Transform Medical Device Operations with Gridlex's Unified Software Solution

Posted In | Biopharma and Medical Device

Medical device companies operate in a dynamic environment where operational efficiency and rapid market access are essential. Traditional CRM systems often fall short of meeting the specialized needs of medical device firms, leading to increased complexities and costs. Gridlex CRM is designed to address these industry-specific challenges. It provides a solution that streamlines operations, reduces expenses, and quickens the delivery of healthcare innovations to the marketplace. With Gridlex CRM, you find a strategic ally that bolsters your capacity to quickly and effectively bring essential technologies to those who need them most.

 

Current Landscape of Medical Devices Operations: Understanding the Costs & Risks of Conventional CRMs

Medical device companies often contend with the complexities of managing a multitude of specialized software systems. From quality management and customer relationship management to supply chain logistics, each system typically operates independently, which can increase operational costs and the risk of data discrepancies. Such fragmentation hinders the seamless integration of data, which is crucial for prompt decision-making and maintaining a competitive edge. The administrative effort needed to manage these disparate platforms often leads to a convoluted operational environment, detracting from efficiency and increasing the potential for delays.

 

How Gridlex Integrates Multiple Medical Devices Technology into One Unifying Software, Reducing Costs, Mitigating Risk, and Accelerating Operations

Gridlex CRM delivers a unified platform that consolidates the key operations of medical device companies, streamlining the management of complex systems. This integration reduces operational costs and minimizes the risk associated with disjointed systems, which often results in data inaccuracies. By centralizing aspects such as customer relationship management, data analytics, communication, and more, Gridlex significantly improves workflow efficiency. This cohesion not only refines operational procedures but also bolsters data integrity and security, leading to more reliable performance and swift progress in business activities.

 

How Gridlex Can Help Medical Devices Commercial Operations Reduce Risks and Increase Velocity

Gridlex CRM's integrated platform is engineered for optimal change management, enabling medical device companies to quickly adapt to evolving processes with reduced risk. The system's nimbleness allows for rapid implementation of operational modifications, keeping businesses agile and responsive to market needs. This streamlined method of managing change boosts the speed of commercial operations, decreases the likelihood of errors, and heightens overall business productivity, affording a significant competitive edge in the rapidly advancing medical device sector.

 

How Gridlex Can Help Medical Devices Commercial Operations Cut Technology and Adjacent Costs by 50%

Gridlex CRM is strategically crafted to alleviate the financial burden of medical device companies. By consolidating several costly technological platforms into a single integrated solution, Gridlex can slash overall technology-related expenses by as much as 50%. This substantial cost-saving is realized by eradicating unnecessary systems, enhancing data management efficiency, and decreasing the hours and resources devoted to system maintenance and training. Medical device companies leveraging Gridlex can thus reallocate capital towards product innovation and market growth, secure in the knowledge that their operational expenditure is both streamlined and well-managed.

 

Built for Medical Devices: Customized CRM Features

 

1. Core CRM
 

• Organizations/Accounts: This feature helps you manage complex relationships with various healthcare entities, tracking each organization's procurement process, compliance requirements, and key stakeholders, essential for product rollouts.
   

• Contacts: Segment contacts within these organizations by specific roles. For instance, categorize and manage communications with surgeons, procurement officers, etc, tailoring communication strategies for each group.
   

• Custom Fields: Fields for device-specific data like serial numbers and regulatory compliance status are crucial for tracking products like implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, ensuring traceability and compliance.
   

• Custom Profiles/Forms: Gridlex CRM's custom profiles and forms are essential for capturing critical device data, ensuring that sales and service teams have all the necessary details at their fingertips. For example, the "Cardiac Stent Performance Log" profile can include fields for serial numbers, implant dates, and patient outcomes, enabling precise tracking and follow-up, crucial for sales follow-through and post-market surveillance.
   

• Opportunities: Track and manage sales opportunities across various healthcare sectors. For example, monitor potential sales of a new cardiac monitor across different hospital networks, from initial contact to deal closure.
   

• Schedule/Calendar/Tasks for Pre-Call Planning: Organize and plan interactions with key stakeholders. For instance, schedule demonstrations of a new prosthetic device with orthopedic clinics, including detailed pre-meeting planning and follow-up tasks.
   

• Sales to Territory Mapping: Allocate sales resources efficiently by mapping sales teams to specific geographical areas and hospital networks.
   

• Activity Tracking and Notes: Maintain a detailed history of all interactions, such as meetings, calls, and emails, related to each account or contact.
   

• Reporting: The reporting feature generates insights on market trends and sales performance, essential for strategic decisions, like analyzing the market response to a new respiratory device during a health crisis.

 

2. Extensibility and Adaptability of the Underlying Data Model in CRM

In Gridlex CRM, "Models" are akin to advanced spreadsheets or database tables, that can accelerate sales. They are designed to flexibly handle various use cases specific to the medical device industry by creating sophisticated relationships and workflows. For example:

 

Envision a "Marketing Campaign" model in Gridlex for a new cardiac monitoring device. This model, similar to an advanced spreadsheet, would have columns (fields) like 'Campaign Name', 'Target Audience', 'Budget', and 'Healthcare Channels Used'. Each row (record) would detail a specific campaign.

 

Model 1: Marketing Campaign Model

 

This model enables the tracking of various aspects of marketing campaigns, the identification of channels used, and the targeting of specific medical professionals.

 

Model 2: Contracts Model

 

Here, contracts pertinent to the medical device industry, such as agreements with Cancer Groups, are meticulously tracked, with specific details on terms and types.

 

Interlinking Models

Gridlex allows for interlinking between models, such as linking a marketing campaign to specific contracts, providing a comprehensive view of interconnected activities.

 

3. Easy & Fast User Experience With Lists, Views, Sorting, & Filtering

In the medical device industry, efficient data management is paramount. Gridlex CRM excels in this aspect by offering an intuitive and fast user experience.
 

Gridlex's data management mimics the familiarity of spreadsheets. In the context of the medical device industry, this means that sales representatives managing diverse product lines - from surgical instruments to diagnostic devices - can easily sort, filter, and manage their product catalogs and client lists in a user-friendly environment. For example, a rep could use this feature to quickly filter out all cardiologists in a specific region interested in the latest pacemakers, simplifying targeted communication.

 

4. Permissioning: The Heart of a Robust CRM System

In the medical device industry, the role of advanced permissioning systems in CRM cannot be overstated. Gridlex CRM's innovative approach, utilizing the concept of Units, offers a versatile and secure framework for managing permissions, tailored to the complex needs of the medical device sector.

 

Concept of Units in Gridlex CRM
 

• Unit-Based Permissioning: Each unit, such as a regional sales team or a product management group, has its own unique set of permissions. For example, a unit like "Cardiovascular Device Sales" would have different access rights compared to "Orthopedic Research Team."
   

• Permission Levels on a CVED Basis: Permissions within Gridlex CRM are granular, defined at various levels using the Create, View, Edit, and Delete (CVED) model

 

Example of Permissioning Structure in Gridlex CRM

 

Gridlex's capability to create unlimited Units allows for endless permutations and combinations of permissions. This flexibility enables medical device companies to tailor the CRM precisely to their operational structure, maintaining both security and efficiency.

 

5. Change with Confidence: The Undeniable Need for a Consistent CRM Deployment Model

In the medical device industry, sales strategies must pivot quickly to respond to market and regulatory changes without disrupting operations or customer engagement. Gridlex CRM's consistent deployment model is critical for efficiently managing these shifts.
 

For example, imagine a company, OrthoInnovate, specializing in orthopedic implants. OrthoInnovate operates across different regions (e.g., North America and Europe) and has a complex product portfolio with varying regulatory requirements.

 

With the help of Gridlex's Solution:
 

• Enterprise Structure: OrthoInnovate is set up as an enterprise within Gridlex CRM, encompassing its regional entities like OrthoInnovate North America and OrthoInnovate Europe.
   

• Paired Test Entities: Each of these entities has a corresponding test entity (e.g., OrthoInnovate North America Test).
   

• Data Sharing with Differentiation: These test entities mirror the live entities in terms of organizations and contacts. However, any changes made in the test environment (like testing a new record template that has been added specifically for the OrthoInnovate North America entity) are confined to the test entity(OrthoInnovate North America Test). This ensures that the live environment remains unaffected during experimentation and testing.

 

6. Mastering & Syncing CRM Data and the MDM:

Master Data Management (MDM) is critical in the medical device industry for maintaining accurate and consistent data across the organization. Gridlex's integration of MDM into the CRM platform enhances data integrity and operational efficiency.
 

Gridlex Core Integration Features: 
 

• Golden Record Creation, Mastering, and Soft Merges:
  It is the process of combining data without losing original record variations, essential for maintaining a comprehensive data history. For example, tracking a device's lifecycle from production, through multiple sales and recalibrations, while preserving each transaction's distinct details.
   

• Wikipedia-esque Versioning:
  This approach to version control ensures that every edit and modification is tracked, akin to the version history in a Wikipedia article. For example, if a device's specification is updated in the CRM, this change is versioned, allowing stakeholders to track the evolution of device information over time.

 

Example of Version Control in Device Specifications:

 

Note: In case of erroneous data entry or update, the system allows rolling back to a previous version, ensuring data accuracy. For instance, if version 2 in the table above contained incorrect usage guidelines, it could be swiftly reverted to version 1.

 

7. Mastering Integrated Communication: Shared Email Inbox, SMS, and Calling in CRM

In the rapidly evolving medical device industry, communication is a critical aspect of sales and customer relationship management. Gridlex CRM revolutionizes this communication strategy by integrating email, SMS, and calling features within a unified system. This integration is especially crucial in the medical device sector, where timely and efficient outreach can significantly impact sales and customer service.
 

Key Features: 
 

1. Shared Email Inbox: Centralized Communication

In a scenario where a hospital queries about the latest cardiology devices, the shared inbox enables multiple reps or a team to address complex queries coherently, ensuring that the response is comprehensive and technically accurate.
 

Benefit: This feature aids in maintaining a high level of clarity and detail, crucial when discussing device specifications, clinical data, and regulatory compliance.

 

2. SMS Integration: Timely Updates and Reminders

SMS is particularly effective for brief updates or reminders about device installation schedules, maintenance visits, or urgent safety notifications.
 

Benefit: This ensures that critical information is communicated promptly and efficiently, enhancing client trust and adherence to safety protocols.

 

3. Calling Features: Direct and Personalized Communication

Direct calls from the CRM are essential for in-depth discussions, such as explaining a new device's features or troubleshooting during a surgical instrument's trial period.
 

Benefit: Calls logged in the CRM provide a valuable reference for future interactions and training purposes, ensuring consistency in communication.

 

8. Advanced Email Marketing Automation: Beyond Basic Approved Email Templates

Gridlex's CRM for the medical device industry offers advanced, regulatory-compliant email automation, enabling sales reps to send consistent, approved content from shared inboxes. It also safeguards the corporate domain reputation by using separate domains for marketing, preventing blacklisting risks. For example, if a primary domain is meddeviceco.com, an adjacent domain like meddeviceinfo.com is used for bulk email campaigns, thus safeguarding the primary domain’s integrity. Additionally, the system features smart email sequencing that adapts to recipient responses, ensuring efficient and relevant communications, crucial for medical device sales and marketing.
 

Example Scenario

Consider a scenario where a medical device company launches a new surgical instrument. Using Gridlex's system, the company can:
 

• Develop a series of emails that detail the instrument's features, benefits, and usage guidelines, ensuring all content is compliant with medical advertising regulations.

• Distribute these emails through shared inboxes, maintaining a cohesive communication strategy across the sales team.

• Utilize adjacent domains for these campaigns, safeguarding the company's primary email domain.

• Implement smart sequencing so that if a surgeon or hospital administrator responds with interest or queries, the system automatically adjusts the follow-up emails to provide more personalized and relevant information.

 

9. Interactive Visual Aids (IVAs): The Need for Flexibility and Scalability

Interactive Visual Aids (IVAs) have become indispensable in the medical device industry for their ability to simplify complex product information, demonstrate device functionality, and enhance customer engagement. 
 

Gridlex leverages HTML5, a modern and versatile markup language, for its IVAs. This choice ensures cross-platform compatibility and responsiveness. HTML5's ability to adapt to various screen sizes and resolutions makes it ideal for presenting detailed medical device information across different devices, from tablets used in field sales to larger screens in training sessions.
 

For instance, a complex cardiac monitoring device, Gridlex's HTML5-based IVA can dynamically display different monitoring modes and data interpretation, adjusting seamlessly to different screen orientations and resolutions.

 

Scalable IVA for a Medical Device: Gridlex-Specific Features

 

10. Harnessing the Power of Integrated Reporting, Analytics, and AI in Your CRM

Gridlex's CRM system, designed for the medical device industry, leverages AI to provide real-time, data-driven recommendations for sales strategies, such as tailoring approaches for specific devices like cardiac monitors based on healthcare provider preferences. The CRM's analysis of past interactions tailors future communications to specific medical specialties, optimizing engagement strategies. This includes suggestions for optimal contact times with healthcare professionals to enhance marketing and sales effectiveness. Additionally, interactive tools and custom report capabilities enable clear visualization of sales trends, supporting informed decision-making. Gridlex's CRM thus offers medical device companies advanced tools for market analysis and personalized engagement in a competitive market.

 

11. Scaling Speaker Programs and “Lunch and Learn” Events in the Medical Device Industry with CRM

Speaker programs and “Lunch and Learn” events are critical in the medical device industry for educating healthcare professionals. Gridlex's CRM features offer specialized solutions for these events.
 

Key Features
 

• Bulk Uploads:
  Quickly upload and manage details of multiple attendees, essential for large-scale medical device industry events.
  Example: Rapidly adding surgeons for a new surgical device demonstration.
   

• Streamlined Event Preparation:
  Dedicated module for pre-event planning and approvals, crucial for ensuring compliance and logistical coordination.
  Example: Organize "Lunch and Learn" sessions for a new cardiac monitoring device, covering educational materials. 
   

• Seamless Invitations:
  Directly send out personalized invitations through the CRM, enhancing engagement with healthcare professionals.
  Example: Efficiently sending personalized invites for a workshop on new stent technology.

 

12. Tailored Sunshine Act Compliance for Medical Devices with Gridlex CRM

Gridlex CRM offers a specialized solution for managing Sunshine Act compliance, tailored to the unique needs of the medical device industry. This legislation mandates detailed reporting of financial interactions with healthcare providers to ensure transparency and mitigate conflicts of interest.

 

Key Features:
 

• Device-Specific Data Logging: Understanding the critical nature of medical devices, Gridlex CRM is equipped to log detailed transfers of value (TOV), including those related to device prototypes, clinical trial sponsorships, and physician training programs. This feature is crucial for accurately documenting interactions that are unique to the medical device sector.
   

• Integration with Open Payments: Gridlex CRM’s integration extends to the Open Payments system, facilitating compliance with federal mandates. This feature is particularly beneficial for tracking payments related to device research and development, which are common in the industry.
   

• Real-Time Validation: Gridlex CRM provides real-time data validation, ensuring the accuracy of compliance reporting. The system cross-references transactions against external databases, considering the specific nature of medical device transactions, such as payments for device patents or royalties.
   

• Customization for Medical Device Regulations: The CRM can be configured to reflect the unique regulatory landscape of the medical device industry. This includes categorizing payments according to FDA classifications of devices or specific regulatory requirements for different types of medical devices.
   

• Reporting Transparency in Device Development: The CRM emphasizes transparency in reporting, crucial for maintaining public trust, especially in an industry where device safety and efficacy are paramount. This feature helps companies demonstrate their commitment to ethical practices in device development and collaboration with healthcare providers.
   

Gridlex CRM's enhanced capabilities in managing Sunshine Act compliance for medical devices ensure that companies not only adhere to regulatory standards but also uphold high ethical standards in their operations, fostering trust in a highly scrutinized industry.

 

13. Streamlining Medical Devices Operations with Efficient Work Management, Service Operations, and Help Desk Ticketing

Gridlex's custom features for the medical device industry streamline communication and collaboration, addressing the unique challenges faced by medical device companies. 

 

Key Features: 
 

• Purpose-Built Solutions:
  Tailored to address specific challenges in the medical device industry, including handling specialized inquiries and internal collaboration needs.
   

• Unified Request Management:
  Centralized platform for efficiently managing and tracking requests related to medical devices, from usage queries to maintenance issues.
   

• Enhanced Internal Collaboration:
  Facilitates quick connectivity with internal experts in areas like device engineering and quality assurance, ensuring accurate responses to complex field challenges.

 

14. Beyond Installation: Commitment to Continuous Support & Adaptability

Gridlex offers CRM solutions tailored for the medical device industry, focusing on transparency and adaptability. Our pricing model avoids hidden costs, essential for this highly regulated sector. We maintain a lasting partnership, ensuring our CRM adapts to evolving technologies, market shifts, and regulatory changes. Our system seamlessly integrates industry-specific tools, catering to the dynamic needs of medical device companies, supporting their growth and success in this specialized field.

 

15. Navigating Through the Maze Of Cost Complexity of CRM Solutions

Gridlex's CRM approach stands out with its transparent, all-encompassing pricing and unified platform approach. This method is particularly beneficial in a sector where financial predictability and operational efficiency are crucial. For instance, Gridlex's pricing model enables medical device companies to allocate resources effectively, essential for sectors like cardiac monitoring or prosthetic manufacturing.

The unified platform integrates various functionalities, reducing the need for multiple applications and thereby streamlining operations. This integration is vital for companies managing complex products like MRI machines, where seamless data management across sales, customer service, and compliance is key. 

Furthermore, Gridlex's inclusive support and simplified cost categories ensure that the CRM system evolves with the industry’s ever-changing needs, without financial surprises. This approach is critical in an industry where budget adherence and clear cost allocation can significantly impact R&D and market strategies.