| |August 20179CIOReviewThere is immense competition for the doctor's mind space, with this increasing awareness amongst patients, coupled with a competitive landscape. The challenge for any company is to ensure that its brand stands out amongst others.While competencies like state of art manufacturing facilities, a great supply chain, and excellent distribution system, customer relationships will continue to be core necessities; these will no longer be differentiating factors.In this situation, a critical enabler which has great potential, and has not been used to its full capability by organizations in the Pharmaceutical Industry, is Technology and Digital Media.There are several examples from other In-dustries which validate the fact that technol-ogy can bridge the accessibility and awareness gap for any sector. The Indian Railways is one such example. Ear-lier people would queue up for several hours to book tickets, whereas now tickets can be booked online for several sectors if required. Use of social media to amplify personal achievements or milestones is another such example.Similarly, technology can be utilized to help information reach doctors and patients in an optimum manner, beyond just personal connect.Digital presence of brands will be very important to ensure that they are available through physical as well as digital channels, if they are in OTC/OTX segment.A 2016 estimate suggests that in India, there is a shortage of 500,000 doctors with only one doctor per 1674 patients. (Source- Hindustan Times)Today there are several Doctor-Patient online connect platforms and this makes up for the absence of doctors. The Government is also planning to start a helpline for patients to connect with doctors, but this is in the planning stage as of now. Several companies are already equipped with a Unique Doctor database which helps them understand where the focus on doctors can be improved demographically. Technology can also help reach rural doctors and subsequently patients, thus improving the dissemination of key medical insights. Similarly, there are several apps, recommended by doctors, which help patients manage chronic diseases.Abbott in India has a dedicated Digital & Technology taskforce which focuses on aspects of CRM, Customer Experience & Insights, Mobility, Digital Innovation leading to Business Effectiveness. The Company emphasizes on a strong CRM platform for the field force and a knowledge portal for doctors to provide best in class, updated scientific content. The data received from these platforms can be analyzed and used for further improvements in the system and eventually for patient care.There is tremendous scope to innovate and opportunities for growth taking into account these tools and new emerging technologies. Organizations must also lay emphasis on "Digital Trust" by protecting the customer data and ensuring that digital ethics and cyber security norms are maintained at all times. Digital presence of brands will be very important to ensure that they are available through physical as well as digital channels Rajaram Sankaran
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