The medical field has many priorities and often a CRM system can get pushed to the end of the list. Because of this, information can be in many different locations and can create a scattered experience for your team. Medical device companies should evaluate their current platforms and see if implementing a CRM system could help with streamlining business. 

Here are 7 ways that CRM can help medical device manufacturers streamline operations:

#1 Quoting and Approvals 

Medical device quotes can be multi-page documents that include images of the products or long paragraphs of text. There may also be rules around which items can be quoted based on the items they’re related to. For example, line item B is only made available to add to the quote if line item A has already been chosen. A CRM can be configured for rules-based quoting to maintain those requirements. In addition, some quotes may need approval before being sent. In this case, CRM workflows can help automate that approval process and make quoting easier. 

#2 Sales Order Simplification

If you already use an ERP for sales orders, combining it with a CRM system will make it even easier for sales teams to access sales order histories. Instead of manually pulling ERP reports and emailing them to each rep, salespeople can view those insights within the system they are already using - the CRM. The complete sales order history offers salespeople a quick snapshot of the customer and helps them prioritize upsell and cross-sell opportunities.

#3 Easily Measured Data 

Customer engagement is an important metric to track. Reports on your customer’s activities can reveal new opportunities and ways to follow up on sales. 

#4 Comprehensive Customer Service 

Customers want to feel heard. When communicating with customers online, providing a fast resolution to their problem will make them feel important. Tracking support tickets and associated metrics will help your support team properly assist your customers. A CRM system allows your team to track cases and see customer history, so they are aware of issues from the past. Sales and support teams alike can benefit from this data transparency and build a more personalized customer experience.

#5 Opening Dialogues with Device Users

CRM solutions can do more than internal data management and reporting. Medical device teams can also use them to connect directly with device users and physicians. Access to a CRM portal can be granted to specific users outside the organization who can use the space to engage in open dialogue and offer feedback. From this touchpoint, the company can better understand user experiences with the product.

#6 Field Service Enablement

When medical devices cannot be fixed remotely, a technician must come to the facility to fix them. CRM streamlines field services by dispatching field technicians, allowing support teams to create work orders from existing support cases, and making customer information accessible via a mobile app where the technician has all the information they need while on-site. It is important for the technicians to know the exact locations for the jobs and for them to be able to collaborate with support, so storing the information in one central area is crucial for staying organized.  

#7 Management of CAPA Procedures 

Medical device manufacturers must establish and maintain CAPA (corrective and preventive action) procedures related to device non-conformity. These procedures, mandated by the FDA, require that they have established data sources that can be measured and analyzed, have improvement plans, and have actions in place if problems occur. CRM makes maintaining and tracking these procedures easier because it provides a centralized location to collect, analyze, and report on customer complaints, service issues, and repairs.

Concluding Thoughts 

A properly configured CRM does so much more than create more organization throughout the different areas in your company. CRM systems can be implemented into medical device companies to improve distribution, streamline reporting and data sharing across departments, better support customer service and field agents, and help sales manage customers and prospects more effectively.

If you need help implementing CRM into your medical device company, TAI can provide a strategic evaluation of your needs and help you select the best fitting CRM solution. Contact us now to get started by visiting here

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