Missions come in all shapes and sizes. Small-time. Big-time. Most? Somewhere in between.
For this industry-funded global player, mission is everything. Because the outcomes of biopharmaceutical research and development (R&D) have everything to do with patient outcomes. And strengthening one – to benefit the other – is this organization’s focus.
Founded on an abiding belief that members of the R&D community could accomplish more for patients through industry-wide collaboration, this highly respected nonprofit had made remarkable progress in its mission in recent years.
Powered by its partnership with a global network of biopharma member companies, the organization had stayed true to its strategic priorities around patient experience, drug safety, and process efficiency. 60+ solutions had been launched (most of which have been made publicly available) with the active involvement of R&D leaders, and another 30+ solutions were in development.
The CEO and board members had gone one step further: to define a future state in which R&D efforts would be faster, more efficient, and utilize all available information.
This future state vision provided extra fuel for senior leaders’ efforts. They understood first-hand the collaborative spirit, brilliant thinking and meticulous planning behind every solution. But the level of engagement, value and impact of each solution across the industry? This was more difficult to assess. To attain this future state, they’d need to crack the code in these areas.
They turned to the team at Navigate to dig in. A promising early start informed the path forward, and the partnership continues today. The result? Establishment of true competence in driving engagement and tracking value and impact, with metrics to prove it. Here’s how:
Ready, Set, Play(book)
Long-established ways of working don’t change overnight, but they shift far more quickly with the right tools and support. Key initiative teams – comprised largely of R&D leaders from many of the world’s largest pharma companies – would need to think and operate differently at each stage of the project. A playbook to help them through each step? Pivotal.
But before the playbook could be written, plays had to be drawn up. A trusted member of the Navigate team paired up with the organization’s value and implementation leader to accomplish both simultaneously. Together, they went deep with two specific high-visibility solution teams, testing new tactics and approaches and ultimately defining best practices.
The resulting playbook became the keystone for guiding teams on precisely how – at each stage of solution development – to lay the groundwork for launches designed to generate and measure awareness, engagement, and impact.
Early Wins, for the Win
Initial efforts took hold, and results soon followed. Tracking the use of a toolkit aimed at improving a specific type of patient experience showed widespread engagement by major research sponsors. Industry stakeholders spotlighted key data from a different initiative to support the development of emerging technology. Merging pharmaceutical companies employed yet another solution to define and adopt a new process for an important aspect of the combined company’s compliance and reporting.
The solution teams behind these initiatives were encouraged by their initial successes, and the results spurred on other teams to adopt these new ways. Aided by the playbook and the support of the Navigate team, early wins generated momentum.
The Bird’s Eye View
Measure what you treasure, or so they say. Once the tools to better measure solution engagement and impact began to be deployed – and wins accumulated – the Navigate team lead worked with leaders to create robust reporting on engagement and value delivery for each initiative.
This monthly bird’s eye view of 20+ initiatives added to the positive energy around measuring impact. The reporting also enabled stakeholders, including the board of directors and integrated leadership team, to make critical decisions related to investment, advocacy and incremental collaboration opportunities.
More of the Same? Yes, Please!
The solution teams were off to an excellent start, but there was always more to be done. The Navigate team members had become business partners to the solution teams, helping them begin to think and act differently to measure value and impact. The playbook was foundational, but the 1:1 guidance, coaching and support had a multiplier effect.
Energized by its early success, the organization continues to focus on embedding new mindsets and behaviors across its ever-evolving array of solution teams. Higher impact launches + stronger engagement = greater impact on R&D teams around the world, and better outcomes for patients. The future state wasn’t around the corner, but it was most certainly on the horizon.
This monthly bird’s eye view of 20+ initiatives added to the positive energy around measuring impact. The reporting also enabled stakeholders, including the board of directors and integrated leadership team, to make critical decisions related to investment, advocacy and incremental collaboration opportunities.
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