In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the ability to efficiently manage and deliver compliant, personalized content has become crucial for pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic, and biotech companies. In recent years, modular content has been touted as a solution to this challenge. 

What is modular content? A strategy that involves breaking down content into smaller, reusable components that have been pre-approved by necessary review teams to expedite the content creation, approval, and distribution processes.  

It’s no wonder modular content has gotten attention from the industry and been written about extensively. Modular content, theoretically, can drastically improve the speed to market of content developed by life science teams and improve overall efficiency. 

However, the journey towards effective modular content implementation requires careful planning and a solid foundation, akin to building a house. Without a proper foundation, the entire structure is at risk, much like how poorly implemented modular content can lead to inefficiencies and unmet expectations.

This blog post delves into the fundamental aspects of modular content and provides insights that can support life science organizations in determining if a modular content strategy is right for them. Learn more by watching our Amend & Progress podcast episode on modular content.

The core elements of modular content

Modular content can be broken down in the following pillars:

• People: The right team structure, including reviewers, regulatory operations, and leadership, is crucial. Effective training and accountability measures are necessary to maintain high-quality content operations​​.
• Processes: Efficient workflows and processes must be established to manage content review and approval, ensuring consistency and compliance across different content pieces.
• Technology: Tools such as digital asset management systems are vital. These systems help store, manage, and retrieve content modules efficiently, reducing the dependency on external agencies for content updates and modifications​​.

It is important to note that one of the keys to modular content is trust. Trust that the reviewers are checking references and verifying accuracy. Trust that submitters are checking in with the agency submitting content into the system and verifying content submission standards. Trust that the agency you’re working with understands that they need to submit quality content and that revisions during rounds of review are completed. 

If these things cannot be believed to be true at all times, modular content will be difficult. 

Modular content challenges and misconceptions

Regulatory Hurdles: Existing regulations, especially in the life sciences industry, pose significant challenges. These regulations are often outdated and not designed to accommodate the flexibility required by modular content strategies​​.

Implementation Effort: The initial effort to set up modular content can be extensive. It requires a strong foundation in terms of strategy, infrastructure, and organizational readiness​​. Leaders within life science teams need to recognize this fact as modular content is something that takes time and cannot be “turned on.”

Misaligned Expectations: There is a misconception that modular content will yield immediate results. In reality, it requires careful planning, ongoing management, and iterative improvements to be effective​​. 

Ideal applications for modular content

In deciding if modular content is right for your life science organization, consider the following applications:

• Global to Local Strategies: Modular content is particularly effective for global-to-local content strategies, where content needs to be adapted for local markets while maintaining consistency​​.
• Mature Products: It is also useful for mature products that require less frequent updates but still need efficient content management​​.

Conclusion

Modular content is a strategic approach to content creation and management that emphasizes reusability, efficiency, and scalability. By focusing on the integration of people, processes, and technology, organizations can overcome the challenges and fully leverage the benefits of modular content. However, successful implementation requires a strong foundational strategy, effective management, and alignment with regulatory requirements.

Looking to learn more about this topic? Watch our Amend & Progress podcast episode on modular content with subject matter experts Alana Goodman and Stephanie Taubin.