10 Common Sense Ways to Upgrade Your Planning Process

Whether for strategy, commercialization, or any complex initiative before you, planning is critical. In the continually evolving biopharma industry, effective commercialization planning is still key to unlocking the full potential of your asset to address the unmet needs of the patients you hope to serve. It's a meticulous journey navigating through the intricacies of research and development, regulatory requirements, market analysis, and patient needs, all while aligning with your company's strategic goals and ensuring you have the financing you need.

In this blog post, we present "10 Common Sense Ways to Upgrade Your Planning Process," empowering you to build a solid foundation for your biopharma endeavors. Many of these should be considered in parallel while also ensuring your team innovates in using technology to get the job done efficiently and effectively.

1. What is your vision and end goal? Understanding where you are going will help you determine the must-haves and which items in your plan are most critical. What can you deliver against personally? Strategize how you can get your team to rally around you.
2. Understand what success looks like. Is it the actual deliverable—or is the process, the learning, or the collaboration that must resonate?
3. Prioritize how the work gets done. Consider whether you can introduce innovative ways to operate. Are the tools and technology you use to conduct meetings, communicate with your team, and collaborate the best available for your situation? Have you tried a Mural board in place of old-fashioned Post-it notes?
4. Keep planning teams lean and focused. While diverse perspectives are worthwhile, planning will be more efficient and impactful if those involved have clear, specific roles and are empowered to make decisions and move the process forward. Consider polling a broad section of the company but leave the planning to just a few engaged players.
5. Consider the human factor. Even in the best of times, planning processes are challenging. Bake in some levity or team-building exercises in planning meetings to ensure everyone feels aligned around the same objectives.
6. Avoid process for process' sake. Make it clear which decisions and outputs are needed. The best plans don’t sit on a shelf— they guide efforts and evolve throughout the year.
7. Choose a planning framework. As The NemetzGroup discussed in their blog, a planning framework links everyone in a clear, collaborative effort—providing purpose, energy, and focus. Give it a brand name, clarify what output is expected, and what each person’s contribution will be. The process of deciding the framework itself can align the team.
8. Model flexibility. Embrace agility. Plans, roles, and processes need to remain nimble and relevant, changing and updating as new insights and reality emerge.
9. Expect the unexpected. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “The only constant in life is change.” Plans and programs take longer to develop than anticipated. Manage expectations within your team and across the organization.
10. Celebrate! Celebrations are not optional fluff. They keep us connected, reinforce relationships, and encourage future positive behavior.

Whether you are a seasoned C-suite executive or a newly minted director, these invaluable insights and strategic recommendations can help you navigate the complexities of the industry and elevate your commercialization planning process to new heights.

We believe technology available in a robust, prepopulated commercialization platform like Corval can jumpstart the otherwise laborious building process of the strategic roadmap and resource plan. Why not start closer “with the end in mind” and tailor it to your individual needs?

Need help getting started? Reach out today and speak to one of our commercialization experts at info@corval.io.