Developing customer process orientation: the case of Pharma Corp

The pharmaceutical industry is in the midst of a fundamental transformation. Institutional regulations that have been in place for decades are being removed and competitive pressures force pharmaceutical companies to adopt customer oriented strategies. Information technology which has traditionally been applied to many processes in this industry is an important enabler for the interaction with key customer segments such as physicians and patients. However, developing and transforming customer relationships is merely a technological undertaking. Changes are required regarding strategy, processes as well as the systems architecture. To develop an integrated customer relationship management strategy this research draws on elements from established business redesign. The emphasis is on portals that bundle services for the patient’s and physician’s customer processes. This architecture framework has been elaborated in cooperation with nine companies and applied at a major pharmaceutical company.