#FutureReadyHealthcare
Rising above CX challenges: How global brands excel in customer experience
29 Sep 2023
In today's competitive business landscape, customer experience (CX) is the key differentiator that can set a company apart. But how do you create a winning CX strategy that resonates globally while also addressing local market needs? In the dynamic world of customer experience (CX), challenges are inevitable. However, what sets leading organizations apart is their ability to proactively identify these challenges and implement effective strategies to overcome them.
The importance of customer experience in the pharma industry
The pharma industry is witnessing a transformative shift in prioritizing customer experience, given its key role in enhancing patient care and delivering business impact. Pharma CX is shaping how companies engage with patients, starting from onboarding to adherence and beyond. Notably, in an industry where building meaningful connections between patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) is crucial, effective CX strategies can be a positive differentiator.
It comes as no revelation that effective CX strategies can help providers deliver seamless experiences across digital channels and in-person interactions. When companies intentionally create and manage immersive and engaging CX, they not only meet the needs of the HCPs and patients but also set precedence for exceptional patient-centricity in the evolving pharma landscape.
At the Indegene Digital Summit, industry experts Marc Schwartz (Sanofi), Matthias Witt (Bayer Pharmaceuticals), Dr. Christian Velten (Roche), and Tessa Barron (ON24) shed light on the prevailing industry trends and provided valuable insights into the current state of CX.
The key highlights of their conversation are summarized below.
Develop a Comprehensive CX Vision
One of the foremost customer experience challenges in pharma is the absence of a well-defined vision. Many organizations tend to focus on short-term goals or specific initiatives without a clear overarching vision for customer experience. As a result, efforts can become disjointed, and the true potential of CX remains untapped. The solution lies in crafting a comprehensive CX vision that aligns with your company's core values and overarching goals. Ensure that this vision is co-created with input from internal teams to foster buy-in and commitment. This vision should serve as the guiding star for all CX initiatives, providing a sense of purpose and direction.
Anthony Scatamacchia urged pharma companies to reconsider their approach toward EHR integration, considering the program's size, scope, and the product's maturity stage before defining goals and creating systems to navigate challenges and fully utilize the benefits of EHR integration.
Create your CX vision to your customer vision and brand vision
Lorem
– Matthias Witt
Digital Transformation and Beyond
Digital transformation has long been a buzzword in the CX realm. However, the panel discussion highlighted that successful CX transformation goes beyond technology adoption. While digital tools are essential enablers, successful CX transformation requires a holistic approach that considers the "why" behind digital initiatives. Businesses must prioritize personalization and consider the entirety of the customer's journey. Companies should view digital transformation as a means to an end, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the customer experience.
Embracing emotional customer experience
In a world inundated with options, customers seek more than just functional utility. To address this challenge, prioritize emotional CX. Understand that CX is about creating positive emotional connections. The panel discussion emphasized that emotional CX is pivotal in building lasting customer relationships. It's not merely about providing products or services; it's about creating emotional connections. The concept of "surprise and delight" was introduced as a strategy to evoke positive emotions. Emotional CX is a competitive differentiator, and companies should strive to create memorable, emotionally resonant experiences.
Customer experience is about emotion - the feeling and the thought when they think about your brand
Lorem
– March Schwartz
Measuring the right metrics
One of the significant challenges discussed was the difficulty in measuring the impact of CX initiatives. This is a common pain point for many organizations, as they invest resources in improving customer experiences but struggle to quantify the returns on these investments. The panel discussion provided valuable insights into addressing this challenge by emphasizing the importance of defining and implementing CX metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). Establish a clear set of CX metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge success. These could include Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), and Customer Effort Score (CES), among others.
Fine tuning and making small operational changes lead to big change and progress
Lorem
– Tessa Baron
Leadership's Role in CX
There is a lot of diversity in the nature, design, and scope of patient support programs delivered by pharma companies. However, their end goals remain constant improving patient outcomes, enhancing satisfaction, and supporting patients in managing their health effectively. By leveraging the power of automation, selecting the best-fit operating model, and most importantly, delivering innovative solutions personalized to distinct patient needs, pharma organizations can consistently achieve these goals while driving superior business outcomes.
A clear CEO, C-suite and Board led vision is an absolute must for practitioners to deliver on CX vision
Lorem
– Dr Christian Velten
Global and Local Alignment
In an era of global expansion, maintaining a consistent CX across markets is challenging yet crucial. The solution lies in striking a balance between uniformity and adaptability. The panel discussion stressed the significance of aligning global initiatives with local market dynamics. It's about achieving a balance between uniformity and adaptability. Global organizations should adopt a flexible approach, acknowledging local nuances while upholding their brand's integrity.
CX has to be influenced at a market level, and strategized at a global level to drive consistency
Lorem
– Matthias Witt
Collaboration for Success
Effective collaboration between global and local teams emerged as a key factor for CX success. Siloed structures hinder CX success. Collating insights from local markets and ensuring alignment with global strategies necessitates robust processes and open communication channels. Streamlined collaboration tools and methodologies are essential for optimizing global-local interactions.
In conclusion, the panel discussion provided a comprehensive overview of the current CX landscape, emphasizing the need for a well-defined vision, strong leadership, and a customer-centric culture. The trends discussed underscored that CX is no longer a choice but a strategic imperative. To thrive in today's competitive marketplace, organizations must embrace these trends, viewing them as opportunities to enhance their customer experience and drive sustainable growth.
