So you’re well on your journey to evaluating a new promotional review tool for your life sciences content. If you didn’t already read Part 1 of this series, 6 Key Areas to Consider When Looking for a New Promo Review Tool, you may want to read it now before proceeding. If you want a quick in-a-nutshell summary, here’s the six important features we discussed that you should consider when evaluating a new promotional review tool:
- Digital Asset Management
- Out-of-box vs Custom Offerings
- File Type
- Versioning
- Referencing
- Globalization
But we’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg in what should be considered in your next promo review tool so that’s why we’re back for more with Part 2 in this series. In case you are completely impatient, you can download the Promotional Review System Evaluation Template we created to assist with your efforts.
Parent/Child Relationships
How does the tool track relationships between content? From a global and regulatory perspective, you may want to identify and associate an original piece (created in English) with all of its derivative (translated) materials. Or when reviewing a reference or package insert, you may want to be able to track all the marketing materials that cite this content. The benefit of these tracked relationships is that when your package insert or reference is updated, you can quickly identify which linked marketing pieces also need to be updated.
Metrics
Does your tool provide the performance results you need? As soon as you launch your new system in your organization, the first thing you’ll likely be asked is, “Is this new tool saving us time?” and “Where are the bottlenecks?” Honestly, the operational questions will be endless. Your new tool should offer some reporting features that will make it easy for you to answer these questions with concrete metrics. Ask if your tool offers these insights that can help you make actionable decisions about your internal processes. You should also ask if the tool offers metrics beyond operational ones, such as content performance or how often a piece of content is used after it’s been approve/published. Ultimately, it’s those non-operational metrics that may be the actual game changers for using a new promo review tool. Marketers could then understand what content is going unused and what content is moving the needle—now that’s something they will be hugging you for!
Customer Support & Training
Is the vendor selling the tool going to be there for you? Ultimately, you need the adoption of your tool to be successful, so you need customer support and training on your side not just for the launch of the new system but for the long haul. Ask the vendor how much customer support and training will be included in your pricing vs. what will cost extra. You want a vendor who is going to be there for you during the long haul and not leaving you hanging directly after implementation.
Technology & Integrations
What technical features does the tool offer? Wait, before your eyes glaze over, I’m not going to get all technical on you. You have IT folks to support you. Bring them into the conversation and ensure they understand and feel confident with how the tool is built. Is it built from the ground up or does it rely on another platform? Is it cloud-based? Can it easily integrate with other systems? You likely are using a bunch of other systems that your promo review tool may need to integrate with, so make sure that the tool is set up to be integration-ready.
Pricing
How much does it cost? Understand the tool’s pricing and license model, such as cost per user. Clearly ask your vendor what is being included now and what costs you may incur a year from now, such as adding new users or a new feature. Ensure you are clear on the difference between implementation fees and licensing fees.
So there you have it, some key areas to consider when purchasing a new promo review tool. If you’re overwhelmed by this whole thing, that’s understandable. It’s a big undertaking to build an RFP, select a vendor, and push go on a brand new system that affects your entire organization. With that in mind, go ahead and download our Promotional Review System Evaluation template. We hope this resource makes it easier for you to get you started with the process.
If you’d like to learn how Pepper Flow can support you PRC process, contact us at hello@vodori.com.