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Pharma IT Insights
Veeva Vault CRM vs Salesforce
Top 3 considerations for existing Veeva clients
By Mátyás Bódi
December 10, 2024
Pharma IT Insights
Veeva CRM vs Salesforce
Top 3 Considerations for existing Veeva clients
By Mátyás Bódi
December 10, 2024
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Since Veeva announced its divorce from Salesforce, existing Veeva CRM clients have been faced with a decision: stay with Salesforce or migrate to the new Veeva Vault CRM? In this Insight, we outline the top 3 considerations for Veeva CRM product owners and architect leads.
Last year, at the European Veeva Commercial Summit in Madrid, flagship partners, like Bayer and GSK, spoke fondly of their Veeva Vault CRM experiences, while others are still in the planning stage and adjourning the decision to 2025.
The potential exit roadmap is now official. Companies who wish to move to the new Veeva CRM infrastructure must complete the integration by 2030.
Before deciding whether to stay on Salesforce or move along with Veeva, here are 3 things to consider
1. Life Sciences-Specific Expert vs Global Powerhouse
When choosing between Veeva Vault CRM and Salesforce, companies should consider Veeva’s life sciences specialization against Salesforce’s broad CRM capabilities. Veeva has long been embedded within the pharma industry, offering unique compliance and regulatory insights tailored to the specific needs of the sector. Their product is purpose-built for the complex needs of life sciences, from managing complex product lifecycles to enabling deep field engagement for reps.
Salesforce, on the other hand, has a global reputation as a CRM powerhouse, boasting one of the largest CRM ecosystems. The company has also aligned itself with life science technology giant IQVIA in 2024 to boost its credentials and build out their product.
Organizations that prioritize an industry-specific approach may find Veeva’s familiarity with pharmaceutical challenges invaluable, while companies looking for cross-industry features and extensive global integrations may lean toward Salesforce.
2. UI and Connectivity with other Veeva product lines
One of Veeva Vault CRM’s standout advantages is its seamless integration with other Veeva Vault applications, such as Veeva Quality, Regulatory, and more. This creates a unified ecosystem for pharma companies and end-to-end lifecycle management. Choosing Salesforce would mean a separation of your CRM from all other connected Veeva platforms, including Vault PromoMats.
Furthermore, User Interface (UI) considerations should not be underestimated. For companies choosing Veeva Vault CRM, the mobile end user interface (“Veeva CRM on iPad”, previously called “iRep”) remains intact, while the admin page will move into the Vault design. This means that your field force, the potentially most vulnerable part of the sales organization, will get the same UI on an advanced level.
Staying within the Veeva ecosystem allows companies to benefit from tighter UI consistency, improved user experience, and reduced data silos—all of which can enhance productivity and information flow between teams.
3. Functional analysis of your CRM & evaluating existing custom solutions
Finally, a thorough analysis of your CRM’s current functionality and any custom solutions in place is essential before making a decision. Considering the advantages within Veeva’s integrated ecosystem against the practicalities and costs of migrating is crucial, especially for companies heavily reliant on Salesforce add-ons and third-party integrations.
For companies that have made significant investments in customized workflows (i.e. APEX, lightning components, process builders flows), the transition to Veeva Vault CRM may involve sizable exit fees and reinvestment costs.
Alternatively, if your organization’s CRM needs have evolved, it may be the right time to assess which features are essential and which could be improved with Veeva’s life sciences focus. It’s also an opportunity to evaluate how well your current CRM aligns with modern best practices in customer engagement, data management, and compliance.
Companies that find value in Salesforce’s flexibility may hesitate to switch, but those looking for a life sciences-optimized solution might find that a fresh start with Veeva yields long-term benefits and improve compliance. This is because Veeva Vault CRM is set to offer a more streamlined solution that is guaranteed to evolve alongside industry standards.
With the Veeva Vault CRM vs Salesforce battle on the horizon, the coming years will be a consequential for Commercial activities in the pharmaceutical industry
These are just some of the basic considerations for CRM product owners and architect leads. If you are looking further guidance, our team is happy to help. Reach out today to discuss the next step in your CRM journey.
About the author
Mátyás Bódi serves as Pharma IT’s Director of Commercial and Medical Services team. He holds nearly 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry working for SMBs and top tier life science companies in multiple implementation projects in the commercial space. He has executed several Veeva CRM & Salesforce system configurations and advised companies on both technical and functional decisions.
