Salespeople take large quantities of samples and give them out to doctors when they make sales calls. Historically, it's been difficult to track the inventory because salespeople don't make inventory adjustments or check a doctor's credentials when they're in the doctor's office. Often, the drugs expire before they're allocated. Often, the salesperson gives samples to doctors who don't have the proper credentials. Pharmaceutical companies must ultimately produce more inventory than they actually need, which is a big waste of money.
Solution Give the salespeople wireless access directly into inventory systems.
That way, when a doctor takes a sample from a sales rep, the doctor's credentials are verified and the inventory is accounted for at the point of business. The result is less fraud, less inventory, less reconciliation administration, less wasting of a salesperson's time doing administration and more money for the pharmaceutical company. An electronics manufacturer must keep his line running or lose millions of dollars in downtime. A supplier that supplies critical components to the manufacturing process must engage a field service rep quickly when notified of a problem. If the rep identifies a failed part, he attempts to locate one by calling support personnel back at the office.