Main Subject - Business

In my regular newsletter, I pointed out how companies should empower and support frontline staff to do what the supervisor ultimately does, without having to check with the supervisor each and every time.

Many readers sent

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

in follow-up questions and suggestions.

***

Question: ‘If we do give staff more power, how can we measure if it is properly utilized?’

Ron’s reply:

You should measure utilization of empowerment only by counting returning

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

customer visits or resulting customer compliments. If your high-value customers come back, make new purchases or praise your service, then your staff empowerment policy is effective.

However, if high-value customers do not

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

praise and come back, or if only low-value customers are happy and returning, then you need to change your staff empowerment formula.

Here’s a hint: Contact some of your high-value customers who did not return. Ask them wh

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

they didn’t come back – and what your staff should have done to earn their repeat visit. Listen carefully. Your former customers will tell you exactly what to do.

And here’s an added bonus: Just asking ‘non-returning custo

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

mers’ what it would take to get them back – very often gets them back! Sometimes it’s not money that counts, but your time and personal attention.

***

Question: ‘How do we know where to set limits so the liability of addit

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

ional cost are minimized?’

Ron’s reply:

To limit your liability, put a simple cap on expenditures allowed without supervisor approval. Be sure to link the financial cap to actual client value. Small clients, small cap. Big

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

clients with big budgets, larger amounts allowed. Test this over time to get the right mix of flexibility and generosity by tracking your clients’ reactions.

Remember, the ultimate deciding factor is whether good clients r

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

turn and how much they are worth to your business with their repeat purchases and referrals. As long as customers come back, buy more and refer others, your expense is not a liability, it’s a smart investment.

***

Ken Orr,

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

a Hotel Manager in New Zealand, wrote:

After many long meetings to discuss our customer service levels, we came to a standstill. Supervisors and managers alike insisted they were doing all they could with the frontline sta

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

ff we have. Every time the frontliners had an issue, I had to come to the rescue.

We knuckled down to find a solution. An ‘empowerment pad’ was our answer. Each frontline staff member now carries one of these pads and when

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

they see or hear of an issue in our hotel they note down the problem, quickly solve it and then pass on the docket for future consultation.

We provided solutions to all the issues we could think of and told the frontliners

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

o seek and destroy all of our remaining customer-frustrating and lack-of-empowerment issues.

The staff are visibly more vibrant and do not fear the situations they get into with our clients; they are now looking for potenti

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

al problems and pre-empting the solutions! Our supervisors are relaxed and they are now encouraging and motivating the staff like never before.

I have read your newsletter to all my staff. Thank you for a perfectly timed le

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

sson in customer service. Our organization is moving upward; it is very exhilarating.

Thanks, again! Ken Orr

Ken’s got the right idea – and is enjoying the right results. You can do this with your team, too

***

Question:

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

‘If the frontline staff is not actually our own staff, but belong to an authorized distributor or service center (independent entities), can we apply the same principle?’

Ron’s reply:

Yes! I believe the same principle can

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

apply and even become the foundation for stronger collaboration between you and your authorized ‘Service Partners’. When you show trust by allowing distributors and licensees to make real decisions with real dollars for real

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

customers, they will feel your real appreciation and respect.

That can make your company stand out from all the other companies whose products they also distribute, and can also lead to active word-of-mouth recommendations

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

for you. A real win-win.

Key Learning Point

Empowerment is intelligent fuel for creating self-motivated staff who will love the customers, love their jobs – and love working with you!

Action Steps

Make ‘empowerment’ you

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

r topic of the month. Get everyone involved. Give frontline staff all the empowerment you can imagine, and then try giving a little bit more. The risks are low, the learning value is high and the benefits are truly rewarding

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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Main Subject - I Want to Speak to a Supervisor, Part 2

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