Fireside Chat Series: Choosing the Right Content Vendor - Video 3 of 7

The video provides an in-depth exploration of the critical process of selecting the right e-learning content vendor for organizations within the highly regulated life sciences sector. Hosted by Kent Malmros (Sr. Director of Vault Training at Veeva Systems) and featuring Graham O'Keeffe (Founder and CEO of Learnaboutgmp), the discussion moves beyond simply licensing large content libraries. It establishes that successful content deployment requires a deep, consultative partnership between the customer and the vendor, emphasizing alignment with specific quality management systems (QMS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and regulatory requirements (GxP/GMP). The speakers highlight that the vendor selection process must begin with a detailed discovery phase to understand the client's unique business processes and compliance needs.

The core methodology discussed centers on the vendor acting as a consultant rather than just a provider of content. Graham O'Keeffe details a process that starts by identifying the client's specific regulatory landscape (e.g., whether they are a pharma or medical device company) and the regulations they must abide by, particularly concerning their GxP manufacturing processes. This is followed by a crucial mapping process where the vendor aligns their content library directly to the client's existing SOPs and QMS documentation. This ensures that the training content is not generic but directly supports the company’s documented procedures, allowing for the setup of specific learning paths (e.g., learning about aseptic techniques followed by the company's SOPs on aseptic techniques).

A significant insight shared is the necessity of content customization and agility. While a vendor's standard life science library might cover 85% to 90% of a company's needs (covering topics like documentation practices, GxP data integrity, or contamination prevention), the remaining 10% to 15% often requires bespoke changes to align precisely with the company's unique interpretation and adherence to regulations. The speakers stress that vendors must offer an agile approach to content development, ensuring the library remains a dynamic, relevant tool rather than static content that "gathers dust." This customization capability, coupled with a willingness to incorporate client needs into the vendor's future development roadmap, distinguishes a successful partnership. The conversation concludes by emphasizing that the goal is not to find the vendor with the "biggest library," but the one that demonstrates the expertise to understand the client's specific compliance requirements and tailor the deployment of content within the learning technology (like Veeva Vault Training) to reflect those needs accurately.

Key Takeaways: • Consultative Vendor Approach is Essential: Choosing a content vendor should be viewed as selecting a consultant, not just a licensor. The vendor must engage in a detailed discovery phase to understand the client's specific business processes, regulatory environment, and QMS structure before recommending content. • Content Must Align with QMS and SOPs: Effective GxP training requires the vendor to map their content library directly to the client's internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Quality Management System (QMS). This ensures that training is relevant and reinforces internal compliance protocols. • Regulatory Specificity is Paramount: The discovery phase must determine the exact regulations the client adheres to (e.g., specific FDA or EMA requirements, GMP manufacturing processes) to ensure the content addresses their unique compliance obligations, whether they are a pharma, biotech, or medical device company. • Customization is the Differentiator: While standard libraries provide a foundation (often 85-90% coverage), vendors must offer an agile customization process to tailor the remaining 10-15% of content. This bespoke adjustment ensures the training aligns precisely with how the company executes its regulated processes. • Deployment Must Reflect Business Processes: The content vendor must understand how the content will be deployed within the learning technology (like Veeva Vault Training) to configure specific learning paths and qualification sets that accurately reflect the customer's required curriculum for compliance. • Avoid the "Biggest Library" Trap: The selection criteria should focus on the vendor’s ability to match their content to specific client needs and bridge gaps, rather than simply selecting the vendor with the largest volume of titles or the longest PDF catalog. • Client Input Should Drive Roadmap: A strong vendor partnership involves incorporating client feedback and identified content gaps into the vendor’s future development roadmap. This ensures continuous relevance and demonstrates a commitment to long-term customer success. • Focus on Continuous Education: The ultimate goal of the content partnership is to make a tangible difference in the continuous education of the workforce, ensuring that training is dynamic and prevents content from becoming static or obsolete. • Parallel Expertise in Systems and Content: The discussion highlights a parallel between Veeva’s need for expertise in configuring systems (Vault) to reflect specific compliance needs and the content vendor’s need to tailor content to those same needs, emphasizing the required level of domain expertise in regulated environments.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Veeva Vault Training (Specific product context for content deployment)

Key Concepts:

• Discovery Phase: The initial, detailed consultation process where the content vendor learns about the client's specific regulatory needs, business processes, and QMS structure before proposing solutions.
• Content Mapping: The process of aligning the vendor's generic e-learning courses (e.g., documentation practices, data integrity) directly to the client's internal SOPs and QMS documentation to create relevant, actionable training paths.
• Agile Content Development: The ability of the vendor to quickly and efficiently customize or create bespoke content (the crucial 10-15%) to meet the client's precise regulatory adherence requirements.
• Learning Paths/Qualification Sets: Structured curricula within the learning management system (LMS) that guide employees through required training, often combining foundational content with company-specific SOPs.