October 2006  -  Michael N. Abrams, M.A., Managing Partner, and Jack Nightingale, M.P.A., Consultant, advise health systems to invest in managing relations with key physician groups in their article, Building Revenue Through Stronger Physician Relations, published in the October 2006 edition of Managing the Margin, the publication of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

The authors argue that one of the most underleveraged opportunities to drive revenue growth and improve strategic focus in health systems is the proactive management of physician relations. They propose that healthcare systems establish dedicated relationship managers for physicians, particularly for the physician groups that account for a large share of hospital admissions. This approach to managing major accounts is common in the commercial business world and it can readily be adapted to the healthcare environment. The authors show how quickly the investment in staffing and supporting the relationship management function can be recouped through its impact on hospital revenues.

August 2006  -  Michael N. Abrams, M.A., Managing Partner, and Mark T. Morgan, M.S.(R), Business Analyst, provide insights into how to build sales volume across the private banking and commercial banking segments in Riding the Wealth Transfer Wave: Facilitating Private-Commercial Cross-Selling, published in American Banker magazine, August, 2006.

The impending retirement of the Baby Boomers means a bonanza for the banking industry, as millions of liquidity events worth trillions of dollars will occur over the next decade. The authors detail the most important things that banks can do to increase cross-selling between their commercial and private banking units, and the impact that improvement in these areas has on their ability to compete for a slice of this business. The authors point to a number of specific, common lapses that adversely impact cross-selling, and summarize tested approaches to correcting them.

August 2006  -  Rita E. Numerof, Ph.D., President and Bill Ott, M.B.A., discuss the critical role of segmentation in moving from a product-centric to a market-centric business model in A New and Integrated Marketing Approach: Applying Segmentation in a Market-Driven Business Model, published in Product Management Today, August 2006.

A combination of factors in the current business environment require that pharmaceutical companies adopt a new way of looking at their business a market-driven, rather than product-driven approach. One of the most critical strategic competencies to build in the organization will be the ability to take a forward look at the market from the perspective of key stakeholder segments, and to translate that perspective into responsive products and market positioning. The authors discuss how the application of a market-driven business model impacts functional resource decisions, requiring significant change in product portfolio management and strategy implementation. They offer specific examples illustrating the alignment of R&D, Clinical Affairs, Reimbursement, Marketing, Sales, and other key functions with a market-driven approach to ensure sustainable commercial success.

August 2006  -  Mark T. Morgan, M.S.(R), Business Analyst, and Michael N. Abrams, M.A., Managing Partner explain the crucial role of infrastructure for the assessment of organizational effectiveness in Practical Tools to Measure Organizational Effectiveness, published in Chief Learning Officer magazine, August, 2006.

Assessment of the value of training and development efforts too often stops at the training room door. The authors describe how components of your existing role-design and performance assessment infrastructure can be used to improve the design and targeting of development efforts, as well as to allow evaluation of their impact on organizational performance. The authors note that measuring these impacts in a comprehensive way creates beneficial effects throughout the organization, and feeds back into improvement of the role-design and performance assessment infrastructure itself.

August 2006  -  NAI’s approach to developing high-performing major account managers is dynamically illustrated in our recently published article, On Upgrading the Engine in Mid-Flight: A Method for Developing Better Strategic Account Managers. Authored by NAI Managing Partner Michael N. Abrams and Business Analyst Lisa P. Bevilacqua, it was published in the 3rd Quarter 2006 issue of Velocity.

Experience has shown that the qualities that make a high performing sales person are not always sufficient to ensure continued high performance in a more strategic account management role. Trying to get a promoted candidate up to speed while in their new job is like trying to upgrade the engine of a plane in mid-flight by the time it becomes clear that the new account manager needs help, significant damage to relationships may already have been done. To avoid trying to upgrade the skills of a new major accounts manager while they are trying to do the job, it is imperative to evaluate and develop the candidate in advance of the promotional decision. In this article, NAI explains how to evaluate a candidate against critical competencies and prescribe targeted training or development to ensure that they can perform in key areas before they have to.

July 2006  -  Rita E. Numerof, Ph.D., President, and Jack Nightingale, M.P.A., Consultant, point to the critical importance of strategic implementation for the pharmaceutical industry in Industry at a Crossroads, published online in Eye for Pharma, July 24, 2006.

Major pharmaceutical companies have publicly committed themselves to transformation to address challenges facing the industry. The authors describe the new strategies many companies are adopting, including a tighter therapeutic focus, improved operational effectiveness, greater emphasis on clinical and economic value, and integrating non-pharma medical technologies. The authors highlight the difficulties associated with executing each of these strategies, and recommend steps companies can take to ensure successful implementation.

July 2006  -  Jack Nightingale, M.P.A., Consultant, Rita E. Numerof, Ph.D., President, and Michael N. Abrams, M.A., Managing Partner, provide advice to companies on how best to engage their boards of directors in strategy development in Feeding a Board’s Appetite for Strategy, published in Directors & Boards, Third Quarter 2006.

The article draws on insights gained from structured, confidential interviews the authors conducted with CEOs/Board Chairmen and other senior executives from approximately 20 major companies across several industries. It highlights the growing interest of boards in pressure-testing and approving company strategy as a key element of their fiduciary responsibilities. The authors describe the critical success factors for effective board engagement, including recruiting the right people to serve as directors, giving them the education they need to be informed participants in strategy development, and providing forums for conducting high-value conversations on strategy. The authors also provide recommendations on how to design and execute highly productive strategy forums.

June 2006  -  Rita E. Numerof, PH.D., President, and Jack Nightingale, M.P.A., advise pharmaceutical companies on the need to reposition their sales forces in Building Accountability for Value-Added Conversations with Physicians, published in Product Management Today, June 2006.

Pharmaceutical companies' detailing activities tend to focus on presenting a simple message to physicians with high frequency and reach. As access to physicians has declined and regulatory scrutiny increased, companies have responded by making their sales representatives' messages more structured and formulaic. As a result, the value has decreased to physicians, who feel even less inclined to give their time to sales reps. The authors argue that companies can differentiate their detailing by equipping their reps with the competencies to engage physicians in higher value conversations while staying within the dictates of regulatory compliance. They describe how to make a fundamental change to sales management culture so that sales managers play a critical role in developing these competencies among their reps.

May 2005  -  Rita E. Numerof, Ph.D., President, and Jack Nightingale, M.P.A., discuss the painful evolution of the blockbuster model historically used by major pharmaceutical companies in Big Pharma -- How to Regain Success, published in Scrip, May 2006.

It’s become increasingly clear that despite its past successes, the resource allocation model traditionally used by large pharma companies is headed for a breakdown. As the assumptions and associated costs of this approach grow more and more out of step with current economic and political realities, the certainty of change grows stronger. The authors discuss why the blockbuster model is failing, and the likely next evolutionary step. They offer strategic guidance for big pharma regarding how to best navigate the change to what’s next, and the competencies that will be essential for success.

April 2006  -  NAI's approach to change management is dynamically illustrated in our recently published article, Building a Leadership Infrastructure: The Next Step in the Evolution of Hospital Systems. Authored by NAI Vice President and Managing Partner Michael N. Abrams and Business Analyst Lisa P. Bevilacqua, it was published in the April 2006 issue of Healthcare Strategic Management.

The healthcare industry is in the midst of a human resource crisis, with increasing demand for workers, an aging work force, and the pool of new workers flat or declining. At management levels, the gap between supply and demand is exacerbated by the disconnect between the increasing demands placed on managers and the limited preparation they receive. The only solution is to create a comprehensive system to identify those with management potential, systematically improve their skills, and promote them into increasingly responsible positions. Such an effort requires a fresh look at the requirements of managing in the healthcare environment to identify and build the critical competencies required for success. This article illustrates NAI's approach to this process.

April 2006  -  Michael N. Abrams, M.A., Managing Partner, and Matt Motherwell, M.B.A., discuss the transformation of shifting HR to a consultative approach, outlining the business case and action steps in It's Time to Sink or Swim: The Future of HR, published in HR Pulse, Spring 2006.

The authors suggest that as self-service HRIS systems eliminate the "administrative" component of human resources administration, HR departments must reinvent their value proposition - or face declining resources and influence. HR professionals need to shift from ensuring procedural compliance and taking orders for canned solutions to diagnosing issues, providing the HR component of business strategy, aligning processes with strategy, guiding implementation and evaluating results. The authors outline key steps in implementing this transformation, including tools and tactics for managing the transition to a new structure and roles.

April 2006  -  It takes an integrated continuum of effort to reduce employee turnover, but the results can have tremendous impact on morale and on the organization’s bottom line. Effective selection, regular manager performance surveys and feedback, development for managers and employees, and accountability for progress are a few of the keys to employee retention.

An interview with NAI Vice President and Managing Partner Michael N. Abrams on reducing employee turnover in the healthcare industry was central to the article Happy and Retained in the April 2006 issue of HealthLeaders.

February 2006  -  Michael N. Abrams, M.A., Managing Partner, and Jack Nightingale, M.P.A., Consultant, make the case for a more systematic approach to managing relationships with key admitters in a two-part article, Managing Key Physician Groups, published in H&HN Online, the online version of Hospitals and Health Networks magazine.

In Part I, the authors explore the parallels between the management of physician relationships in healthcare, and the management of key accounts in the business to business (B2B) sector. They go on to explain how the fundamentals of major accounts management can be adapted to the healthcare environment. Part II describes the critical path for hospitals and systems to follow in implementing this more structured, proactive approach. This new model of physician relations management offers significant advantages to hospitals and systems by minimizing risks to referral flow and by enhancing capability to grow market share.

January 2006  -  Jack Nightingale, M.P.A.,Consultant, and Rita E. Numerof, Ph.D., President, provides guidance in handling some of the critical strategic challenges involved in shifting from blockbusters to targeted drugs and positioning companies as the partner of choice in When Blockbusters Go Bust: The Emergence of a New Model of Pharmaceutical Marketing, published in Product Management Today, January 2006.

Pharmaceutical giants have built their industry on the development of blockbuster drugs that treat millions of people for the most common diseases. But to many, it appears that the block buster pharma model of the 90's is unsustainable under current industry forces. Declining R&D productivity is well documented, and the public's intolerance for perceived safety issues is driving regulatory authorities and lawmakers to even larger and longer clinical trials for new drugs, increasing development costs even further. This article gives insight into the requirements needed to redefine strategies and retool organizations for effective execution and adopt a new pharmaceutical marketing approach that will be the center of their success.