product life cycle management

globalizing processes enables local market success

A Fortune 100 medical device company had established direct sales and marketing organizations in key global markets.  After an initial period of rapid sales expansion, growth slowed as the frequency and success of new product launches declined.  Our investigation showed new products were designed by the US parent organization and did not meet ex-US needs, and did not account for different clinical practice and reimbursement requirements.  We found the product development process was compartmentalized, with little communication and cooperation between R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, and marketing function.  We helped the company establish a “global marketing council” made up of representatives of US-based R&D, manufacturing, and marketing functions and international-based marketing to review, assess and select new product concepts for development.  The global marketing council assigned and supervised product development teams consisting of global representatives from each functional area to jointly manage the development process and assure on-time product launch.  This effort not only improved communication, department and personal ownership, and morale, it also significantly increased the rate of successful new product launches including three new product lines contributing over $50 million in incremental global revenue in less than three years.

Previous projects from our

Business Management Consultants


Our team has helped start-ups and fortune 100 companies assess their future medical technology, develop their marketing strategy and hone marketing plans.



market development

overcoming product misconceptions

Our task was to help plan the launch of a new laser treatment for diabetic macular edema. The initial outlook for the new product was clouded by customers' doubts based on outdated information and poor clinical results from a related but different technology.  To overcome this, we assembled an elite group of retinal specialists to help design, plan and guide key clinical trials that would provide high quality data.  We then used the same group to build a core set of users who could champion the application, present the new data at key medical meetings and serve as references for the sales organization.   

succeeding in foreign markets

adapting products to local market needs

A US-based company was a late entrant into the European respiratory care market. Attracted by high reimbursement rates and pricing, the company launched its US-derived products assuming it could gain share by slightly under pricing the European competitors.  However, the company found itself struggling to gain share and questioned its viability to compete in Europe.  We interviewed customers and patients and determined that making minor product changes would increase the product's market acceptance. The US-developed product was repackaged, replacing disposable accessories with more expensive reusable accessories.  Marketing was shifted to emphasize patient comfort benefits rather than clinical benefits.  We then helped to expand the company's entry into direct patient care services, which built credibility with prescribers and provided direct feedback on product needs. The company rapidly gained share and out-performed other US -based competitors which did not adapt to the local market. 

product positioning

challenging an entrenched market leader

A dominant market leader was first out of the gate with a new generation of ophthalmic imaging technology.  Six additional companies quickly jumped into the expanding market, all trying to gain share as rapidly as possible, mostly by lowering prices .  After assessing the market and working with key opinion leaders, we developed an alternative strategy to focus on a smaller but under-served segment.  Although smaller in unit volume, targeting this segment would enable the company to have higher unit pricing, higher margins and profits. Our strategy differentiated the product based on multiple applications on a common platform; we transitioned from distributors to direct sales; and implemented extraordinary customer support programs.  The result was domination and expansion of the highly profitable segment while avoiding the price erosion in the larger general market.

identifying New applications

redirecting core technology to different disease states

A leading ophthalmic imaging company was struggling to find new sources of growth in a crowded and competitive market.  After filtering through alternative markets, we identified a new opportunity to double company size by expanding its core technology portfolio into new biomarker and companion diagnostic applications in multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and other neurodegenerative diseases.  We developed two options for technology commercialization and market development, one option was through internal effort and the other through a spin-off of a new business entity.  These business plans included strategy and project plans for product development, academic collaborations, protocol design and clinical validation, regulatory, reimbursement and go-to-market strategy development, sales and marketing organization design, and investment.  The company selected to develop the market through internal efforts and realized incremental multi-million dollar revenue from clinical neurologist and pharmaceutical company customers within one year.

START-UP Kick start

international markets offer fast path to revenue

A venture capital-backed start-up company had developed a novel cardiovascular diagnostic technology but was two years from launch in the US.  Our task was to assist the company to identify international markets offering easy entry and quick timing to first revenues, and to develop a global roll-out plan.  We assessed market factors including disease prevalence and patient access, regulatory requirements, reimbursement landscape, competition, and potential distribution channels, leading to a recommendation of key European and Asian markets for initial entry.  We recruited key opinion leaders to serve on the company’s advisory board, and identified local distributors best able to support and sell a technically complex product.  Under our guidance, the company obtained regulatory approvals, hired and trained local distributors, launched and marketed their product successfully using established reimbursement in markets meeting desired timelines.  By the time of their US launch, the company had a multi-million dollar revenue base and significantly improved cash burn rate.

MANAGEMENT and Strategy CONSULTING

Biotech / Pharma / medical device