When I first stepped into the world of Veeva implementations, I was struck by the same paradox many of us face: how do we deliver innovation at speed while staying firmly within the boundaries of compliance?

Over the past few years, we’ve had the opportunity to support multiple rollouts across regulated industries. Each project brought its own flavor of complexity, but one theme remained constant: success hinges not just on technology, but on the orchestration of people, processes, and precision.

Let me walk you through some of the key lessons we’ve learned. Lessons that might help you navigate your own Veeva journey.

Standard vs. Configuration:
The Art of Restraint

One of the earliest decisions in any Veeva project is deceptively simple: how much should we configure?

Using standard applications is tempting. It’s validated, supported, and fast to deploy. But business users often have legacy processes or nuanced needs that push us toward configuration. The trick is knowing when to say yes — and when to push back.

In one project, we were asked to replicate an approval workflow with seven conditional branches. After a few workshops, we realized that 80% of the requirements could be achieved with standard features, and the remaining 20% wasn’t business critical. We simplified, stayed close to standard, and avoided validation challenges.

Frequently, processes originate from legacy systems that were developed in the past. When integrating these processes into future systems, it is essential to question the rationale behind their original creation. Our experience has demonstrated that it is beneficial to investigate the purpose of existing processes, identify what is truly critical for business operations, and determine if processes can be harmonized and aligned with Veeva standard applications. Emphasize addressing past challenges and key pain points and focus on improving new processes to enhance efficiency and reduce difficulties with the new system.

This is where strong business analysis makes the difference. At INCONSULT, our Business Analysts specialize in identifying what truly matters. They don’t just gather requirements — they challenge them, model business cases, and help clients see the long-term cost of complexity.

Validation: 
Risk-Based, Not Risk-Averse

Validation is often perceived as a necessary burden or a blocker that slows down swift implementations. But done right, it becomes a strategic enabler.

Our method focuses on making validation targeted rather than a mere formality. By systematically evaluating the potential risks to patient safety, data integrity, and product quality, we prioritize validation efforts where they are most needed, while avoiding unnecessary testing. We’ve embraced a risk-based validation approach that aligns with GxP compliance while avoiding overkill.

For instance, when introducing a new Veeva Vault object type, we carefully analyze its impact on critical areas. If the risk is determined to be low, we reduce the testing effort accordingly. This approach accelerates implementation timelines and optimizes the use of resources.

Our validation experts at INCONSULT possess extensive experience in designing Validation Master Plans (VMPs), conducting IQ/OQ/PQ, and ensuring traceability while avoiding the pitfalls of excessive documentation. Their expertise enables our clients to concentrate on essential validation measures while maintaining compliance requirements.

This risk-based strategy ensures that validation is no longer seen as an obstacle but as a valuable tool for rapid and precise implementation.

Release Management:
Standard vs. Business-Driven

Veeva’s three product releases per year provide new features regularly, though not all organizations may be ready to integrate them immediately.

For companies that used legacy software, the systems were not updated regularly, leading to major projects every few years to catch up. Veeva enables companies to establish continuous release management processes. Three times a year, Veeva releases updates that must be integrated and often offer significant benefits.

Optional configurable features in Veeva releases can also provide substantial business advantages but require planning for incorporation into customer business releases. Between Veeva releases, it is recommended to plan customer business releases that include adaptations based on critical business needs and requirements, as well as new Veeva features that address business needs and enhance the system.

Release Managers are crucial in this process. They coordinate with project managers, testers, infrastructure teams, and business owners to ensure each release is scoped, validated, and adopted with minimal disruption. Agile methods like SCRUM enable responsiveness while maintaining control.

Our Release Managers assist in setting up continuous release management, managing backlogs that consider both business requirements and new Veeva features with potential business benefits. They help establish processes for scoping and planning business releases, defining strategies for managing releases and backlog items, and staying current while addressing business needs.

Our Training and communication experts promote publications and create training materials as well as communication content for end users. Their goal is to ensure that end users understand and can effectively use the new features and updates. This often includes preparing manuals, online tutorials, FAQs, and conducting webinars or workshops to facilitate the understanding and application of the products.

Change Management:
The Human Factor

Technology doesn’t fail — adoption does.

Even the most sophisticated Veeva configuration will be ineffective if users do not comprehend or trust it. Therefore, Organizational Change Management (OCM) is an integral part of every project we undertake. It begins with understanding the unique challenges and concerns of stakeholders. This involves conducting in-depth stakeholder mapping to identify key influencers, decision-makers, and potential resistance points. By addressing these early in the process, we lay the groundwork for smoother transitions.

Our Change and Training Managers take a proactive approach to ensure adoption is not just a checkbox in the project plan but a lived reality for end users. Training programs are customized to cater to diverse learning styles, whether through interactive webinars, detailed manuals, or hands-on workshops. In one rollout, we created a Veeva Champions network composed of highly engaged users who became instrumental in driving adoption across 12 countries. These Champions served as local experts, offering peer-to-peer support and bridging any gaps in understanding.

Furthermore, we actively measure and evaluate adoption success through feedback loops and metrics, such as onboarding speed, frequency of support tickets, and overall user satisfaction. By combining robust technical solutions with intentional human-focused strategies, we ensure results that aren’t just implemented but embraced. The result? Faster onboarding, fewer support tickets, and a measurable boost in user satisfaction — proving that the right change management approach turns challenges into opportunities for growth.

Best Practices:
What Experience Has Taught Us

If I had to distill our Veeva experience into a few guiding principles, they would be:

●        Start with the business, not the system. Let process drive design.

●        Validate with purpose. Risk-based doesn’t mean cutting corners — it means focusing
  effort.

●        Plan your releases with a continuous process and promote releases. Communicate, train, and release.

●        Invest in change. Adoption is the true ROI.

●        Partner wisely. A team like INCONSULT brings not just hands, but heads and hearts to    the table.

Why INCONSULT?

INCONSULT is proud to be a Preferred Service Partner of Veeva and support clients with the following capabilities:

●        PMO/Process/Change – helping clients align Veeva capabilities with real-world business
 needs.

●        Validation – ensuring compliance through risk-based, GxP-aligned validation strategies.

●        Support & Operations – from architecture to rollout, we provide the expertise to deliver
  Veeva Vault projects that work.

Whether you’re planning your first Veeva deployment or optimizing an existing one, we’re here to help you move forward with confidence.

Final Thoughts

Veeva is a powerful platform — but success lies in the balance between standard and custom, speed and control, innovation and compliance.

If you’re navigating your own Veeva journey, I’d love to hear your experiences. What worked? What didn’t? Let’s learn from each other — and keep raising the bar.

 
Meet our Experts

For deeper insights on Veeva implementations, connect with our experts on LinkedIn:

• Kirstin Dreyfürst – Principal Consultant

• Dr. Bettina Wagner – IT Consultant | DMS, QMS, RIM, PM

For any marketing, sales, or collaboration inquiries, please contact our team at marketing@inconsult-online.de