Case Studies

From Research to Sales

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In the world of pharmaceuticals, bringing a new drug to market typically requires an investment of up to $1 billion with no assurance that the resulting pharmaceutical product will receive regulatory approval. The only way for the company to recoup its risky 10-year investment is through product sales generated by a dispersed army of sales people with easy, dependable connections to customers and corporate managers.

This confidential client found a way to boost the efficiency of its far-flung sales force at the same time it improved communications throughout its US operations.

Upgrading Communications
The US subsidiary of a global pharmaceutical company undertook a planned relocation of its corporate headquarters, from which it managed a corporate staff of 300 and a sales force of more than 1,000 people dispersed across the country. The new facility was designed by the company to meet high aesthetic standards. The company’s standards for the operational systems inside the building were no less demanding.

“Our business goal was to make it easy for our sales force to stay mobile,” said the company’s IT consultant. “To do that, we needed a communication system that gave us top-of-the-line connections throughout the organization, a robust messaging capability, interconnectivity with an off-site NEC system, and the versatility to create individualized sub-systems for each corporate department,” explained the company’s IT consultant. “Of course, we wanted it up and running right away and we wanted the best
possible price.”

The Best Solution
Although the company had used a Nortel system at its former facility, its short list of candidates represented Avaya and NEC. “Messaging was an absolute priority for us because it drives our distribution operation,” said the company’s IT representative. “Going in, NEC had an advantage because we need to interface with non-corporate NEC systems. Consultedge took us to an Avaya technology lab to show us exactly how their proposed system would work and we were very impressed with the elegance of the Avaya technology.
We were also impressed with Consultedge’s technical expertise and responsiveness to our timetable.”

The centerpiece of Consultedge’s communications solution is Avaya’s S8720 Media Server with Enterprise Survivability (ES) and Modular Messaging.

• The standards-based S8720 supports an extensive range of application programming interfaces, assuring interoperability with the external NEC system. The server allows seamless transition from cellular to office phone through a single phone number.
  
• Modular Messaging is a robust IP- and standards-based messaging platform that enables 24/7 access to messages from telephones, fax machines, PCs and PDAs.
  
  
• Avaya’s Call Management System (CMS) supports the company’s call center, enabling managers to monitor and manage contact center operations for improved efficiencies and resource planning.
  
• An Avaya Message Networking Server simplifies the exchange of messages between the company and the messaging system of a partner company. Message Networking supports store-and-forward message protocols, enabling message exchange between supported multimedia messaging systems.
  
• The system includes 800 phones at individual desks and conference rooms throughout the corporate headquarters. Phone sets are specific to each department, supporting rapid interdepartmental communication while supporting links to remote sales people and other departments.

Supporting Business Objectives
Consultedge’s communications solution provides the tools needed for maximum efficiency of the company’s national sales efforts, according to the IT representative. “We have a strong presence in the marketplace now and we expect it to grow substantially as we develop and acquire the rights to new prescription drugs. Ease of communication – not only between customers and sales people, but also between sales people and headquarters -- is a critical factor in the successful sales and distribution of our products.” With Consultedge’s communications solution, the company is able to keep everyone connected and productive, regardless of location.