Generation Veeva | Meet Eliza: Why I Love Veeva

Veeva Systems Inc

/@VeevaSystems

Published: July 23, 2020

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Insights

This video provides an internal perspective on the culture and professional development opportunities within Veeva Systems, specifically through the lens of the Consultant Development Program (CDP). Associate Consultant Eliza shares her personal experiences, highlighting key aspects of her role since joining the CDP in August 2019. The presentation is structured as a day-in-the-life narrative, emphasizing the benefits of working within the Veeva ecosystem, which is highly relevant to life sciences technology consulting and integration partners.

A central theme explored is the high degree of autonomy and work-life balance afforded to Veeva consultants. Eliza emphasizes the ability to schedule her own time, allowing for personal activities like yoga during the workday, which enables her to return to work refreshed and productive. This flexibility suggests a results-oriented culture where performance is prioritized over strict adherence to traditional office hours, a model often adopted by high-performance consulting firms. Furthermore, the video details the importance of internal collaboration and support structures, exemplified by regular Zoom meetings with a "buddy" for motivation, troubleshooting technical issues, and general catch-ups. This peer-to-peer support system is crucial for consultants navigating complex enterprise software implementations.

The most critical insight for a technical consulting firm lies in the discussion of professional growth and technical skill acquisition. Eliza explicitly mentions that a significant part of her development involves opportunities to learn and grow, specifically through taking online classes to master programming languages. Crucially, she also highlights the benefit of working directly with senior Veeva programmers who have extensive experience with the systems. This confirms that Veeva’s consulting roles—even at the associate level—require deep technical expertise and coding ability, rather than just high-level configuration knowledge. This focus on proprietary system knowledge combined with external programming skills underscores the complexity of customizing and integrating Veeva solutions for pharmaceutical clients.

Ultimately, the video serves as a testimonial that reinforces Veeva’s commitment to developing highly skilled, technically proficient consultants who are well-versed in both the system architecture and the necessary programming languages required for advanced customization. For partners specializing in Veeva CRM consulting and custom software development, this content provides valuable insight into the technical baseline and cultural expectations set by the platform vendor itself.

Key Takeaways: • Technical Depth in Consulting: Veeva’s Consultant Development Program (CDP) emphasizes the necessity of learning specific programming languages, indicating that successful implementation and customization require deep coding skills beyond standard system configuration. • Mentorship and Knowledge Transfer: The video highlights a strong internal mentorship structure, where junior consultants work directly with seasoned Veeva programmers, ensuring that proprietary system knowledge and best practices are efficiently transferred. • High Autonomy and Flexibility: Veeva promotes a flexible work environment where consultants are empowered to manage their own schedules, suggesting a focus on output and results rather than strict time tracking, which is common in high-value consulting roles. • Structured Peer Support: The use of regular "buddy" meetings for motivation and troubleshooting technical issues demonstrates a formal mechanism for internal support, which is vital for maintaining consultant efficiency and reducing project roadblocks. • System Troubleshooting Focus: The explicit mention of using peer meetings to "fix issues" underscores the complexity of Veeva systems and the constant need for collaborative problem-solving during implementation phases. • Talent Acquisition Benchmark: This content sets a benchmark for the type of technically inclined, growth-oriented talent that Veeva seeks to attract and develop, providing a competitive profile for consulting firms seeking to hire similar expertise. • Implication for Partner Integration: The requirement for internal Veeva consultants to master programming languages suggests that external partners (like IntuitionLabs.ai) must also possess high-level software development and data engineering capabilities to effectively integrate and extend Veeva functionality. • Focus on Continuous Learning: The consultant’s participation in online classes for programming languages confirms that continuous technical education is a core expectation within the Veeva professional ecosystem.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

  • Veeva Consultant Development Program (CDP)
  • Zoom (used for regular team meetings and collaboration)
  • Programming Languages (mentioned as a focus for online learning)

Key Concepts:

  • Consultant Development Program (CDP): A structured training and mentorship program designed by Veeva to onboard and rapidly upskill new consultants, focusing heavily on technical system expertise and implementation methodology.
  • Veeva Systems: The proprietary enterprise software platform specializing in cloud-based solutions for the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries (e.g., Veeva CRM, Veeva Vault).