Near-Term Action Plans

by Kevin L. O'Neill & Tim Zuponcic

The Integrated Product Launch^TM (IPL) team has been working over the last twelve months to develop integrated commercialization plans for clients. Our client engagements confirm the critical importance of integrated commercial planning and highlight the challenges companies face building, maintaining, and executing a launch plan. Many companies experience roadblocks on the way to building a successful strategic plan and successfully executing on it. For some, it has led to launch disasters. Flawless execution of commercialization is critical!

A lot of time and hard work goes into structuring, drafting and integrating a commercialization plan, but two things are certain when the plan is in place:

1. If it is not used, it will regrettably collect dust (or fade into the digital abyss) and have no value.
2. When it is used, it will undergo frequent changes as your team adapts to the realities of your product's development and marketing needs and it will become invaluable to the success of the commercialization of your asset.

So, the questions are: How is value extracted from an integrated plan? Who will interact with the plan and how often? What practices and tools do you need in order to extract the greatest value from your strategies and insights? How will you make sure that your plan is dynamic and that you will make it to the finish line with the best product offering for a welcoming market? The answers to these questions depend on your team and your company.

At least four variables are considered when setting a plan for commercialization:

1. Phase of Development
2. Team size
3. Company culture
4. Availability of resources (internal and external)

These dictate how tactical the plan should be, how the plan will be used, and how it will best be of value. Figure 1. provides a visual representation of how two companies can differ. IPL^TM takes into consideration these and other variables to customize plans that accommodate for the unique characteristics of each company.

Near-Term Action Plans

Every biopharmaceutical product in development should have a commercialization plan that provides for incorporating market factors into clinical strategy and that anticipates needed resources. On the other hand, early phase products don’t yet need a tactical launch plan.

Companies with early phase products get value from Near-Term Action Plans that are extracted from a commercialization plan. These Near-Term Action Plans help maintain focus on what needs to be done in the six to twelve month horizon. The Near-Term Action Plan is updated and synchronized from the commercialization plan on a regular basis. This interconnectivity will ensure that critical commercial activities are not overlooked and that your product tracks for successful development and eventual exit or launch.

Near-term action plans are well suited for:

• Products that are in Phase I or II in development -prior to the completion of a detailed and tactical Launch Plan.
• Corporate Teams that don’t yet have a CCO or a dedicated marketing lead.
• Those managing a hybrid team of consultants and in-house staff.
• Commercial leaders seeking to estimate the volume of activities, their timing and the resources required over the next budget or planning cycle.
• Companies that plan to maintain a small staff until the late stages of development.
• Companies seeking to exit.
• Companies seeking to take the product through launch.

How Does the Near-Term Action Plan Help?

A commercialization plan has no value unless it is referenced regularly to guide commercial activities and decisions. Whether a start-up or an established, fully integrated company, an integrated commercialization plan is the backbone of successful commercialization.

Near-Term Action Plans enable effective resource planning, allowing the manager to anticipate and stage hiring and contracting decisions. They are also useful in informing leadership teams, boards, and investors.

Commercial leaders must decide on the appropriate method to guide activities based on the needs and culture of their organizations. In small organizations that are supported by consultants, the Near-Term Action plan is an easy way to have visibility into what critical commercial activities need to get done over the next six to twelve months. Action Plans also put all commercial activities in context over time so that individual contributors can understand how their work is interdependent with others. Because Action Plans are extracted from the commercialization plan they can be easily produced and the two will be synchronized.

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Things to keep in mind about Near Term Action Plans

• Six to 12 month activity plan
• Overview of commercial activities
• Easily produced from the integrated plan
• Facilitates resource planning
• Clear and effective communication on activities
• Tracks for successful launch

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The Goal: Successful Launch

Whether the asset is kept or not, launch success is the ultimate goal. Integrated commercial planning is the first step and the backbone of all launch preparation activities. It is critically important to develop methods for team members and consultants to understand the key activities required to reach interim objectives. These methods will vary by company, but a team with a close eye on an integrated commercialization plan has the best chance to succeed.

Customized Solutions

IPL^TM can help build your integrated plan and define the best method of maintaining and following that plan to ensure success. As depicted in Figure 1, company needs vary on multiple dimensions. The Near-Term Action Plan is a solution for companies that want to derive value from their plan by managing via short term “road maps.” This solution fits their needs and is the best way to track on an annual plan. However, IPL offers a variety of solutions and launch management tools to meet the needs of our diverse customer base. Our approach includes gaining an understanding of our customer’s needs and what will work best within their structure and culture. With this understanding, there are options that include existing and customized solutions for the unique needs of each company.