Mic Check...One, two, one, two.

Monday and Tuesday, June 11-12 marked Phoenix BioPharma Group, LLC 's inaugural conference, 3rd PRC Optimization Performance Summit, hosted by the fantastic Dynamic Global Events (DGE) team.

Special shout out to Amy Chapman , Elizabeth Stanislaw, MBA , Kim Langtry , Wilmer Torrez , Justin (the amazing tech person I worked with), and the great Matthew Greenbaum for a wonderful experience!

Samuel Goodman and I had a blast giving out spins on our #wheelofprizes and I nearly had a heart attack on Conference Day 1 waiting for my first in-person presentation since before the pandemic. My #nerves had me feeling a bit nauseous and brain-fogged and I won't lie, I am eternally grateful that I was unaware of being live-streamed (the horror) until way too late than I'd care to admit on Day 2. However, it probably wouldn't have been as good without as many cuss words, side stories, or pop references - I assume all speakers tell Cardi B stories when presenting about MLR, correct? As I stood on the stage talking about Dynamic Assembly/Access Modular Content and what it really means and how to build a strategy around it, what hit me most in response to the questions being asked was the influence and power the industry has handed over to their outsourced partners/providers.

?Bear with me while I set the stage. Life sciences (think pharma/biotech/device) is moving at a remarkable pace trying to innovate therapies of all types for anything from viruses to wearables. We are legitimately swimming in a lake of data while suffering from the misunderstanding of the difference between a KPI and a data point - but damnit we know we need to collect it all so does it really matter?!?! And I guess that's true, to an extent, but what AND WHY you collect it is important. However, I would argue, more than we need more data or the newer shinier tools, we need to understand the end goal and how the tools we have vs. those new on the market will impact that goal. Ask yourself what you want your actionable goal to be. Is it brand awareness? increased interaction on the website? call backs? new scripts? new speakers? test availability awareness? disease awareness? - and then work backwards from there to figure out which direction to head in. It's an easy thing to ask for and a nearly impossible request to figure out when you're in the thick of it. There are just so many distractions thrown at us (perhaps on purpose) and sifting through that "stuff" on top of excelling in your role are sometimes mutually exclusive. Based on experiences and discussions, I've decided that most people use the word strategy like they know what it means BUT THEY DO NOT. Data collection and tactics by themselves are not strategy. Marketing materials by themselves are not strategy. Programs and events by themselves are not strategy. Websites by themselves are not strategy. And simply combining those efforts is also NOT strategy (but you're getting warmer). Which leaves us with the question - what is strategy? That's a discussion for another day. What I really want to talk about is this pursuit of more to support your strategy instead of just enough - it's like the providers in this industry are constantly pushing for their next endeavor to pay off and man they are very good at selling tonight's special.

Mama's not going to lie - it is exhausting running back and forth to figure out what's next when there isn't a why to shape the story around the effort needed or the finances spent. It's shiny and soooo pretty, but what do the new bells and whistles do to provide a different perspective to the same problem - is it just a different shade on your already tinted lenses or is a new pair of shades entirely?

I mean look at MLR specifically, since we're talking about the conference (kind of), I've been doing it since late 2011 and I don't think we've had much evolution happen in that time - everyone still thinks it's cumbersome, everyone still complains to leadership any chance they get about how much it sucks but they never have constructive feedback, metrics aren't reviewed by anyone so trends that could effect change are missed, leadership always has too low of a risk tolerance, marketing always tries to push the envelope (whether its risk tolerance or deadlines), everyone still thinks swimlanes are a joke, and no one realizes Ops and IT own the whole damn pool they're playing in. I said what I said.

Back to the point, the idea that companies build something and then convince the industry that its absolutely necessary for their success doesn't sit right with me. Shouldn't the industry which is known for cutting-edge advancements in patient care tell technology companies what they actually need to support their processes instead of hearing vendors/providers say change your processes to fit this new technology? I want to make sure it's clear that you can get through planning a launch in Marketing Ops with just a PM tool and a content repository, if we have no other choice. That said, I'm not saying I want to do it that way because there's a reason so many great tools exist, what I am saying is never think that flashy technology is the only way. Be resourceful. Look at things from all different angles then determine if it's a worthwhile investment or if there is something else that is enough to get you through. Concurrently plan for how you evolve into the biggest and best over time but you do not need to start there.

The idea of configuring and implementing a system and then not using it appropriately or abandoning it sounds like a ginormous waste of time and money, right? So why does the industry do this over and over again? Partially due to a poor understanding of any or all of the following:

• Strategy and/or
• Infrastructure and/or
• Resources available and/or
• Capabilities/functions within technologies available;

and partially due to poor planning. Please, please do two things - the first is take the time to flesh out what you really want as your foundation and framework. Only then can you plan ahead how to scale appropriately. And the second is make sure the teams building, integrating, executing, and maintaining your processes and technologies are included in all conversation from the beginning. ??Let them decide if their presence is relevant. Operationalizing isn't easy, especially when you don't have a full picture of the needs. Do yourselves a favor and partner with the people who do that backend work for you before you sign any agreements or present any strategies to your leadership. Vision is great, but know how is equally important!

That's all.?

?Some bonus content!

For those who didn't attend, you missed me repeatedly get on my soapbox saying the following things:

• PEOPLE FIRST. ALWAYS.
• Collaborate across all functions, not just the M, L, and R, but your Ops and IT teams too!
• Speaker Programs aren't going to be around forever, so start planning for alternative marketing activities/strategies now.
• The industry needs to take back control in determining what they want and need from their vendors/providers.
• MLR is going to eventually evolve into a completely outsourced model for large life sciences companies.
• You never know the burdens on someone's mind. Be kind. Always.
• Given limitations in access that Commercial is experiencing (and has been) Medical Affairs is going to truly lead the way in the industry soon, so begin preparing for what this shift looks like - Is it a centralized business operations function? Is it diverting finances to train MSLs now?Is it determining what technology needs to be updated?Is it figuring out what your tactics are for your medical teams?

If you are sad you missed it, shoot me an email ! I'm happy to chat about these things and so much more!