The Challenge
After 15 years of organic growth, acquisitions, and field force changes, this multinational pharmaceutical company found itself with a territory structure that no longer reflected commercial reality.
Key issues identified:
- Urban territories overlapped significantly, with multiple reps calling on the same pharmacies
- High-potential rural regions had no dedicated coverage
- Sales variance between best and worst territories exceeded 4:1
- Top performers were overworked; others had insufficient customer bases
The company had attempted territory redesign twice before, but both efforts failed due to rep resistance and insufficient data to justify the changes.
Our Approach
Phase 1: Customer-Level Intelligence (Weeks 1-3)
Using SNIPER analytics, we mapped every customer at pharmacy level, scoring:
- Current revenue contribution
- Pharmacy potential (based on customer volume and dispensing behaviour)
- Competitive position
- Geographic accessibility
This analysis revealed that 34% of current call activity was directed at customers with limited growth potential, while 22% of high-potential pharmacies received zero coverage.
Phase 2: Geographic Optimisation (Weeks 4-6)
Her-Zone geographic intelligence overlaid customer data onto actual road networks and travel times. This exposed:
- Territories where reps drove past high-potential customers daily
- Clusters of pharmacies that could be reassigned without adding travel time
- Natural geographic boundaries that aligned with pharmacy density
Phase 3: Workload Balancing (Weeks 7-8)
New territories were designed with three core principles:
- Equal opportunity: Each territory had comparable revenue potential
- Achievable coverage: Call plans could be executed within realistic travel constraints
- Growth headroom: Every territory included high-potential development customers
Phase 4: Change Management (Weeks 9-10)
We presented the redesign to each rep individually, showing:
- Why their current territory was underperforming or unsustainable
- The commercial opportunity in their new assignment
- Specific customers they would gain (with pharmacy profiles)
- Transition support and handover protocols
The Results
Within 90 days of implementation:
- Sharper coverage efficiency (high-potential customers reached per rep day)
- Territory variance reduced to 2:1 (down from 4:1)
- Fast path from project start to field deployment
- Zero rep attrition during transition
Six months post-implementation, the client reported a meaningful increase in sales from the same-size field force.
Key Insight
Territory redesign fails when it’s treated as a mapping exercise. Success requires customer-level intelligence that makes the commercial case undeniable -to leadership and to the reps whose lives will change.