Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Monday, Nov 23, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version | Audio | Blogs
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Monday, Nov 23, 2009 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version | Audio | Blogs |
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eWorld
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Software Marketing - Online Marketing
Information at a click. What does a medical representative do if a doctor poses a complex question on the efficacy of a drug he is trying to explain to him? Generally, the medical rep sends the query back to the company head quarters located miles away, which would get back to the doctor with an appropriate answer over a period of time. But India's second largest pharma company, Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd, says its rep can provide the answer in no time, by harnessing the power of information technology. The Hyderabad-based pharma major is able to achieve ‘real-time' efficiency in marketing by providing customised hand-held, palm-top devices to its team of 2,500 medical representatives across the country. “In fact, we are the first pharma company to automate the entire direct sales force of over 2,500 medical representatives,” B.V. Srinivas, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Dr Reddy's Labs, tells eWorld. The PDA devices, besides improving the communication between doctors, R&D and drug discovery team, help in other ways. “A medical representative can plan his schedules with doctors and electronically fill-in the expense statements instantly. The head office will also know what is happening on the field,” he says. Sharpening distribution Dr Reddy's has also sharpened the edge of its distribution network by integrating it with its electronic network. The traditional method of maintaining inventories, stockists and replenishments request is manual. “But, at head office, we can pick up files of over 1,500 distributors and access the closing stocks. A real-time update on the entire supply chain is possible. From a stockist's perspective, triggering a new order for replenishment is just a click away,” says Srinivas. For vendors too, a portal exists that makes it easier for asking a quotation or sending a statement on financial status. A central data pool on various drugs and steps to be taken in case of any adverse reaction is also in place. “We have also put in place various protocols for disaster recovery and business continuity,'' he says. The future plans on IT usage in Dr Reddy's include complete integration of quality manufacturing. “This is vital for a drug-maker. Instead of manufacturing a product and testing it, we plan to incorporate quality testing and control at the design level itself,” he adds. “We are also in the process of bringing our entire IT resources across different geographies to a central location in India. One ERP system and one process for all operations is essential for proper connectivity and collaboration,” he says. Paperless model On the employee front, Dr Reddy's is adopting a paperless model where all HR-related issues, applications, are dealt electronically. Even interviews are being conducted via video-conferencing through a tie-up with the Reliance Web World. The candidates to be interviewed are given the option of facing the interview from any outlet of Reliance Web World. And, all this is done with a team of just 60 people with an annual budget of Rs 25 crore for a $1.5 billion plus company! Dr Reddy’s to focus on R&D projects to drive more revenue Dr Reddy’s Q2 net surges on revenue growth in generics More Stories on : Software | Online Marketing | Pharmaceuticals | Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd
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