Benefits of Field Force Automation Software for Pharmaceutical Firms

The Pharma industry needs its sales executives to be on top of their game, sales, and strategies. Field force automation is the best way to achieve it.

Pharmaceutical companies rely on field sales teams to promote and sell medical products. To do so, they have to visit pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics. However, managing field operations isn’t easy. Factors like inefficient communication and manual processes slow things down.

To bridge this gap, field force automation software (FFA) streamlines operations. It digitizes workflows, automates tasks, and enhances real-time communication. With field force automation, pharma companies can optimize field sales processes and strategies. They can also ensure efficiency, accuracy, and faster execution.

Challenges in Pharmaceutical Field Force Management

Understanding the challenges that field force automation software helps overcome is important. This makes it easier to see how beneficial it is for the pharmaceutical industry. Here are the top pharma sales team challenges.

1. Clash of Schedules and Areas

Pharma sales employees need to have a clear idea of their job schedules. They should have detailed descriptions of locations they have to visit. This helps them pre-plan their pitches and sales strategies well. But often, this is not the case. Lack of clarity in the assigned areas will lead to overlapping between the clinics among MRs.

This is harmful to the pharmacy company’s image and customer acquisition. This will render MRs efforts to make the sales a waste. 

2. Missed Meetings and Appointments

MRs, the sales representatives of pharma companies, have to travel to meet doctors. Traveling between sites may cause them to miss some appointments. This happens more frequently when MRs are occupied or have unrealistic schedules. This way, they miss appointments and miss out on their daily targets.

This impacts the ability to convey product value, address concerns, and strengthen trust. Also, fewer meetings mean fewer opportunities to generate prescriptions or promote new products. Thus, directly affecting sales performance and revenue.

3. Lacking Data and Visibility

Field sales teams make it hard for back-office teams to track MRs’ meetings with doctors. In-office staff lack insights into sites visited. This lack of real-time data leads to uneven resource allocation and missed opportunities.

Without clear visibility of reps’ daily activities, tracking their work is difficult. This makes it hard to assess if they follow schedules or meet strategic goals.

Benefits of Field Force Automation for Pharmaceutical Companies

Here are some benefits of using field force automation software for field sales executives of pharmaceutical companies.

1. Optimised Task Allocation & Planning

Using field force automation software ensures that the tasks are allocated easily, efficiently, and optimally. You can view each rep’s availability, bandwidth, distance from tasks, and skill set. This helps ensure the right task is allocated to the right employee. Also, you can assign them zones or areas of operation. This way, there is no clash. You can do this by creating geofences.

Also, it brings ease of ad-hoc task planning without it becoming a struggle. Another benefit of using the software is its option for self-allocation. This is where pharma sales reps can create jobs for themselves when they see an opportunity to make sales.

2. Enhanced Visibility and Refined Data

MR reporting software is the best way to manage and maximize field sales reps’ productivity. it provides real-time visibility into the field activities. You can track their location, task status, and orders achieved – all live.

The best part is that you don’t have to struggle for it. The software helps lay crucial data via –

• 50+ reports
• Analytical dashboard
• Activity dashboard

These provide processed and analyzed data. Additionally, you can customize reports and analytical dashboards according to your needs. you can even view the top 5 performers based on tasks. This helps with knowing how your reps are performing on the field.

3. Increased Accountability

FFA software has geo-verified attendance – the best way to achieve employee accountability. It ensures that the employees mark their attendance from the first task location. This reduces delays in client meetings and the need to visit the branch office. Best attendance tracking software ensures that the rep is present in the field.

The software fully proofs this through photo-verified attendance marking. Employees must click the live picture, which is stamped with the current time and locational coordinates.

Additionally, managers can geofence multiple client locations. Managers receive notifications whenever the rep enters or exits within these virtual boundaries. This way, you know the time it took to complete a meeting. It is also one of the most effective ways of knowing how long sales agents stay on client sites.

4. No more Leakage of Resources

Field force automation prevents resource leakage by enhancing accountability and optimizing operations. With all the data available, you get to ensure efficient resource utilization. It does so by –

Eliminating chances of false reporting through real-time activity tracking and geofencing attendance systems. It further helps with –

• Assigning territories for operations.
• Identifying employees who might need more training
• Marking areas that might need more resources.

5. Enhanced Collaboration and Communication

Software like TrackoField also comes with the executive app. It helps maintain a steady communication flow between field and office employees. Both can share messages, voice notes, and documents on chat boxes.

With cloud-based software, MRs can access features and information remotely. This helps with making the collaboration easy. The executive app helps staff to mark their attendance and lodge total sales.

6. Better Management of Pharma Sales Orders and Clients

The software doesn’t believe it is leaving you with less. Its inbuilt order management system makes it easy for your traveling agents to place orders. Meanwhile, you can review and approve the order quantities over a self-updating dashboard (after checking the inventory levels).

Your sales reps can use their executive apps to:

• Place ad-hoc orders
• Apply custom prices and discounts
• Create invoices with amounts and other details

Additionally, to prevent missed appointments, reps are alerted of upcoming meetings.

7. Cross Platform Integration

Another way the software benefits pharma companies is by integrating with software like CRM through API. This helps with ensuring smooth data flow, improved collaboration, and streamlined operations.

Conclusion

Want to connect with every hospital and doctor while boosting sales and field reps’ productivity? The answer lies in field force automation software for pharmaceuticals.

Field force automation software helps pharma companies streamline operations and overcome industry challenges. Instead of setbacks, it turns obstacles into strengths.

TrackoField is a leading field force automation solution. It offers geo-tagged attendance, real-time visibility, and task management. These features enhance efficiency, improve engagement, and drive sales for the pharmaceutical industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the need for field force automation in the pharmaceutical industry?

  Automation enhances precision, compliance, productivity, and quality control while reducing errors and costs in manufacturing. It helps in research, supply chain, and regulatory processes in the pharmaceutical industry.

• What is CRM in pharma?

  CRM streamlines communication, tracks sales activities, and manages customer data. It enhances marketing strategies to improve engagement with healthcare professionals and patient outreach.

• What is field force in pharma?

  The field force refers to MRs or medical sales representatives who promote drugs and provide product information. They help build relationships with healthcare professionals to drive sales and market presence.

• What are the advantages of pharmacy automation?

  Advantages of Pharmacy Automation:
  - Increased efficiency
  - Improved accuracy
  - Better inventory management
  - Enhanced patient safety
  - Cost savings
  - Regulatory compliance
  - Increased productivity