Turning Data Into a Strategic Advantage

This video was created based on an article written by Bill Barr, Eric Jen, PharmD, and Wendi LeVigne: Monitoring Payer-Level Performance and Planning

You know those reports you get, the ones packed with data? Let's be honest, a lot of the time, they just tell you what already happened, right? Well, in this explainer, we're going to talk about how to flip that script, how to turn that simple scorecard into a real strategic guide that actually helps you shape what happens next for your brand. And this quote right here, it just nails it. We need to stop just pointing out the winners and losers after the game is over.

The whole point is to use that data to drive what your team does next. It's all about playing offense, not just keeping score. So I want you to think about this for a second. Are your reports a scorecard for a game that's already finished, or are they a playbook for the next one? It's a simple question, but, man, we get stuck looking in the rear-view mirror way too often. All right, so let's dig in and really move beyond that old school report card model. We've got to pinpoint the real problem with how most reporting is done.

And here it is, the big failure. Most of our reporting is just a history lesson. It's great at telling you what happened, but it's totally silent on the why, and, more importantly, what on earth you should do about it. You're left with all this information, but no clear path forward, no action plan. Okay, so how do we fix this mess? Well, what I love about the source material for this is that it boils everything down to just two critical questions. You get these right, and you can totally transform that history lesson into a powerful strategic tool.

Here they are, super simple. Question one is all about performance, who's on our side and who's getting in our way? And question two is about the plan. Okay, so what's our move? What are we going to do about it? Any report that's worth its salt has to answer both of these questions every single time.

All right, let's tackle that first question. It makes sense right—before you can build a plan, you’ve got to know where you stand. So how do we really get a clear picture of our performance? The first piece of the puzzle is something called payer contribution. And listen, this is not just about the business you have right now. It's about potential. We're talking about the percentage of all possible prescriptions that a single payer controls. Once you know that, you know exactly how much attention they really deserve. So, how do you actually figure that out? Well, it's a three-step dance. You estimate the total prescriptions in an account, figure out your slice of that pie, and then this is key: You double check it with syndicated data. The whole point is to get a number you can trust so you can point your resources where they'll make the biggest splash.

Now, looking at your market share trend is great, but honestly, it's not enough. You have to connect that trend to actual revenue. Think about it, a tiny 1% drop in share in a massive account—that could be a five-alarm fire for your bottom line, but a huge 10% drop in a tiny account might just be a blip. It's that revenue context that tells you what's really on fire and where you need to focus right now. And this brings us to the last part of gaging performance reimbursement. And let me tell you, a simple label like preferred tier is basically useless. It means nothing without context. The real strategic insight, the gold, comes from asking the questions you see on the right, what are the actual obstacles for the patient? What's their out-of-pocket cost compared to our competitors? That's what tells you if your position is truly favorable or not.

Okay, so we've taken a hard look at our performance. We know where we stand, the good, the bad and the ugly. So now it's time for that second critical question, what's the plan? And to build that plan, we're not just going to wing it. We're going to use a framework called GOST—that stands for goals, objectives, strategies and tactics. It's just a really solid, systematic way to build out plans that are consistent, thoughtful, and, most importantly, hold people accountable.

The first step in planning is goal allocation, and when you boil it all down, for any given payer, you're really only doing one of two things. You're either fighting to gain or maintain your position, or you're trying to drive sales with the position you already have. And deciding how you split your time and money between those two, that is a huge strategic choice, and having a general goal just isn't going to cut it. It has to be a smart objective, you know, specific, measurable, achievable, all that good stuff.

So let's improve. Orr share is fuzzy, but attain a 32% market share by the end of Q—now that's a real target. It's crystal clear. You can measure it, and everyone knows what they're on the hook for. This next part is absolutely crucial. The best strategies aren't just pulled out of thin air. They're not guesses. They are born from a really disciplined analysis of your own internal strengths and weaknesses mapped against the external opportunities and threats you're facing out there in the market. And this table is how you turn that analysis into real action. It literally transmutes a basic SWOT analysis into a strategy generator. So, for example, an SO strategy (strengths opportunities) might mean you use one of your strengths, let's say amazing clinical data, to jump on an opportunity, like a pair who's suddenly really interested in health economics. See how that works? Your analysis directly creates your strategic playbook.

All right, so we've done all this work, we've analyzed our performance, we've built this detailed plan. What's the bottom line? What's the real payoff here? What's the strategic advantage you actually get? Well, the payoff is huge, and it's super clear. First, you get your leadership team focused on the payers that actually move the needle. Second, you drive real accountability across your team, because everyone's working off the same clear, measurable plan, and the end result, you maximize your net revenue and you get the best possible reimbursement for your brand. That's the win. So here's what I want you to do. The next time a performance report lands on your desk, don't just see it as a recap of what already happened. I want you to see it as page one, the first page of your next strategic plan, because your data is telling a story. The only question left is, are you ready to write the next chapter?