Technology holds incredible promise for transforming the life sciences industry—from accelerating drug discovery to improving clinical outcomes. However, achieving this transformation is more complex than simply adopting new tools.
Real change requires rethinking processes, organizational structures, and individual behaviors. These areas are where many organizations struggle, landing in what Gartner calls the “trough of disillusionment” (or, as I refer to it, the “trough of despair”).
The Gartner Hype Cycle shows how new technologies move from excitement to disappointment (i.e., the trough of disillusionment) before delivering lasting value. We see a similar pattern play out in individual companies, including those in life sciences. Companies invest in new technologies, expecting rapid outcomes. When the technologies underperform or fail to meet expectations, enthusiasm fades, and progress stalls. Too often, it’s because a company over-indexes on the technology itself, neglecting the critical role of adoption and change management in driving success.
The urgent nature of life sciences makes this challenge even more pressing. The inability to streamline drug discovery, clinical trials, regulatory processes, and manufacturing can significantly delay the delivery of life-saving therapies.
With business models evolving rapidly, companies can no longer afford the slow, linear processes of the past. In a world where a 10-year plan becomes obsolete in 18 months, life sciences companies need new, agile ways of implementing technologies so that they don’t get stuck in the trough of disillusionment.
Adoption and Change Management: Critical to Success
Even the most advanced technology cannot deliver meaningful change without buy-in from the people who use it. Adoption and change management are essential to ensuring new tools are embraced. Only when employees feel equipped to integrate technology into their day-to-day work can businesses access the full potential of their digital investments.
When implementing new technologies in life sciences, critical considerations include:
People-centric transformation
Digital transformation is ultimately about improving how people work. Employees need to embrace new technologies and processes for the transformation to be successful. Without proper change management, employees might resist or misuse new systems, negating the benefits of the transformation.
Communication and alignment
Change management requires clear and consistent communication. Employees need to understand why the digital transformation is happening, how it benefits them, and how they fit into the new structure. This alignment can reduce fear and uncertainty, making the transition smoother.
Training and upskilling
To ensure successful adoption, organizations need to invest in training and upskilling employees. Many digital tools and platforms require new skill sets, so it’s critical to support employees with the right education and resources. Focusing on continuous learning helps foster innovation and engagement throughout the workforce.
Leadership and engagement
Leadership plays a key role in modeling the behaviors that drive successful digital adoption. Those leaders who champion the change and actively participate in it can influence employee attitudes. An engaged leadership team reinforces the strategic importance of the transformation to the rest of the company.
Iterative feedback and flexibility
Effective change management establishes feedback loops that allow organizations to adjust their digital strategies based on what works and what doesn’t. Flexibility in adopting changes gradually and iteratively helps reduce the negative impacts of large, sudden shifts.
In life sciences, where time-to-value is critical, focusing on people and processes alongside technology ensures that innovation translates into meaningful outcomes for employees, stakeholders, and patients.
Better Time to Value through Agile, Iterative, and PoC Approaches
Traditional approaches to technology implementation in life sciences—like the linear waterfall method—are increasingly becoming liabilities.
As business models evolve quickly, companies can no longer wait years to see the impact of their investments. Agile, iterative, and proof of concept (PoC) approaches offer a more efficient way to achieve results by breaking large projects into smaller, manageable pieces that deliver value early and continuously.
Companies that adopt these modern approaches gain several key advantages:
- Deliver incremental value quickly, allowing them to capitalize on benefits early in the transformation process.
- Minimize risk by testing solutions before scaling across the organization.
- Adapt to changes and feedback faster, ensuring relevance in an evolving business environment.
- Engage users early, boosting adoption and satisfaction while accelerating the path to meaningful outcomes.
Core Tenets of an Agile, Iterative, or PoC Approach
Here’s a closer look at the core tenets of an Agile, iterative, or PoC approach:
Continuous delivery
In Agile, iterative development means continually refining and improving the solution based on feedback, data, and evolving needs. This approach allows businesses to adapt and innovate in real time.
Immediate adjustments
Instead of waiting for a project to finish to discover problems, Agile enables teams to adjust course during each iteration. By releasing small, functional improvements, they can quickly address issues or incorporate new requirements as they emerge, ensuring the solution remains relevant.
Smaller, testable increments
Each iteration or sprint (as it’s called in Agile) results in a "shippable" product or feature. This allows the organization to make faster decisions and see immediate results, shortening the feedback loop between design, deployment, and value realization.
User-centric design
Agile emphasizes the importance of ongoing user feedback. By involving users from the beginning and incorporating their input in every iteration, the solutions developed are more likely to meet the needs of the organization and its stakeholders.
Increased adoption
Early engagement helps users feel invested in the project and builds confidence in the new system. By addressing user needs and feedback early, companies can boost adoption rates and reduce resistance to change.
Fewer reworks
Traditional methods often result in products that don’t align with user needs, requiring costly and time-consuming reworks. Agile’s iterative process ensures continuous feedback loops, minimizing these problems.
Cross-functional teams
Agile emphasizes collaboration between various stakeholders—IT, business, and operations teams—ensuring everyone is aligned on the objectives. This cross-functional approach leads to better decision-making and faster problem resolution.
Transparency
Regular sprint reviews, stand-ups, and retrospectives foster a culture of transparency and continuous improvement, ensuring that any issues are quickly identified and addressed.
Aligning Technology, People, and Processes to Drive Lasting Change
Successful technology implementation is about more than adopting a new tool—it’s about navigating the very human challenges that come with change. It means rethinking roles, workflows, and mindsets. Change is never easy, even when it’s necessary. Just like in all aspects of life, meaningful transformation requires motivation, a compelling reason to change, and time to adjust.
Life sciences companies need to align new technology with people and processes to drive real impact. Agile, iterative approaches help organizations break free from the trough of disillusionment by delivering value quickly, building trust through continuous improvement, and creating alignment across teams.
When companies focus on adoption and change management, they empower their workforce to embrace technology fully—transforming their operations so that they can improve the lives of the patients they serve.
