In preparation for its European launch of Benlysta, the first FDA approved Lupus drug in 50 years, Human Genome Sciences (HGS) needed a customer relationship management (CRM) system to arm its newly formed European commercial sales team. The company had a long list of selection criteria including ease of use, flexibility, mobility, industry-specific functionality, speed, and low system maintenance. Veeva CRM - the fastest growing pharma CRM solution in the world - had proven itself already at HGS' U.S. headquarters, but also offered international synergy for HGS Europe. After a thorough market analysis, HGS selected cloud-based Veeva CRM for all specialty care sales reps and medical science liaisons in Germany, Spain and France.

In June, HGS' German office began implementing Veeva CRM and finished the project in six weeks - two weeks ahead of schedule. HGS cited Veeva's strong pharmaceutical industry expertise and understanding of HGS' sales model as key to the smooth implementation. Implementing with a single flexible system across Europe will ensure HGS is able to roll out the system quickly and at a very low cost in additional countries, including Spain and France which are scheduled to deploy Veeva CRM next. "Veeva CRM is extremely intuitive, and fully embraced by our field teams in Germany who are already up and running on the system," said Kevin Crowe, associate director, Marketing and Sales Operations, Europe at HGS. "Veeva CRM will allow us to improve customer traction by enabling our reps to more effectively measure calls and profile customers. Additionally, Veeva CRM is a great system for improving customer targeting, making us more efficient at turning non-prescribers into advocates!"  

Before choosing Veeva CRM, HGS considered all of the top offerings but had concerns that their single tenant architectures would limit flexibility. "On-site and hosted solutions are dinosaurs, and implementing them becomes a project in itself. It detracts from the objective at hand which is to optimise customer interactions. Veeva CRM was the only solution that offered us the freedom to completely focus on the customer," added Crowe.

HGS has also started implementing iRep - the first integrated CRM and CLM solution designed specifically for the Apple iPad. Veeva redesigned its CRM application to leverage the many strengths of the iPad and added closed loop marketing functionality to allow seamless alignment of sales and marketing strategies and execution. Already implemented in HGS' German office, the application has transformed the sales process by enabling reps to provide a more interactive customer experience.




"There is no other solution like iRep for Pharma," concluded Crowe. "Having our CRM and CLM capabilities integrated on the iPad is extremely powerful, and I am confident it will increase our effectiveness. It will remodel how our commercial teams operate by providing them with accurate, rich, timely customer information on the go, and on a display that appeals to physicians. And, iRep is so efficient and easy to use that reps will be able to finish their call reporting when they finish their calls. To me, this is a critical success factor for any CRM system."

About HGS

Human Genome Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that exists to place new therapies into the hands of those battling serious disease.  With a commitment to scientific rigor and the pursuit of excellence, we are working systematically to achieve breakthrough results one careful step at a time.  For more information, please visit www.hgsi.com.

About Veeva CRM
The Veeva CRM suite of applications, comprised of VBioPharma, iRep, VMobile, and VInsights, is the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry's leading cloud-based CRM solution. In addition, iRep has quickly become the industry's choice for closed loop marketing on the iPad. Only Veeva CRM accommodates the unique needs of multiple commercial teams in a single solution, improving user adoption and sales effectiveness, while reducing cost and complexity. Veeva CRM is now the foundation on which the pharmaceutical industry is adapting its sales and marketing models for the future.

About Veeva Systems
Veeva Systems is the leader in cloud-based solutions for the global life sciences industry. Committed to innovation, product excellence, and customer success, Veeva has over 100 customers, ranging from the world's largest pharmaceutical companies to emerging biotechs. Founded in 2007, Veeva is a privately held company headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices in Philadelphia, Barcelona, Budapest, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, and Tokyo. For more information, visit www.veevasystems.com.