The forced replacement of foreign software often comes down to replicating the basic functions of discontinued services. However, the case of AstraZeneca's Russia and Eurasia division demonstrated a different scenario: an emergency 2022 business continuity project transformed into the NOVA technology platform, which not only completely replaced the global CRM but also surpassed it in functionality.
Large-Scale Launch in 12 Months
The main prerequisite for development in 2022 was the risk of an immediate shutdown of the global solution, which hosted all operational activities: from coordinating visits to healthcare professionals to logging communication outcomes. The project was launched with the involvement of a technology partner.
Throughout 2023, the team designed a mobile application from scratch—a critical tool for field employees. The deployment pace was indicative:
- Autumn 2023: Pilot release (MVP) for the first 120 users across two teams;
- Late 2023: Scaling up training, covering about 1,200 specialists;
- Early 2024: Complete phase-out of the global CRM;
- July 2024: Completion of the transition for all remaining specialists, including around 200 medical advisors and scientific experts, for whom specialized functional modules were created.
Technical Challenges: The Struggle for Mobile Stability
At the start of commercial operation, the greatest difficulty came not from business logic or interface design, but from data exchange reliability. The application needed to continuously coordinate the mobile device, local database, backend, and web portal.
Developers had to address non-standard scenarios: internet disconnections, the operating system forcibly closing the app due to memory shortages, and even manual time adjustments on tablets. The first quarter of 2024 was entirely focused on stabilizing synchronization and revising testing procedures for real-world field conditions.
A Single Digital Window Instead of Disparate Services
Having achieved stable performance, NOVA began absorbing related business tasks. Analytics of disease journey stages (from initial detection to therapy regimens) were built into the system, enabling medical representatives to prepare more accurately for dialogue with healthcare professionals.
The platform integrated a partner contact center and publicly accessible directories of medical professionals and organizations (in compliance with regulatory requirements and personal data processing consent procedures). This allowed decommissioning a separate database exchange infrastructure. Simultaneously, the rollout of dynamic QR codes and personalized materials reduced the need for printed collateral.
AIRIS Artificial Intelligence and Process Automation
By 2026, the focus shifted from information accumulation to predictive analytics. Key technological innovations spanned several areas:
- AIRIS Assistant: A cross-platform chatbot that began as a CRM interface helper and evolved into the company's unified corporate knowledge hub;
- Smart Meeting Preparation: An AI-based module generates a personalized summary of specialist data before a visit;
- Intelligent Logistics: An algorithm for planning visit schedules taking into account traffic conditions, geography, vacations, and contact frequency;
- Documentation Control: Utilization of machine learning algorithms to verify presentations for compliance with internal standards and preliminary document recognition for events.
In-House Development and Independent Infrastructure
In 2025, the company completed the migration of NOVA to its own technological capacity, eliminating dependency on third-party external platforms. The success of the architectural overhaul was confirmed by industry awards: the project was named the Best BPM Project of 2024, and in 2025 it earned the "Project of the Year" title.
By 2026, three specialized engineering teams were operating within the company: two develop the CRM core and mobile client, while the third is migrating business event organization functionality into the system from legacy setups. The next technical milestone will be accelerating the release cycle by switching to regular bi-weekly update shipments.