The Challenge
In 2020, after finishing a significant territory realignment project, the company realized the geomapping platform they'd been using was not optimal. Loading data in the proper format could take hours, and maps created using the tool couldn't be shared; access was restricted to just two or three users. Also, technical support was lacking: Sometimes, LivaNova personnel waited as long as two weeks to hear back from their vendor about technical issues. Given the already complex sales process - which involves navigating between physicians, hospitals and surgeons - these were obstacles LivaNova wanted to address.
eSpatial enabled them to design multiple territory alignments and "sense-check" each one, visually transforming decision-making. By overlaying key metrics like revenue, units sold and new patient implants, they gained new insight. And when technical issues occurred, eSpatial's Customer Success team could guide them toward the best workflow designs.
Sales data can be mapped in minutes. That has saved us countless numbers of hours. And we have eliminated steps from the design and approvals process leading to faster more efficient alignments in less time.
Sarah Kirmani
Operations Manager
The Solution
LivaNova sought out an alternate mapping software platform. After an exhaustive search, the company selected eSpatial, and the impact was immediate: Sarah Kirmani, sales operations manager for LivaNova's neuromodulation team, explained eSpatial's benefits in detail: "Sales data can be mapped in minutes, which saved us countless hours. We've also eliminated steps from the design and approvals process, leading to faster, more efficient alignments in less time."
LivaNova engaged eSpatial to help its sales teams utilize better mapping tools to:
- Prioritize accounts
- Plan their week
- Optimize sales call routes
- Fill up their schedules
- Update records on the go
The solution loaded map data remarkably fast — a few minutes rather than a few hours — and the resulting visualizations gave LivaNova a much better view of the overall market. Scenario planning is crucial for LivaNova, and eSpatial allowed the company to design multiple territory alignments and "sense-check" each one. By overlaying key metrics like revenue, units sold and new patient implants, the neuromodulation sales team created dynamic heat maps and gained new insight that visually transformed their decision-making.
Sharing maps was also much simpler with eSpatial: via secure shared links, website embeds or secure messages. And when technical issues occurred, eSpatial's Customer Success team helped guide LivaNova toward the best workflow designs.
The Result
LivaNova sales teams for certain business lines have implemented eSpatial, and the company plans to roll this out to all U.S. sales teams in time. Christopher Leary, LivaNova Director of Commercial Operations, North America, said that he "planned for more sales teams to adopt eSpatial, making the software an integral part of business operations and eliminating the use of other, less interoperable mapping tools." Without even being prompted on a recent feedback call, Leary said, "100%, we're going to renew our eSpatial license."
Kirmani was similarly optimistic about the ongoing potential of the software, saying it was ideal for communicating territory alignment and sales strategies and getting everyone on the same page. "The findings in our eSpatial visualizations are definitely going to inform 2022 strategy for the better".