Urgent Product Launch

How do you train and certify sales reps as quickly as possible? When sales are projected to be $3.5M/week, there is no time to spare!

When the FDA granted earlier-than-expected approval for a new indication, a pharma company faced an urgent challenge: before sales could begin, every rep needed to be trained and certified in product knowledge, indications, contraindications, and the broader therapeutic landscape.

No Time for Traditional Launch

Waiting six months until the next sales meeting was not a viable option. The normal SCORM development process was too awkward to meet the scheduled turnaround. Instead, web based training was chosen using REACHUM•AI accelerated methods. The key design requirements were:                       

• Individual progress tracking         

• 100% understanding proven for 11 key issues                       

• 28 day turnaround                      

• Training entirely in the field using smart phones and tablets                   

On the first day, our content expert uploaded reference PDFs and completed a short intake form. Within minutes, the platform generated a draft outline for the sales training—automatically aligned with FDA compliance standards. The medical, legal, and regulatory teams reviewed the outline, making refinements as needed before full production began.

Twenty-one days later the program draft was delivered to Regulatory Affairs and Medical-Legal teams for review and approval.

One week later pharma reps were delivered a link to 38 minutes of training video with integrated quiz questions. They were instructed to complete the materials by noon Friday.

Monitoring by Managers

Throughout the week district managers tracked the progress of their reps, urging the stragglers to get moving and praising the completers.

Lessons were formatted for micro-learning – small units of content followed up by quiz questions. When reps left and came back, they were automatically returned to their last point of progress, making serial learning quick and friction free.

Analtytics Enabled Agility

Within just three days, real-time analytics provided a clear picture of training effectiveness across corporate, regional, and district levels. Managers could monitor group performance to spot learning gaps and drill down to individual results to identify those needing additional support.

When quizzed, reps scored above 80% on nine of eleven key learning points—evidence of rapid uptake. However, two points fell below 50%, revealing message confusion that required immediate clarification.

A webcast was scheduled at week’s end for product managers to clarify the weak areas, followed by short video conferences at the district level for quick reinforcement.

By Monday morning, a final certification quiz confirmed readiness: 198 of 202 reps passed within the week. Two were medically excused, and the remaining two received personal coaching to bring them up to speed for launch.

Final Analysis

Usage data showed that less than 30% of training occurred during personal, evening times. Most learning took place during the day in short, opportunistic bursts—between meetings, commuting, or over lunch. On average, each rep logged 7.4 sessions totaling 55 minutes to complete the full program, demonstrating how seamlessly training fit into the flow of work.

Real-time analytics proved critical. Managers could spot both content gaps and underperforming reps as training progressed, allowing rapid adjustments without disrupting schedule or budget. The accelerated rollout allowed five months of additional time in market—resulting in a $65 million topline lift.

In Closing

It’s rare for the FDA to issue an unexpected approval—but it’s routine for brands to face urgent training needs on new products, promotions, compliance updates, and competitive threats. In an OTC drug environment where a single retail facing can be worth several millions per week, rapid response time isn’t optional—it’s mission-critical.

This launch illustrates how valuable AI-accelerated processes are. The ability to turn content around quickly is a strategic advantage that gives organizations a decisive edge in responding to market shifts, compliance updates, and competitive pressures.