Generation Veeva | Meet Annalisa: At Home with Veeva

This video, part of the "Generation Veeva" series, offers an internal perspective on the culture and operational resilience of Veeva Systems, specifically focusing on the experience of Annalisa, an Associate Consultant in the European Consultant Development Program (CDP). The primary purpose of the video is to showcase how Veeva successfully transitioned its office-based European CDP team to a fully remote working model during the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining strong team cohesion and professional development. Annalisa, typically based in the Barcelona office, shares her personal journey of moving back to her home country, Italy, and adapting to the new work environment.

The narrative begins by establishing the initial challenge of the transition. The CDP program in Europe is traditionally office-based, fostering a dynamic, open, and welcoming environment where consultants frequently exchange ideas, opinions, experiences, and product knowledge. A key component of this culture was the weekly in-person team lunch every Tuesday. The shift to remote work initially meant giving up this physical dynamic, which Annalisa notes was a significant adjustment. However, the core theme quickly shifts to Veeva's successful adaptation strategy, emphasizing that working remotely proved to be "as great as working from the office surrounded by colleagues."

Veeva's strategy for maintaining team morale and productivity centered on replicating the in-office social and collaborative structures in a virtual setting. The company ensured that professional collaboration never ceased, simply switching physical meetings to Zoom. Crucially, they also prioritized social connection, organizing virtual versions of previous in-person activities, including shared lunches, coffee breaks, cooking classes, and remote welcome drinks for new joiners. Annalisa highlights that she never felt disconnected from her team, emphasizing the ease of organizing quick calls to receive necessary support. This demonstrated the robustness of the team's existing relationships and the company's commitment to fostering a supportive environment, making the hardest part of the transition the absence of daily face-to-face interactions rather than a lack of professional support.

Ultimately, Annalisa frames the remote work mandate as a "huge opportunity" provided by Veeva. This opportunity allowed consultants to adapt to new routines, better manage their work-life balance, and take on even more responsibilities. Despite the physical distance, she felt "even more part of this big orange family," particularly the CDP cohort. This insight suggests that Veeva's strong organizational culture and commitment to employee well-being were foundational elements that allowed their consulting operations—a critical component of their business model—to thrive even under unforeseen operational constraints.

Detailed Key Takeaways

• Veeva’s Commitment to Consultant Development: The video highlights the importance of the Consultant Development Program (CDP) as a foundational element of Veeva’s talent pipeline, indicating a structured approach to training and integrating new professionals into the Veeva ecosystem, which is crucial for partners like IntuitionLabs.ai to understand.
• Operational Resilience through Virtualization: Veeva successfully transitioned its traditionally office-based European consulting operations (CDP) to a fully remote model, demonstrating strong operational resilience and the ability to maintain high productivity and collaboration using virtual tools like Zoom.
• Prioritizing Cultural Replication in Remote Work: Maintaining team cohesion was achieved by intentionally replicating in-office social activities virtually. This included organizing remote lunches, coffee breaks, cooking classes, and welcome drinks, underscoring the necessity of social infrastructure for remote consulting teams.
• The Value of Pre-existing Strong Relationships: The speaker noted that adapting to the new reality was easier because it was "so easy and natural to develop strong relationships" at Veeva, suggesting that a strong pre-existing culture of trust and support is a critical success factor for rapid remote transitions.
• Ease of Access to Support and Collaboration: Despite working from home, consultants found it easy to organize quick calls with colleagues to get the necessary support, indicating that the internal communication channels and team structures were robust and accessible, mitigating the risk of isolation or stalled projects.
• Remote Work as an Opportunity for Growth: The shift to remote work was viewed not just as a necessity but as an opportunity that allowed consultants to adapt to new routines, better manage work-life balance, and take on increased responsibilities, suggesting a focus on empowerment and individual accountability.
• Understanding the Veeva Ecosystem Culture: For partners, understanding that Veeva fosters an "open and welcoming environment" where consultants constantly "exchange ideas, opinions, experiences and also product knowledge" is vital for effective collaboration and integration projects.
• The Importance of Dynamic Environments for Knowledge Transfer: The initial challenge of losing the dynamic office environment underscores the importance of physical co-location for rapid, informal knowledge transfer, especially in technical consulting roles like those supporting Veeva CRM implementations.
• High Employee Engagement and Sense of Belonging: The speaker’s feeling of being "even more part of this big orange family" despite working remotely speaks volumes about Veeva’s successful employee engagement strategies, which are crucial for retaining the talent that supports their core platforms.

Tools/Resources Mentioned

• Zoom: Used as the primary platform for virtual meetings and replicating in-person collaboration.

Key Concepts

• Consultant Development Program (CDP): A structured training and entry-level program designed by Veeva to onboard and develop future consultants, ensuring a steady supply of expertise for implementing and supporting Veeva products like Veeva CRM.
• Work-Life Balance: The ability of employees to manage their professional responsibilities alongside their personal lives, which was reportedly improved by the flexibility offered through the remote work mandate.
• Orange Family: An internal cultural term used by the speaker to describe the strong sense of community and belonging within Veeva Systems.