Veeva Commercial Summit 2025: On Data harmonisation with Alexander Ulrich

This video provides an in-depth analysis of Boehringer Ingelheim’s strategic initiative to standardize customer data globally, leveraging Veeva OpenData and Veeva Network, and the critical role this foundation plays in enabling advanced AI use cases and supporting their migration to Vault CRM. The discussion, featuring Alexander Ulrich, Global Head of System Integration & Data Ownership at Boehringer Ingelheim, emphasizes that data harmonization is not merely an operational task but a foundational necessity that underpins all subsequent commercial and medical affairs priorities. Boehringer Ingelheim, now the latest top 20 biopharma company to adopt this standardized approach across over 100 countries, views accurate and comprehensive customer reference data as essential for equipping teams with the insights needed to engage healthcare professionals (HCPs) effectively.

Ulrich stresses that data quality and harmonization are the primary limiting factors for scaling AI technology within the pharmaceutical sector. While AI is rapidly evolving and offering new opportunities every few months, its success is entirely dependent on the quality and accessibility of the underlying data. A common pitfall noted is the belief that "AI will solve all my issues," which is often untrue if the foundational data ecosystem is not properly harmonized and available for the AI technology to leverage. This foundational work is crucial for supporting the company’s ongoing Vault CRM migration and ensuring the new system can deliver maximum value.

A key objective of this data strategy is achieving a comprehensive 360-degree view of the HCP. The speaker explains that customer-facing functions often lack access to all relevant customer information, leading to suboptimal engagements. For instance, a representative might enter a conversation unaware that the HCP recently published research or spoke at a conference on a linked topic. The Customer 360 view, enabled by harmonized data, is necessary to provide these critical details at the representative's fingertips, leading to more relevant and impactful interactions with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and HCPs.

Looking toward the future of engagement, the conversation highlights the disruptive potential of "agentic AI frameworks." Insights from the Commercial Summit suggest that the traditional model of engagement is changing rapidly. HCPs are increasingly relying on open evidence and accessing information through these AI frameworks, diminishing their reliance on Field Sales Liaisons (FSLs) or Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) presenting clinical studies. The profound implication is that pharmaceutical companies may need to shift their engagement strategy from educating the final customer (the HCP) directly to educating the AI framework itself, allowing the framework to then disseminate information to the end-user. This suggests a future where certain customer-facing roles may be replaced or drastically redefined, much like the automation seen in other industries, requiring the industry to rapidly determine how to best work with this new technology for the benefit of customers and patients.

Key Takeaways: • Data Harmonization is Foundational for AI: Standardizing customer data (using tools like Veeva OpenData and Veeva Network) is not a secondary task but a prerequisite for scaling AI use cases; poor data quality is the most significant limiting factor for successful AI implementation in pharma. • Prerequisite for CRM Migration Success: Harmonizing customer data is essential to support major platform shifts, such as migration to Veeva Vault CRM, ensuring that the new system is built upon a reliable, standardized data foundation from the outset. • The AI-Data Quality Pitfall: Companies must avoid the misconception that AI is a silver bullet; if the underlying data is not harmonized, accessible, and high-quality, AI solutions will fail to deliver expected results. • Enabling Customer 360: The goal of data harmonization is to provide a complete 360-degree view of the HCP, integrating information such as recent publications, conference appearances, and engagement history to facilitate more informed and valuable customer interactions. • Shifting Engagement Models: The industry is moving away from traditional reliance on FSLs/MSLs as the sole source of clinical information; HCPs are increasingly utilizing "open evidence" accessed via generative/agentic AI frameworks. • The Need to Engage AI Frameworks: Pharmaceutical companies must strategically pivot to educating the AI frameworks themselves, rather than solely focusing on direct engagement with the HCP, as these agents become the primary conduit for information delivery. • Future Role Redefinition: The rise of agentic AI solutions is expected to potentially replace or significantly change the job functions of various customer-facing roles within pharma, similar to historical automation shifts in other industries. • Platform Education is Crucial: Companies migrating to new platforms (like the new Veeva platform) must prioritize educating their internal teams on the full capabilities of the software to ensure maximum leverage and ROI. • Leadership Alignment on Data Strategy: Data harmonization requires buy-in and a common plan agreed upon by leadership and various functional groups, as it impacts all subsequent business priorities across the organization. • Data as a Competitive Insight Tool: Accurate customer reference data equips commercial teams with the necessary intelligence to tailor engagement and provide relevant information, moving beyond generic sales pitches.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Veeva Commercial Summit 2025
• Veeva OpenData
• Veeva Network
• Veeva Vault CRM
• Salesforce (mentioned as the platform Boehringer Ingelheim is moving away from)

Key Concepts:

• Data Harmonization: The process of standardizing and integrating customer reference data across multiple regions and systems (e.g., 100+ countries) to ensure consistency and quality.
• Agentic AI Frameworks: Advanced Generative AI solutions capable of acting as autonomous agents, accessing and synthesizing open evidence and information, and potentially interacting directly with users (HCPs) in place of human representatives.
• Customer 360 View: A comprehensive, unified perspective of a customer (HCP or KOL) that aggregates all relevant data points, including interactions, publications, and professional activities, to inform engagement strategy.
• Open Evidence: Clinical or scientific data and research findings that are publicly accessible, often leveraged by AI frameworks to inform HCPs.

Examples/Case Studies:

• Boehringer Ingelheim Data Standardization: The company standardized customer data across more than 100 countries using Veeva OpenData and Veeva Network to support its Vault CRM migration and lay the foundation for scaling AI.
• HCP Engagement Scenario: The example of an MSL/FSL entering a conversation unaware of the HCP's recent publication or conference speaking engagement highlights the current gap in customer knowledge that the 360-view aims to solve.