Subjects - Business

Do you find yourself frustrated by long and unproductive conference calls? What reputation do you have for managing conference calls? Establish expectations and a reputation for short and effective conference calls. Get your time back for other activities.

ESTABLISH EXPECTATIONS UP FRONT

If you are the moderator scheduling the conference call, send out a list in advance with pertinent information. This information should contain the Purpose of the call, dial number with PIN code if necessary, the

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

moderator, the start time, the end time, list of participants and specific agenda items. Attached relevant documents to email invitations for the conference call so the participants can prepare in advance. If documents are required from other participants to review on the call, make sure that these are coordinated and completed in advance. The more prepared you are for the call, the productive the time can be and the better able that you will be to stay on schedule.

PURPOSE

List the purpose or top

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

c of the call clearly and succinctly. This should be the goal or objective of the call. Typically a conference call should be limited to one or two specific goals. This enables you to keep the conference call focused and succinct.

In some cases it may be more difficult to keep a conference call focused on a specific topic. For example, when reviewing the schedule for a large project there may be multiple topics that are relevant to time milestones in the project. If this is the case, keep the call

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

focused on specific milestones that are due or relative to the point in the schedule.

Sometimes conference calls are used to gather information from many people in the field. These group calls can be effective if the purpose is for a moderator or manager to disperse information to several people simultaneously. However, if the call is used to gather information from several different individuals as a weekly update to management, is it really an effective use of time for anyone other than the manage

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

? Is it really a good use of time to interrupt the schedules of many people to conduct a social town hall discussion in which each person waits in silent anticipation for peers to give a weekly update? Consider how much more effective it would be to obtain a written weekly report in lieu of a conference call. A written report can be read at convenience, creates a reference document for discussion if necessary, and enables the manager to work with priority or confidential communications in an appropr

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

iate manner. If you are already using both weekly reports and conference calls, then it is time to do some soul searching to determine if any of the communication is being treated with value or if it has just become a meaningless routine.

DIAL IN and PIN NUMBER

Always include the conference call Dial In Number and PIN Number on the invitation and any scheduled reminders. Make it easy to find the number. It can be a distraction to have people dial into the conference call late because they could no

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

find the phone number.

MODERATOR

Every conference call should have one identified and assigned moderator. If there is a group of peers, it may be appropriate to rotate the role of moderator from time to time with repeating calls, Typically, the individual creating the invitation is the moderator. The moderator is responsible for making sure that the call starts and stops on time. The moderator is responsible for keeping the call on track and gently guiding individuals back on track in the event t

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

hat conversation begins to run away on a tangent. The moderator may also be responsible for controlling emotional responses or maintaining a professional level of courteous communications. It may be necessary to encourage some individuals to participate, or discourage some individuals who may have a tendency to filibuster. It is the responsibility of the moderator to keep the call on schedule and focused on the purpose of the call.

It is the role of the moderator to reduce or eliminate distractions

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

or interruptions. It is the role of the participants to remain quiet and respectful unless there is something useful and relevant to add to the conversation. Distractions may sometimes appear as opinions, jokes, anecdotes or personal stories that contribute very little to the progress of the conversation. It is the responsibility of the moderator to control the call and keep it focused.

START TIME and END TIME

Schedule the call to start five minutes past the hour. Most calls are scheduled to start

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

precisely on the hour and the first five minutes of the call are wasted while waiting for some individuals to dial into the call. Sometimes it is difficult to start on the hour because a previous call or meeting may be ending precisely on the hour. Schedule your call to start five minutes past the hour and start precisely at the scheduled time. If you always start at the scheduled time, you will develop a reputation for being precise and the participants will plan accordingly. If you always start l

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

te or consistently spend the first five minutes waiting for participants to join the call, then the other participants will become accustomed to this delay. Schedule the call to start five minutes past the hour and start the call on time every time.

Schedule a precise End Time for the call and stick to it. Develop a reputation for ending your calls on time. It will create a sense of urgency and a rhythm for the conference calls as people realize that the purpose of the call must be met in a designa

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

ted amount of time. It will enable the participants to schedule other activities after the call with confidence. It will keep the call focused. Complete the call with a summary of highlights and action items. If there are follow-up items, or if additional time is required, schedule the next phone call and use the summary highlights and action items as the agenda for the next conference call. Every action item should have name or names of associated owners to complete, or there is no purpose for the

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

ist of action items.

ROLL CALL

Conduct a time check near the end of the call and reserve the last few minutes for summary wrap-up and roll call. What, roll call at the end of the call? Yes, do your roll call at the end of the call, not at the beginning. It is inevitable that some individuals may join the call late. Avoid the temptation to wait for participants to join or to introduce distractions and interruptions by late arrivals. Start the call on time and get right to the purpose of the call. C

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

onduct your roll call at the end when everyone has had a chance to join.

YOUR NEXT CALL

Example: Schedule a conference call to start five minutes past the hour and start precisely on time. Schedule the call for 40 minutes, unlike most calls that are scheduled for one hour. The shorter period of time and specific start and stop times will get the attention of the participants. There will be a sense of urgency since the call will not consume an entire hour, regardless of the topic. Do a time check a

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

30 minutes into the call, reminding participants that the call will have a hard stop at 40 minutes. At 35 minutes begin the wrap-up of the call, restate the highlights or commitments and use this to establish the agenda for the next call. Finish your call with a roll call of attendees and terminate the call at 40 minutes as planned. If you this consistently, the other participants will prepare appropriately in advance of the call for the fast paced rhythm of the call and focus on purpose. Side conv

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

ersations and distractions will diminish, participants will be timely, and everyone will benefit from better use of time.

INVITATION

The following is an example of a format that can be used for conference call invitations. It is designed to establish the expectations and character of the conference call. Apply structure to your conference calls and earn a reputation for consistent focused punctuality. That is a good reputation to have if you want to have more productive conference calls and more t

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

me back to yourself.

Conference Call Purpose: ______________________________

Dial In Number: ____________________ PIN: ____________________

Moderator: ______________________________

Start Time: __(Example: 10:05 AM)__________ End Time: __(Example: 10:45 AM)__________

Participants: ___(Name)___________________________

___(Name)___________________________

___(Name)___________________________

Agenda Topics: ___(First Priority)___________________________

___(Second Priority)_

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

________________________

___(Third Priority)___________________________

* This call will start precisely at the Start Time and end at the designated time. Please be on time. There will be a roll call at the end of the conference call, so it will not be necessary to announce yourself if you dial in late. The last five minutes of the call will be reserved for summary wrap-up and assignment of action items for the next scheduled call if necessary. Please prepare or review any relevant materials prior

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

to the call. In the event that the agenda items are not fully covered in the allotted time for this conference call, another call will be scheduled. Thank you for your cooperation. Let's get ready for productive and focused communication.

______________________________________________________

Words of Wisdom

"A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done." - Fred Allen

"The ability to focus attention on important thin

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

gs is a defining characteristic of intelligence." - Robert J. Shiller

"Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus." - Oprah Winfrey

______________________________________________________

About the Author:
John Mehrmann is a freelance writer and President of Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capita

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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