’ needs, they will need to be adjusted and it’s quicker to resolve this following a one-region pilot than after a global rollout.
In addition to ensuring that the digital product meets the needs of end users, and therefore meets business objectives, pilots also allow us to optimize the design process. It will take more time and effort, but in the long run it helps to identify pain points and result in a smoother rollout in other markets.
Building in Flexibility to Keep the Project on Track
When you are working on a large-scale rollout, it is highly unlikely that everything will go to plan, at every stage, which means that flexibility and communication need to be built into your roadmap and ways of working. This becomes even more important when you’re working on a project with a quick turnaround time, because the plan might need to adjust to take account of unexpected hiccups.
For a digital product rollout on a tight timeline, it is crucial that the scope is clearly defined, as increased resource will be required at specific times in the project, and organization between all parties is key for everything to run smoothly. No matter how well you plan, an unforeseen issue will always need to be addressed, which is why you must have a well set up backlog. While the majority of the resource will be dedicated to implementing the rollout, it is important to keep some capacity within the team to manage issues or barriers that need further exploration.
To make this approach truly work, it is essential the pharma company and the design and development team have regular contact and alignment. It minimizes miscommunication on requirements and expectations, and ensures that every team is accountable for their deliverables and understands the impact of not delivering on time.
Honesty and Transparency Underpin Success
Honesty and transparency between the client and the design team is critical—on expectations, personal and business pain points, and any bumps in the road. With that mentality, design teams can build trustworthy relationships with clients and/or partners, and better understand any larger pressures within their organization, so that the team can help the companies achieve their goals—and create the best overall outcome for the project.
Designers and developers will do everything in their power to make the digital product development process as smooth as possible, but managing the expectations of pharma companies’ internal stakeholders is critical so that they understand how the moving parts fit together and the timelines for development, sign off, and regulatory approval. Through effective prioritization, and with a focus on the MVP, developers and pharma marketers can work together to ensure that timelines are met and the product delivered meets the needs of both the end user and the business.
