Podcast
Pharma digital transformation and KPIs with Ashraf Sabry
Title at episode shootingCCO, New Country Healthcare
Ashraf Sabry discusses pharma digital transformation, KPI discipline, CRM adoption, and the modern role of the medical representative.
Ashraf Sabry
- Title at episode shooting
- CCO, New Country Healthcare
Key takeaways
- Digital transformation needs team buy-in, not only tools.
- KPIs should guide behavior and future direction, not only report historical performance.
- Commercial leaders need processes that make priorities visible to managers and teams.
Episode overview
Ashraf Sabry joins Pharma Republic to discuss commercial success, pharma digital transformation, KPI-driven processes, and the role of CRM in modern field execution. The conversation connects technology adoption with leadership, coaching, and the changing expectations placed on medical representatives.
Why it matters
Transformation succeeds when the operating model changes. KPIs should connect to workflows, coaching, and daily decisions so they guide the team before performance reviews.
The evolution of the pharma industry
A changing landscape: Dr. Ashraf reflects on a 35-year journey, remembering a time when medical representatives carried heavy bags of printed brochures and knocked on doctors' doors. Today, the field involves digital tools, tender management in large hospital ecosystems, and more dynamic data analysis. 00:53Opens in a new window 09:56Opens in a new window
The post-COVID shift: COVID-19 accelerated the industry's move away from a purely face-to-face model. Hybrid interactions, email, and social media forced companies to test whether their teams had the digital skills needed to survive and adapt. 06:08Opens in a new window
Digital transformation and data-driven processes
Overcoming resistance to technology: In a conservative industry, new tools often meet resistance. Some teams fear the unknown, while others worry the tools will be used mainly to monitor them. Dr. Ashraf argues that leaders need to sell the value and benefits before implementation, so the team understands why the change helps them. 30:32Opens in a new window 31:23Opens in a new window
The power of CRM: CRM systems are no longer optional. They help medical representatives log calls in real time and connect daily activity, samples, visits, sales, and KPIs into one clearer performance picture. When used properly, CRM becomes an MRI for sales, showing what is working and what needs attention. 10:44Opens in a new window 40:35Opens in a new window
The core role of the medical representative
A moral obligation: Dr. Ashraf sees the medical representative role as moral before it is commercial. Doctors spend years preparing to serve patients, and the representative's job is to provide accurate, useful information that helps the right medication reach the right patient. 15:08Opens in a new window
Skills for the modern rep: Today's representative needs more than product knowledge and a customer list. Modern reps must be analytical, adaptable, emotionally intelligent, and able to act like consultants, especially now that doctors can access product information online. 11:32Opens in a new window
Technology as an enabler: CRM data should not be used only to punish people for missed visit quotas. For first-line managers, it should become a coaching tool that helps identify where a representative needs support before the manager joins a field visit. Trust in technology grows when data is used to help, not only to control. 43:29Opens in a new window
Transcript excerpts
Selected short transcripts from this episode, edited only for readability and archive value.
Ashraf SabryHow to change the mindset of the people within the organization is more important than the task itself. How do you prepare people so they accept the change, so they know it is for their own benefit and for the benefit of the company.Ashraf SabryCCO, New Country HealthcareResistance in pharmaWatch short Ashraf SabryUsing technology is a game changer.Ashraf SabryOf course, to have a competitive advantage, I wish I had tools that my competitor doesn't have. But I look at it in a different way. You know, when you do standardization for the whole market, the rules of the game become unified. So, 100%, I advise anyone who hasn't used a CRM tool like REVO: try it. See the information you will obtain and the insights that can benefit your organization, as well as your team.Ashraf SabryCCO, New Country HealthcareWhy technology is a game changer in pharmaWatch short Ashraf SabryThe core of the work is the patient. So, if you offer the doctor any other service to prescribe a specific product, and it's not related to the patient they're facing every day, then it's not a healthy way, and it will fire back on the organization sooner or later.Ashraf SabryI believe in change. He or she should move if they find a more supportive environment that will embrace learning and development. Because this is very important - you will be exposed to new ways of doing business.Ashraf SabryCCO, New Country HealthcareThe core of pharma commercial operationsWatch short Short perspectives