Maximizing the Impact of Immunology Analytics and Insights Teams

Industries Profiled:
Biopharmaceutical; Pharmaceutical; Biotech; Consulting; Research; Health Care; Clinical Research; Laboratories


Companies Profiled:
Arena Pharmaceuticals; AstraZeneca; Bio-Rad Laboratories; Inc.; Biotest AG; Dermira; Decode Consulting; Grünenthal; Janssen; LEO Pharma; Lonza Inc.; MEDiSTRAVA; Merck; Momenta; Pfizer; Regeneron; Sanofi; Takeda Pharmaceuticals; UCB Pharma

Study Snapshot

Best Practices, LLC engaged 19 Analytics & Insights leaders across 18 leading biopharma organizations with a focus on the immunology segment. This report includes segmentation by company size (mid vs. large pharma) and features deep-dive interviews for added qualitative insights. Notably, over 35% of benchmark participants serve at the director-level or above.

Key topics covered in this report include:

• Core responsibilities and clients supported by Immunology A&I teams
• Valuable strategic practices, skill sets, and expertise areas
• High-value analytics, methodologies, platforms and outsourcing approaches
• Streamlining market research via advanced analytics
• Internal branding programs
• Innovation centers of excellence: Usage, staffing, services and alignment
• Top A&I obstacles, mistakes and lessons
• Innovative pilots, design thinking and patient engagement

• Effective A&I Advisors: All immunology A&I organizations consider critical thinking skills a “must have”, while 80 - 85% say communication, interpersonal, communications and detail orientation skills are essential.

• Effective CoE Services: Some find it highly effective for Centers of Excellence (CoEs) to propose innovative customer-facing strategies to internal groups, though other common services include delivering informational seminars and building new capabilities among internal groups.

• Time allocation of Immunology A&I teams across key internal functions – Total benchmark class
• Comparison of Immunology A&I support across key internal functions – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Voices from the field: Building holistic view for improving business results
• Role played by Immunology Analytics & Insights groups in fulfilling the listed organizational capabilities
• Role played by Analytics & Insights groups in fulfilling the listed organizational capabilities – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma

• Strategic initiatives used by Immunology A&I teams to enhance stakeholder impact
• Voices from the field: Making consensual and collaborative plans and recommendations to clients
• Effective practices used by Analytics & Insights groups to provide greater value to stakeholders – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Soft skills and prior experiences essential for Immunology A&I professionals
• Interview narratives around staffing an analytics organization
• Soft skills and prior experiences essential for Immunology A&I professionals – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Most critical technical skills for Immunology A&I professionals
• Most critical technical skills for Immunology A&I professionals – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Top obstacles to the future success of the Immunology Analytics & Insights function
• Interview narratives around what can drive the approach to analytics capabilities
• Interview narrative around analytics and different therapeutic areas
• Pitfalls and common missteps in Immunology A&I strategy execution
• Methods to foster continuous innovation across Immunology A&I

• Analytic methodologies used by Immunology Analytics & Insights groups for different operational purposes
• Analytic methodologies applied by Immunology A&I for diverse use cases – Strategic A&I teams vs. total benchmark class
• Interview narrative around determining “Next Best Action” in promotional mix
• Analytic methodologies used by A&I groups for various operational purposes – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Interview narrative around predictive analytics in R&D
• High-impact analytics projects supporting brand, HEOR, and other key internal partner teams – Total benchmark class
• High-value analytics projects supporting brand, HEOR, and other key internal partner teams – Strategic A&I teams
• Interview narratives around the outputs from new analytics platforms
• Interview narratives around data mining and usage with digitization
• Valuable analytics projects for informing brand, HEOR and other key internal partner teams and driving measurable results in the market – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Interview narrative around characterizing the activities that are enabling to connect the dots, in terms of analytic operations and methodologies performed
• Insource vs. outsource approach for immunology analytics projects – Total benchmark class
• Insource vs. outsource approach for immunology analytics projects – Strategic A&I teams
• Interview narrative around benefits of insourcing analytics
• Insource vs. outsource approach for immunology analytics projects – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Insource vs. outsource approach for specific methodologies and processes
• Insource vs. outsource approach for specific methodologies and processes – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Market research substitution with analytics in immunology
• Interview narratives around opportunities for more boutique research methodologies
• Interview narratives around approaches that tend to stifle innovation
• Use of analytics to replace market research – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Most utilized analytics and reporting platforms
• Benchmark peer assessments (pros and cons) of leading analytics platforms
• Interview narrative around an ideal analytics platform in immunology

• Internal branding campaign rollout to shape perception of the Immunology A&I function
• Key goals behind internal branding in Immunology Analytics & Insights functions – Total benchmark class
• Structural challenges, different data sources, and interview narrative around Analytics & Insights from medical perspective
• Key goals behind internal branding in Immunology A&I functions – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Vendor support for internal branding efforts
• Interview narratives around measurement and overall impact of formal branding efforts

• Adoption of innovation CoEs to scale expertise and transformation – Total benchmark class
• Interview narrative around digital solutions by innovation centers of excellence
• Adoption of innovation CoE to leverage expertise and drive new improvements – Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Relationship between innovation CoE (or similar department) and Analytics & Insights groups – Total benchmark class and Large pharma vs. mid-pharma
• Number of FTEs working in immunology-focused innovation CoEs or similar departments
• Effective services delivered by innovation CoE (or similar groups) in supporting the overall organization
• Critical background and skills required for staff working in an innovation CoE or similar department

• Use of a formal design thinking methodology in performance and innovation efforts
• Direct patient engagement initiatives to understand real-world immunology needs
• Examples of patient engagement programs of benchmark partners
• Disease areas in which benchmark organizations have made a positive impact using patient engagement programs to better meet patient needs – Primary care, specialty, and rare diseases
• Disease areas in which benchmark organizations have made a positive impact using patient engagement programs to better meet patient needs – By drug routes and drug types