Unlocking the full power of Customer 360 in Life Sciences

On a recent episode of the DataDriven podcast, we sat down with Sriraj Rajaram, Principal Product Manager at Reltio, to discuss a problem life sciences companies know all too well: fragmented data.

Whether it’s a pharmaceutical sales representative planning territory outreach, a marketer launching a patient support program, or a clinical operations lead managing trial sites, disconnected data systems continue to hinder speed, precision, and impact. The solution? A modern, enterprise-grade Customer 360 platform—one that brings together identity, relationships, interaction history, consent, and even unstructured data into a real-time, trusted view.

The challenge: Poor data creates many inefficiencies

The life sciences industry faces significant challenges stemming from fragmented and unstructured data systems, which have hindered efforts to transform.

These are just a few of the data issues affecting the industry: 

• Over 80% of healthcare data remains unstructured, complicating data integration and timely decision-making (PLOS Digital Health). 
• Clinical trials, burdened by these fragmented data ecosystems, now routinely exceed ten years and cost around $2.6 billion per approved drug (Tufts Center). 
• Accenture’s Compliance Risk Study 2022 reveals that data privacy has been the single greatest compliance challenge across all sectors in recent years.(Accenture). 
• Around 70% of healthcare providers report compromised patient outcomes due to incomplete data (Medical Economics).
• Pharmaceutical commercial teams frequently miss key opportunities, with ineffective targeting strategies attributed to inadequate data quality potentially reducing outreach effectiveness by up to 30% (IQVIA).

From sales to science: The case for Customer 360

The power of a Customer 360 solution isn’t limited to commercial teams. It’s a unifying force across clinical, R&D, medical affairs, and patient support—giving each function the clean, connected, context-rich data they need to make better decisions, faster.

For example, sales representatives can prioritize healthcare professionals (HCPs) based on real engagement signals, rather than relying solely on territory lists. Marketers can segment audiences with precision, enabling higher-impact omnichannel campaigns. Clinical ops teams can better manage trial protocols and investigators, reducing delays and boosting quality. The ROI? Higher sales effectiveness, faster trials, stronger compliance, and better patient outcomes.

Key features that matter

Sriraj highlighted several critical features that empower life sciences organizations to leverage Customer 360 fully. These include unified and enriched profiles of healthcare professionals (HCPs), healthcare organizations (HCOs), patients, and clinical investigators, providing comprehensive insights into every stakeholder. Interaction histories captured chronologically across all touchpoints offer clear visibility into engagement journeys. Mapping relationships and affiliations further clarifies influence networks, enabling precise and strategic outreach. Additionally, built-in consent and compliance management ensure adherence to regulatory standards from the outset, while seamless integration with third-party analytics platforms expands data-driven capabilities. Finally, embedded AI functionalities such as generative AI summarization, next-best actions, and intelligent outreach empower teams to transition from reactive to proactive workflows, activating real-time data intelligence across the entire enterprise.

With these in place, organizations can move from reactive to proactive, fueling agentic AI workflows and enabling every team to act with real-time data intelligence.

Starting smart: MVP to impact in months

Instead of “boiling the ocean,” Sriraj recommends a MVP approach—starting with a foundational physician 360 view that includes identity, specialty, affiliations, and key interactions. Many Reltio customers have stood this up in under four months, laying the groundwork for broader transformation across sales, marketing, and clinical functions.

AI + data = A force multiplier

Sriraj also emphasized the role of AI in unlocking the full potential of Customer 360. From drafting personalized follow-up emails to prioritizing outreach based on behavioral signals, genAI and predictive models can now work hand-in-hand with unified data to power contextual, intelligent, and compliant engagement—at scale.

If you’re in life sciences and struggling with siloed data, slow trials, or generic engagement, it’s time to rethink your data foundation. A modern Customer 360 platform, like Reltio Customer 360™, can turn your data into an engine for innovation and impact.