Report Summary--Communications Excellence: Optimizing Group Structure & Operations. Contact me to view the full report.

1. Communications Excellence:
Optimizing Group Structure & Operations
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2. Table of Contents
Table of Contents TOC Continued
•Project Blueprint- pg. 3
•Executive Summary: Benchmark Insights and Research •External Communications Group Services: Trends In
Service Levels & Key Priorities- pg. 56
Group- pg. 4
•Internal Communications Service Levels: Trends In
•External Communications Group Structures: Key Trends Activities That Inform the Enterprise- pg. 75
& Drivers of Sub-group Evolution- pg. 13 •Building Bridges: Working with Colleagues- pg. 84
•Internal Communications Group Structures: Key Trends •Working Effectively in The Integrated Pharmaceutical
& Drivers of Sub-group Evolution- pg. 24 Network: Forging Accountability and Clear Roles Among
External Partners- pg. 91
•Internal and External Communications Group Models
•Communicating the Value of Communications In a
and Structures- pg. 33
Global Bio-Pharma Company- pg. 96
•External Communications Group Resource
•Contact Information- pg. 101
Benchmarks: Key Staffing and Investment Trend- pg. 42
•Internal Communications Group Resource Benchmarks:
Key Staffing and Investment Trends - pg. 51
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3. Optimizing Structure Involves Integrated Practices & Approaches
There are no perfect structures. “Form follows function.” New market pressures and
lifecycle events compel structures to evolve. Optimizing structure reflects the integrated
management of units, people, process, technology, communications, incentives and other
management factors.
10. Assess 1. Realign to
Performance, Support New “No institution can
Refine & Corporate
Continuously Goals, possibly survive if it
9. Optimize
Improve Strategies
Learning to 2. Fine-tune needs geniuses or
Enhance Internal Group
Performance Structure
supermen to manage it.
Communications: It must be organized in
8. Manage / Evolving Structure to 3. Establish Service
Coordinate Roles such a way as to be
for a Fully Integrated Stay Relevant to Levels to Reflect
Pharmaceutical Changing Goals, Priorities & Resources able to get along under
Network Strategies
4. Integrate a leadership composed
7. Drive Long-Term Operations to
Priorities & Respond Bridge BU’s, of average human
to Ad Hoc Issues 6. Refine 5. Use Geographies &
Talent Funding / Sub-Groups
beings.”
Management Budgeting
Strategies & Process to -Peter Drucker
Systems to Fit Reaffirm
New Structure Alignments
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4. Universe of Learning: Internal & External Communications Benchmark
Research Participants
Participants in this benchmarking research included 39 Communications executives and
managers at 33 leading companies from bio-pharmaceutical, healthcare and other
industry segments.
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5. Most Benchmark Partners Provided Insights for Both Internal
& External Communications
Most research participants work in leadership roles in the Communications function and
thus were able to answer for both Internal and External Communications.
Q2. Please note for which groups you are able to respond.
Total Benchmark Class Pharma Segment
Both Internal and Both Internal and
External 59% External 58%
Communications Communications
External External
23% 24%
Communications Communications
Internal Internal
18% 18%
Communications Communications
% of Companies % of Companies
(n=39) (n=33)
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6. External Communications Favors Assigning Staff 100 % To
Customer; Assigning on Fractional Basis Seen as Ineffective
External Communications leaders across all industries rate two staffing approaches as
the most effective: Assigning Staff 100% to a customer and centrally locating staff. Other
staffing approaches produce mixed results, and assigning on a small fractional basis is
discouraged.
Q7. Customer-focus Tactics: Rate the effectiveness of different staffing approaches
for serving internal customers.
Total Benchmark Class
Highly Somewhat Somewhat Highly Total
Neutral
Effective Effective Ineffective Ineffective Effective
Customer-focused Staff Specialists: Assign staff 100%
41% 37% 11% 7% 4% 78%
to the customer or unit they serve
Centrally Locate External Communications Staff:
Locate staff at headquarters or a central location to 28% 38% 17% 17% 0% 66%
build skills among the sub-group or function.
Co-locate Staff With Customers: Placing staff on site
23% 42% 27% 8% 0% 65%
with the customers/units they serve.
Issue-focused Staff Specialists: Assign staff 100% to
25% 36% 36% 4% 0% 61%
an issue / topic
Matrix-oriented Staff Specialist: Assign staff issue
specialist to cover multiple customers, therapeutic 15% 38% 19% 19% 8% 53%
areas or units.
Shared Service: External Communications members
serve multiple customers / business units on a 18% 18% 29% 29% 7% 36%
fractional basis.
Analysis Note: “Total Effective”= sum of highly and somewhat effective. Green highlights effectiveness ratings that surpass a
(n=26) 55% aggregate scoring threshold.
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7. External Communications Outsources 9% of WW Employees on Average
To reduce costs, the pharma sector has gradually increased outsourcing levels for External
Communications staff. The function’s global outsourced staff now ranges between 0-15% with
a 9% average. Meanwhile, U.S.-based Ex Comm groups now outsource from 0-28% of staff
with 19% the average. The higher U.S. outsourcing level seems logical considering high labor
costs.
19. Internal FTE % Vs. Outsourced FTE's %: What percentage of your External Communication employees
are internal or outsourced? (total sums to 100% For Each Geography)
Pharma Segment
25th Percentile Average 75th Percentile
All External Communication
Employees Worldwide - Company 85.0% 90.9% 100.0%
Employed %
All External Communication
Employees Worldwide - 0.0% 9.1% 15.0%
Outsourcer Employed %
Number of U.S. Based External
Communication Employees - 72.5% 80.9% 100.0%
Company Employed %
Number of U.S. Based External
Communication Employees - 0.0% 19.1% 27.5%
Outsourcer Employed %
(n=17)
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8. Integrating Internal, External Communications Puts Groups
On the Same Page
One external communications leader sees her group working much more closely with
internal communications going forward.
“We’re leaning more toward an
integrated group. Our VP is
Integrate Teams to Increase Effectiveness responsible for internal external and
The old tools are not going to just PR to support the business and our
keep working in this environment. products. We’re all housed here on
I don’t see people changing their the same floor and in the same
structure, I see how we work together area. Increasingly we’re looking at a
as a group, changing in order to maximize more integrated planning process
efficiencies and resources.
for external and internal
We have a senior person and then the communications to make sure that
day-to-day person. Not looking so much plans are holistic—to make sure
as changing that but maybe changing the
roles of how you work together. they are leveraging synergies. I
think increasingly it’s probably going
to be resource and cost effective.” -
Director, Product Communications
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9. Pharma Internal Communications See Email, Intranet as Critical
Internal Communications in pharma, like other industries, views email and intranet as
critical communication tools for reaching employees. While more accepting of new
technologies such as internal blogs and podcasts, pharma still has not embraced them as
important tools, but that will change – albeit slowly – as comfort levels rise.
Q43. Services Impact: Rate the importance of various key Internal Communications-
specific communication channels directed at your company's workforce.
Pharma Segment
Highly Not Very Total
Important Neutral No Value
Important Important Importance
E-mail Announcements 42% 50% 8% 0% 0% 92%
Intranet Releases 25% 67% 8% 0% 0% 92%
Company Video Announcements 0% 64% 18% 9% 9% 64%
Town Hall Discussions 42% 17% 17% 17% 8% 58%
Other channels 0% 27% 64% 9% 0% 27%
Internal Blogs 0% 25% 42% 25% 8% 25%
Podcasts Announcements 8% 8% 42% 25% 17% 17%
Company TV Station Broadcasts 0% 17% 33% 17% 33% 17%
Voicemail Announcements 0% 17% 50% 25% 8% 17%
(n=12)
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10. About Best Practices LLC
Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work based on the
simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic
performance by studying the best business practices, operating tactics and winning
strategies of world-class companies.
Best Practices, LLC
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