Commercial Launch Playbook: A step-by-step guide for success
Spotlight is committed to keeping employees in the know about our progress related to Project Växa and its #OwnOurFuture initiatives. This article shares the details of an initiative designed to make product launches even more effective and consistent across the Company.
Product launches are always dynamic and have many elements that need to come together at the right moment in order to be successful without delay. This takes careful planning to coordinate all of the different people and processes involved. Efficiency and excellence in bringing new products and solutions to market is part of the overall Transformation Plan of Project Växa. Thanks to an #OwnOurFuture initiative, a mixed team representing Country Commercial Organizations (CCOs) and different Dental Product Groups undertook the task of developing one uniform process for product launches that will be applied all across the organization. The process aims to improve cooperation between Product Groups and CCOs resulting in smoother, more consistent launches. The team consisted of Mathias Kraus, Giorgio Cremaschi, Susanne Schmidinger, Rainer Seemann, Darren Bayley, Kicki Larsson, Ian Ellis and Korina Milich. They met several times between November 2018 and April 2019 to evaluate the launch process activities of each Product Group and the needs of the CCOs. As a result of this initiative, employees now have access to a step-by-step “Commercial Launch Playbook” to use as a guide when planning to launch a new product or solution.
The Playbook serves several purposes. Importantly, it will enhance the overall coordination between the relevant Dental Product Group and key CCOs by giving an overview of best practices in the launch process. It defines the commercial hand-off between the product group and CCOs and helps to make communication clear and routine. The Playbook also clarifies roles, responsibilities, expectations and deliverables during the pre-launch phase. All of these aspects ensure alignment between the Dental Product Group and CCOs for the launch. Employees can find templates and examples in the Commercial Launch Playbook.
The teams of the US CCO Hygiene Marketing and Consumables Product Group Preventive Platform reviewing the New Commercial Launch Playbook in York, USA.
Prior to launching a new product or solution, there are a number of key elements requiring cooperation and collaboration in order to maximize commercial success. The Commercial Launch Playbook details a common process with different stages, emphasizing regular communication and feedback between the Product Group and CCOs. After the Ideation phase, the Commercial Launch Playbook provides clear guidance for the next phases beginning 12 to 18 months out and continuing up to the planned launch date. These include: Opportunity Assessment, Commercial Planning, Roll-out Planning, Product Release, and Training & Seeding. There are even checklists that teams can follow to keep various deliverables on track.
Colleagues around the world participate in Playbook trainings
In June of 2019, Chief Segment Officer Bill Newell and Chief Commercial Officer Walter Petersohn kicked off the process among the CCO and Product Group leaders. Since then, the process design team and Process Champions have trained more than 300 people around the world on the Playbook.
In July 2019, members of the US CCO Hygiene Marketing team had a meeting with colleagues from the Consumables Product Group Preventive Platform hosted in York, Pennsylvania, USA. Together, the colleagues reviewed the new Commercial Launch Playbook and used the opportunity to align their activities for the remainder of 2019 as well as for 2020.
I would like to thank the design team of experienced managers from CCOs and different Dental Product Groups for developing the DS Launch Playbook in such a collaborative manner. Gathering best practices from across different businesses and markets surprised us as to how consistent success factors are. New product launches are the fuel for our internal growth and experience has proven that we must get it right from the start. Thus the Launch Playbook will be a valuable tool for guiding teams to work closely for success. Glad to see Korina taking charge of the continued development & improvement.
The day was a positive experience for everyone. One of the participants in the July training, Amanda Summers, Sr. Marketing & Communications Manager, Preventive, said, “The Playbook provides commonality and a better overall understanding of the new product launch process. The guidance is easy to follow, and the critical milestones which align the Dental Product Group and CCOs will ensure successful product launches.”
The Commercial Launch Playbook has been well received by those who have undergone the trainings. The process design team remarked that, “If implemented, the process detailed in the new Playbook will significantly increase the impact of our new product launches.”
It is important to note that the new launch process does not replace other existing processes that are in place for product design, product development, registration, or manufacturing & supply. The Commercial Launch Playbook is complementary by providing a framework in which the Product Group and the CCOs can align their business planning, timing leading up to the launch, communication, and roles and responsibilities for a successful launch, on time, every time. By facilitating cooperation between the Dental Product Group and the key Country Commercial Organizations, employees will be able to more efficiently and effectively introduce new products and solutions into the practices of customers, solidifying the Company’s reputation as the innovation engine of the dental industry.
Quite a lot of progress has already been made toward transforming Dentsply Sirona in order to meet the challenges of the future. So far, the Company has aligned its structure around four pillars – Product Groups, RCOs, Integrated Supply Chain and Central Functions, launched the Bottom Up Planning process, and is implementing many important initiatives within Project Växa. All of this work reinforces the Operating Principles and focuses efforts on the updated Mission, Vision and Purpose, which will result in more sustainable growth and an exciting, engaging workplace.
Find more information about the Commercial Launch Playbook on Sharepoint.