Pharmaceutical companies operate in one of the most aggressive, time sensitive and competitive industries there is. However, with potential for growth being weak, businesses are pursuing operational cost efficiency gains and productivity improvements, alongside the wider strategic options of mergers or acquisitions and diversifying into wider healthcare.

For some companies the customer base is also changing, with moves to extend the authority to prescribe away from the traditional GP base, to other licensed practitioners. Other enterprises contend with customer bases running into the millions, as they deal directly with end users. Sales cycles are often hard to analyse - it may take several visits to a physician before they will take up the new product you are persuading them to prescribe, or sales come via independent dispensers.

With large sales forces, reduction of costs, improved efficiency and increased productivity will realise real financial benefits. The innovative use of new technology can help bring intelligent planning to the mobile workforce and develop a total view of the customer through practical application of CRM solutions.