Digital transformation in pharma usually starts off strong, big vision, budget gets approved, everyone’s aligned, but scaling it is where things get messy. At the leadership level, this really becomes an orchestration problem. It’s like trying to expand a manufacturing plant while everything is still running. You can’t pause production, you can’t mess up compliance, and you definitely can’t create chaos on the floor. Scaling digital works the same way. You’re layering in new systems, new processes, new skills, all while everything else keeps moving. The leaders who get this right don’t just throw tech at the problem. They focus on governance, change, and the actual building of capability over time.
Governance is the Control Tower, Not the Traffic Jam
A lot of people hear “governance” and immediately think red tape. But,, when it works, it feels more like air traffic control. It’s there to keep things moving smoothly, not slow everything down. Especially in pharma, where you’ve got EPM, ERP, clinical systems, plus regulatory pressure all colliding, you need clarity. Who owns what, how decisions get made, and how risks show up early. If that’s missing, teams either stall waiting for approvals or just go off on their own and create bigger problems later.
What actually works is governance that feels usable. Clear decision rights, real escalation paths, and getting quality and regulatory involved early instead of last-minute. When governance becomes part of how teams operate every day, not some checkpoint at the end, things actually move faster.
In my career, I have led multiple enterprise system rollouts, where we layered governance into the product lifecycle from the very beginning. It meant having regular touchpoints with the governance stakeholders and aligning model or data module build, design or testing decisions from a product ownership angle to increase transparency and accountability. This resulted in less rework during audit cycles, clearer expectations, and increased stakeholder confidence in the overall product journey.
Change Management is Where Things Usually Fall Apart
One of the biggest mistakes I keep seeing is assuming people will just “get it” because the system is better. On paper, sure, better forecasting, better visibility, tighter controls. But for the teams actually using it, it can feel like rebuilding an engine while the car is still going 70 mph. There’s stress around learning new systems, losing old ways of working, and even how performance gets measured.
Good change management leans into it. Leaders have to explain not just what’s changing, but why it matters day to day. Training can’t just be a one-time thing at go-live; it has to keep going. And honestly, leadership behavior matters a lot here. If leaders are actually using the system, asking about it, and reinforcing it, that signal travels fast.
In pharma, especially, this human side is what decides whether a system actually works or just technically exists.
Capability Building is the Long Game
You can buy technology pretty easily. You can’t buy capability the same way. That part takes time. Scaling digital really means building teams that understand both the systems and the business they support.
I think of it like moving from outsourced maintenance to having your own engineers who actually know how things work under the hood. Leaders need to invest in product thinking, data literacy, and teams that can operate more agilely. And not just for one project, but as a long-term muscle.
I strongly believe in talent development and in taking the initiative to train junior team members as they grow and adapt. When leading a recent enterprise system rollout, I coached the team’s associate business analysts on requirement gathering and user story and acceptance criteria documentation, and gradually had them take on the lead in scrum calls and demos. This helped build their confidence in overall agile cross-functional collaboration, and some of them even voluntarily documented the processes as SOPs for future team members to refer to.
At the end of the day, scaling digital in pharma isn’t something you “finish.” It’s more like a discipline you keep building. The leaders who treat it that way, with strong governance, real attention to people, and a focus on capability, end up with systems that can actually evolve without breaking things.
In past EHR transformations, I have had both clinical and non-clinical staff involved in demo sessions so that they could get familiar with the new system features as those were being released. Many had their own insights and feedback on the features that technical teams were able to incorporate in subsequent releases, rather than tackle it as a post-go-live maintenance activity. This not only helped build a more credible product but also reduced stress and increased acceptance amongst clinical stakeholders.
As AI starts getting layered into all of this, it only raises the stakes. Leaders really need to double down on building internal talent, keeping change management structured, and creating trust so teams feel equipped to adapt, not overwhelmed by yet another wave of complexity.
About Akram Hossain
MD Akram Hossain is an accomplished product management and digital transformation leader with over nine years of experience leading enterprise-wide digital implementations across healthcare, finance, and technology. An MBA and Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner, he specializes in EPM, ERP, and EHR systems, with deep expertise in platforms like Anaplan, Workday, SAP, and Epic.
