What Pharma CX Leaders Need to Know About Building a Scalable Data Foundation

I recently came across a LinkedIn post that made two bold claims:

• The root cause of failed Pharma Customer Experience (CX) initiatives is the absence of a solid data foundation.

• The solution lies in a data strategy built around people, process, and technology.

We (and just about everyone else) agree that data is a core issue. However, framing the solution this way glosses over the real complexity.

Based on eight years of actually building the data foundations for CX to succeed, here’s a more practical and informative guide on what it takes to get it right

The End Goal

Let’s start with the end goal of data integration. It’s the provisioning of high-quality, up-to-date insights in the most efficient and reusable manner possible. At SENTIER, we think about the insights people need, and the corresponding types of data required, across three main categories:

1. Ad-Hoc Ready Data

   Structures that allow users to easily find the data elements they need and answer the myriad business questions that fall outside the other categories.

2. BI Ready

   Fit-for-purpose data built specifically to support reports and dashboards.

3. Analytics Ready

   Specialized tables to facilitate analytics.

Getting to that end state requires more than good intentions. Here’s the real work that needs to happen behind the scenes:

Six Areas to Focus On

We focus on six tightly coordinated areas of development that make the difference:

1. Sourcing - Source maps and delivery routines to manage the inputs.

2. Common Integration - Starting point from which all other data is derived (one version of the truth).

3. Specialization - Business rules and calculations to support specific reports, dashboards, and analytics.

4. Governance & Data Quality - Naming conventions, quality checks, and issue resolution processes to ensure reliable data.

5. Accessibility & Utilization - Groups, training and tools to drive utilization.

6. Automation & Management – Fully automated load processes and tools to manage the pipeline.

The Framework

This is all encapsulated within a framework that seamlessly integrates with a mesh architecture. In other words, the organization can count on all the data required for CX being in one place, as current as possible, with transparency into data quality. It’s simple, scalable, and includes the following layers:

• Source – Virtualized internal and external datasets

• Feature Store – Master and reference data

• Subject Area – Domain-specific data with standardized formatting

• Discovery – Common business rules and calculations applied.

• Fit-for-Purpose – Structures for specific uses (i.e. enrollment dashboard, marketing mix, etc.).

Ready to Build a Better CX Data Foundation?

If you're serious about building the data foundation for CX, it’s time to move past high-level strategies and buzzwords and partner with a team that knows how to execute. Schedule a conversation with SENTIER to learn what works, what doesn’t, and how to deliver a future-proof CX data capability that drives real business value.