Headquartered in Switzerland, Novartis employs 81 000 people in 140 countries worldwide and is a world leader in the research and development of products to protect and improve health and well-being.
In the same way that Novartis seeks to translate consumer insights into brands that delight and satisfy needs, MTN Corporate Business Unit (CBU) seeks to translate corporate ICT needs into solutions uniquely crafted to the differing requirements of individual organisations.
MTN CBU offers a proven range of corporate data solutions with superior client service standard on all products and services. Not only do we lead the country, our data solutions are world-class and guaranteed to help small, medium and large organisations reduce downtime, enhance productivity and boost turnover.
Appropriate for its relationship with MTN, the Novartis name is derived from the Latin novae artes, meaning "new skills". This pharmaceutical company's commitment to the kind of research and development that boosts the quality of life of the communities it serves is mirrored in MTN's commitment to rolling-out the country's most extensive EDGE-enabled cellular network perfectly suited to total mobile data needs.
"We don't employ sales people only interested in one side of the coin. We employ communications auditors interested in developing total communications solutions," said Megan Ashman, MTN Corporate Business Unit, General Manager of Marketing and Product Solutions.
Robert Crockart, head of sales at Novartis Consumer Health, explained that his company spent over five years looking for an appropriate territory management solution. "We desperately required a solution that would result in tangible cost savings for Novartis, while also increasing productivity due to its ability to help us understand and manage a truly mobile sales force."
Since implementing Adcheck Mobile's territory management solution, Novartis has achieved a 95% operational cost saving and ensured that it is able to place, invoice and pack an order within a day.
Adcheck Mobile develops real-time intelligence-gathering solutions that use MTN's cellular network as a backbone. "We possessed the in-house expertise to develop a mobile ordering and intelligence-gathering application, but selected MTN to deliver a robust technology backbone for us," comments Ian Hoffman, Managing Director of Adcheck Mobile.
Providing Novartis sales consultants located across several of South Africa's metropolitan areas with an effective mobile data solution depends totally on the coverage area of the chosen cellular network. With over one million square kilometres of coverage rolled-out to date, MTN was a sensible choice for a solution placing reliability above all else.
According to Crockart, the formidable partnership between MTN CBU and Adcheck Mobile has resulted in a sophisticated and streamlined operational process. "The biggest tangible benefit is the paperless office. Everything is electronic and is integrated into one powerful iMate PDA. I can view my sales reports at a click of a button and am able to have a bird's eye view of my sales team every minute of the day."
He adds: "Mobility is the way to go. No matter where you are in the world vital information should remain at your fingertips and it should be in real-time, ensuring you always make decisions based on the very best available information."
Novartis believes the up-to-date customer information residing on the PDA is a vital component to improved customer service. Each PDA has a functional database regularly updated with relevant sales force information via the all-pervasive MTN cellular network.
According to Ashman, "The PDA includes a customer's full sales history, ensuring a smooth handover and continued good service in the event of Novartis staff turnover."
To ensure the data is secure, the system has been designed with full control residing in the server to ensure customer data and applications are secure. It also keeps audit information about the mobile devices to ensure no components are removed or lost while in use. Room for human error is also minimised, which reduces the number of returns due to operational errors.
"Because of the nature of the company's business, MTN CBU is well aware that the quality of service we provide to Novartis is directly proportional to the quality of service it is able to provide to South Africa's hospitals, pharmacies and doctors. This represents added pressure but it's welcome pressure," concluded Ashman.
Providing measurable and meaningful benefits:
* Speed: Data is now gathered in real-time from the field rather than after the event.
* Mobility: The ubiquitous MTN data network means field workers are hardly ever offline.
* Cost: The complete solution, including handsets, is provided at an affordable fixed monthly cost.
* Security: The solution is completely secure because only a known device can access the network and the GPRS signal is completely encrypted.
* Scalability: Simple upward scalability is ensured by working with Africa's largest mobile services provider.
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