Outsourcing: Partner service models
Moving from providing a reactive medical information service (with its external customer focus) to leading a proactive service (which allows healthcare professionals access to your standard responses to common queries) is challenging for many pharmaceutical companies, not least because workloads can be unpredictable. Developing a proactive service also means time spent on improving internal customer awareness of functional capabilities. As the saying goes: “failing to plan means planning to fail”.
To an extent, you can foresee upturns (pre- and post-product launches; product crises necessitating a “Dear Doctor” letter) and anticipate downturns (when product campaigns are no longer active; or due to traditional quiet times coinciding with customers’ holidays). Yet, as we know, product portfolios are never static. So, even with products that are no longer top priority in the company sales strategy, or that have moved into a mature phase in the sales cycle, you still need to maintain a scientific support service to handle customer enquiries. The question is then, not just “Should we outsource?” but, “How should we outsource?”
Current options when assigning such projects often include:-
Dedicated service:
Regardless of whether you outsource to a single operative or a multiple operative business, you can expect your product portfolio to receive attention from specialists assigned to your project for its duration.
Shared service:
In this commonplace model, your product portfolio is one of many spread across the service provider’s team, depending on the workload.
In-house service:
Often used to complement existing resources, on a fixed-term basis, particularly when your FTE is temporarily unavailable, such as during maternity leave etc. Due to its cost effectiveness, this may be the preferred option provided it’s managed carefully
However, there will be times when a tactical approach to a short-term situation is all you need to stop a resource issue from becoming critical – when team members need to attend conferences or courses, or take a break, or are on sick-leave. Even when you’ve done your planning for the year, there may be specific projects or tasks you could accomplish if only you had access to some extra pairs of hands for the short-term. In this scenario, you need a flexible no-hassle solution that is easy to access, set-up and implement. When considering who’s going to “mind the shop” in your team’s absence, or “fill the gap” when the workload demands it, McKenzie Mills Partnership Ltd offers an alternative no hassle option:-
Our Medical Information service model option
Our specialists are experienced professionals who choose and enjoy variety.
Our NO HASSLE SOLUTION includes:-
- Flexible contract duration: as long or as short as you need
- Transparent business terms and scope of works, easily forwarded for e-signature
- PhD qualified autonomous specialists on hand (incl. AQPs)
It’s ideal for those occasions when the whole team needs to be off site, or when you need additional support during peak workloads to handle the reactive parts of your service, like handling telephone enquiries from healthcare professionals, dealing with product complaints, and last but by no means least, processing those adverse events revealed through probing questioning techniques.
Or perhaps you need specialist help to write or review your standard letters before or during a product launch, while the team is knee deep in assisting the brand team with MHRA pre-vetting of materials, as well as preparing and approving materials for ABPI Code compliance. Even if you’ve outsourced your Med Info Service globally, there might still be times when you need support with handling or updating your standard/non-standard responses locally (i.e. for a UK subsidiary).
Whatever the reason, if you need a specialist medical information service to hold the fort for a day or two (or perhaps a week or two), or to help share the load with team members during busy periods, or because you lack the resources in-house, then why not call upon our reliable, experienced team whose adaptability means they can handle issues seamlessly from Day 1. Because you instruct us to deliver the service, based on a clearly defined scope, we take care of the paperwork, which means that it’s clear from the outset that we’re providing you with a flexible option, working remotely from our offices.
Throughout the engagement, regardless of its duration, staff are assigned to your project but remain under our control as our employees/appointed partners/associates. There are no agency fees, and no “employment” taxes, just a no fuss daily rate for a seamless 9-to-5 service option. No strings attached. To give you more of an idea of what you can expect from us and how we do business, please read our Terms and Conditions. These form the basis of all our client contracts, which can be finalised based on the service elements you select for inclusion in the Scope of Works, and dispatched for your e-signature all on the same day.