1. Embrace the customer perspective

In 2019, Novartis’ leadership determined that, to develop medicines that meet patient needs, the company needed to become ever-more patient-centric. It needed to incorporate the voice of the patient and the patient reality into its evidence-based decision-making. Co-designing drugs, apps, means of delivery with patients and patients’ attitudes front-of-mind makes them more successful.

2. Set the bar on insight really high

Too often, businesses find it hard to articulate what an insight is; many don’t know how to articulate an insight, often tolerating a low-bar definition of the very term “insight”. Many organizations accept single data points or casual observations as insights. This is never sufficient.

Accordingly, the team developing i4i set and was guided by this, high-bar definition of insight: "A profound and useful understanding of our customers’ attitudes, behaviors, or beliefs that enables us to reimagine actions that establishes a deeper connection and relevance between us and their lives." It’s profound because it answers the question “So what?” – “What do the data mean?” And it’s useful because it enables us to address the more interesting question “Now what?” – “What should we do as a result?” Genuine insights inspire data-driven decision-making, moving associates from data to insight and on to strategic implementation.

3. Achieve more with less

Novartis had no shortage of sources of information, data, and research outputs from projects undertaken with patients to inform decision-making (see graphic). There were two main challenges: (i) research projects tended to be one-time consumables whose impact was only felt at delivery; and, (ii) PE colleagues were not routinely joining the dots between different research outputs. By triangulating data sets and joining the dots between them, cross-disciplinary teams have more opportunity to surface and articulate genuine insights. At Novartis, this is made more straightforward through the creation and widespread usage of the internal data repository and search engine called PIN: Patient Insights Navigator.

4. Tailor best practice to suit your needs

The team developing i4i sought inspiration from many different approaches and methodologies used to generate insights and make the most of research data, to inspire creativity and move from insight to action. These included:

• Design Thinking (Stanford’s d-school / IDEO)
• Edward De Bono (Six Thinking Hats)
• Allan et al.’s ?WhatIf! Principles

The team also explored and deployed a wide range of other convergent and divergent thinking techniques, such as the root cause analysis and the STEP Prism of InsightTM.

The team included the insight and analytics leads from many different therapeutic areas inside Novartis. To gain real traction within Novartis, this home-grown process needed to blend the best of external best practice with home-grown realities and pragmatism. To effect sustainable change in how PE associates surface and articulate insights, it needed to be by-Novartis, for-Novartis.

5. Road-test, rinse repeat; road-test …

The i4i process was created and piloted working with real, cross-functional teams inside Novartis, driven by PE. It was then refined and codified based on the feedback of PE associates who had been immerse in the pilots. From the start, they had ‘skin in the game’.

Every year, the PE Center of Excellence (CoE) at Novartis reviews i4i, refines it, and makes sure it is ever-more fit-for-purpose, using the experience of associates who have recently worked through the process. High-impact action plans generated by i4i are included in brands’ annual Integrated Product Strategies, and in this way patient insights fuel PE outreach., turning insight into strategy.

6. Share generously, externally

The CoE has an ongoing program of outreach for i4i, sharing the methodology and impact of the process with the outside business world, both pharma and more broadly, as an example of best practice.

In 2023, this has included:

• presentation on the global stage at the annual ephmra conference;
• entering / winning the PFMD "Made for Patients" award (see below left); and,
• publication in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Marketing (see above left, right).

It is only by sharing best practice outside the business that processes such as i4i can become industry standards, both inside and outside of pharma. This approach is designed to ensure everyone who wants to benefit from a tried-and-test methodology can do so.