Strong customer relationships between pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions are fundamental for high-performing healthcare ecosystems that deliver optimal outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs). As healthcare ecosystems across the globe contend with rising costs and growing demand, the ability to deliver personalised, seamless customer experiences is becoming even more critical. With rising expectations from HCPs and mounting pressure to improve outcomes, customer engagement is no longer a support function – it has become a strategic priority.
Pharmaceutical companies are racing to modernise outdated customer engagement (CE) platforms with the ambition of delivering more connected, personalised customer experiences. In Switzerland, where many global pharma giants are headquartered, this shift is especially visible. However, despite millions being invested in next-generation systems, many customer engagement initiatives underperform. The reason? Too much focus on perfecting and customising the technology and not enough on people adopting it and using it effectively.
As is now widely recognised, the majority of digital transformations fail to deliver the intended benefits, largely because of poor adoption and resistance to change. In the pharma industry – where commercial and medical teams often work in silos, data governance is complex and relationships are everything – challenges around proper user adoption are magnified.
This article explores:
- Why customer engagement transformation is uniquely difficult in pharma
- The people-related pitfalls that commonly derail progress
- What Swiss and global pharma leaders can do differently to ensure success.
When done right, customer engagement platforms can be a powerful engine for collaboration and insight-sharing. But unlocking that value requires more than new technology. It demands a human-centred approach to change
- Lack of a compelling case for CE: Employees lack a clear and urgent understanding of why transforming customer engagement is critical now for better patient outcomes and sustained competitiveness.
- Leadership misalignment: Leaders often talk about transformation but fail to demonstrate the customer-centric mindset and collaborative behaviours needed to make it real.
- Unchanged processes, structures and incentives: Without aligned KPIs, systems and workflows, it becomes difficult for employees to shift towards more integrated and insight-driven engagement.
- Lack of personal relevance for employees: When employees don’t see how the transformation benefits their role or purpose, it remains an abstract initiative rather than a motivating force.
Why customer engagement initiatives fall short
Barriers to extracting the full value from customer engagement platforms are rarely technological. They usually stem from leadership misalignment, resistance to change and a fragmented approach to adoption. Too often, a CE platform implementation is treated as a tool rollout rather than a behavioural and even cultural shift, with system training prioritised over real integration in day-to-day operations. True customer relationship management requires more than software; it demands a mindset shift that breaks down barriers and ensures insights flow seamlessly throughout the organisation
We see the following root causes behind the underperformance of customer engagement platforms:
1. Leadership misalignment
When leadership isn’t aligned on the strategic goals of customer engagement, adoption becomes a box-ticking exercise rather than a business enabler. Without a shared vision and visible sponsorship, employees are less likely to understand how CE supports the organisation’s broader purpose and invest the necessary effort to adopt the system.
2. Change without enablement
Many programmes overinvest in training and underinvest in change support. Users are shown how to click buttons but not how the system will help them be more effective in their roles. Without real-life use cases and embedded workflows, users revert to old habits.
3. Cultural resistance
Fear of losing control over customer relationships is common, particularly among medical and commercial teams. When information is seen as power, efforts to centralise or standardise system usage can trigger protectionist behaviours and undermine collaboration.
4. Siloed execution
Ways of working around customer engagement often differ across countries and business units, for example owing to local regulations. In Switzerland, where global, regional and local teams must collaborate, these inconsistencies can be particularly challenging. Misaligned processes result in fragmented information sharing and inconsistent customer experiences.
From technology rollout to behavioural change
To overcome these challenges, pharma companies must treat customer engagement transformations as a people initiative, not just a tech project. When supporting our clients with these engagements, we take the following aspects into account:
Why this matters now
As healthcare ecosystems become more interconnected, pharma companies are under pressure to prove value – not just through products, but through partnerships. Strong customer relationships, powered by shared insights and aligned teams, are central to that mission.
In Switzerland and beyond, CE platforms offer a path to deeper engagement and more impactful interactions with HCPs. But without embedding new mindsets, workflows and ways of working, even the best technology will still fall short.
Final thought: tech alone won’t get you there
The future of customer engagement in pharma isn’t about having the smartest system. It’s about creating the conditions where people use it to work smarter – together.
That’s why change management isn’t an add-on. It’s the backbone of any customer engagement initiative that aims to shift behaviour, break down silos and deliver on the promise of customer centricity.
Invest in the people side of change and you’ll unlock the real power of your CE technology.
We’re there to give pharma companies the confidence to take the bold steps necessary to get the most out of their customer engagement efforts. Please reach out if you’d like to discuss your approach in more depth.
