Pharma CRM

THE PROBLEM

Pharmaceutical field representatives visit dozens of doctors per week but rely on desktop CRMs and paper forms that don't work in waiting rooms or without a reliable internet connection. Data entry was happening hours after visits — from memory — leading to inaccurate records and missed follow-ups. Managers had no real-time visibility into field activity.

APPROACH

Designed an iPad-native CRM with an offline-first architecture using local storage that syncs to the server when connectivity is restored. Reps log visits in under 60 seconds using structured tap-through forms — no free-text required. The app surfaces the last visit date, pending follow-ups, and doctor preferences before each appointment. Managers get a live dashboard showing rep activity, coverage rates, and follow-up completion.

KEY DECISIONS

• 1

  Offline-first was non-negotiable — hospital Wi-Fi is unreliable and 4G drops in basements.

• 2

  Used conflict-resolution timestamps for sync: last-write-wins on the server with a local change log preserved.

• 3

  Removed the free-text note field after testing — reps wrote novels; structured fields improved data quality 3×.

• 4

  Added a 'Next visit suggested date' feature based on doctor segment and last interaction — increased follow-up rate by 40% in the pilot.

OUTCOME

Shipped and deployed to a regional pharmaceutical company with 45 field reps across Turkey. Visit logging compliance rose from 60% to 94% in the first month. Manager visibility into daily field activity went from a weekly report to real-time. The offline sync architecture had zero data loss incidents in a 6-month production run.