Novo Nordisk: Data must be value-generating

It’s not the technologies that will lead to value creation through data. It’s the people using them. Fostering an attractive corporate culture with high psychological safety where talents thrive is everything, according to Thomas Senderovitz, Senior Vice President Data Science at Novo Nordisk.

When Covid-19 broke out, Thomas Senderovitz became a familiar public face in Denmark due to his role as the Director General of the Danish Medicines Agency. But since spring 2021, Thomas Senderovitz has been in charge of developing and anchoring data science in Novo Nordisk, and data science is a fast-developing area in the global healthcare company headquartered in Denmark.

– Data science is much broader today than even just a few years ago. It’s no longer a matter of merely utilizing data from clinical studies. Now we use data in a much broader sense, for example by applying real-world data, says Thomas Senderovitz, Senior Vice President in Novo Nordisk.

Furthermore, the pace of technological development is higher than ever, but Thomas Senderovitz stresses that as an organization you cannot grasp the opportunities of this development if you do not have a solid data foundation:   

– It’s about much more than data management; what we’re working on is all about access and insights. We’ve invested a lot of work in our foundation to ensure quick real-time access from capture to access and analysis. And with generative AI, data has become a profound part of the world to a great many people and organizations, including ours. But you can’t work on intelligent automation until you have the process landscape and core data fundamentals in place, he says.

A vision of value creation

Utilizing data science at Novo Nordisk has one aim: To create value for the organization and contribute to its purpose:

–  I haven’t made a strategy for data science as a business unit, why would I do that? Everything we work for is bringing better products to patients suffering from the diseases we want to treat. That doesn’t mean that we’re not working strategically and with long-term plans within data science, but in everything we do, we have insistent focus on business development and how we use data insight and automation to improve processes and increase quality for the organization with the end goal of improving quality of life for patients, Thomas Senderovitz says and adds:

–  When data allows us to save money by making simulations, thereby avoiding clinical studies or shortening the time from initiating a clinical study to completion of protocol, we have contributed to our overall goals.  

Novo Nordisk works systematically on value creation in Data Science with quarterly business reviews and the company evaluates investments and priorities in terms of how they contribute to the business strategy. But creating a culture driven by value creation is central at all levels, not just among top management:

– This doesn’t mean that every data scientist needs to be able to do the business cases, but everybody must have in mind that what we do must contribute to value creation for the organization, Thomas Senderovitz explains.

Value creation breaks down silos

In many life sciences organizations, one of the main barriers to realizing the full data potential is breaking down the silos that often exist between business units. According to Thomas Senderovitz, the joint mission to create value is a key element here:  

– When you don’t work for the goals of your own business unit in isolation but for business development as a whole, you are on a joint mission. If you insist on this way of thinking, and it reflects in your rhetoric and actions, slowly you’ll see that it automatically contributes to breaking down silos.

In general, culture is considered the key to successful utilization of data in Novo Nordisk.

– It’s not the technologies that will lead to value creation through data. It’s the people using them. It’s all-important that the working environment is healthy and has a high degree of psychological safety, encouraging all employees to contribute with their opinion and perspectives. If you continuously work on fostering a culture where everybody feels safe, magic will start to happen, Thomas Senderovitz says, and adds:

– The culture is also crucial in a recruitment perspective. Having access to talent is everything, and this talent is very scarce in data science. If employees don’t thrive and have fun, you won’t be able to attract the talents.

The AI agenda

With the AI revolution upon us, data is more relevant than ever. AI is also high on the agenda at Novo Nordisk.

– Just a year ago, generative AI was something in the future and now it’s here, and the technologies are evolving at an incredible pace. ChatGPT has been an eye-opener to many people who can now really see the endless possibilities of data and AI, because it’s right in front of their faces. The potential of AI is now very visible across the organization, Thomas Senderovitz says.

Novo Nordisk is investing in building up and testing technologies within AI, while also acknowledging that using AI in an industry like life sciences is not without challenges:

 – The pace is high, and it requires that we’re constantly at the forefront with technological development, including the data ethics debate, which is definitely on our agenda. It is, I believe, just a matter of time before we will see data ethical cases, especially led by generative AI, and we need to prepare.

Keep pace with technology

According to Thomas Senderovitz, technological development within generative AI, for example, requires that the life sciences industry look inwards:

– Within healthcare, generative AI will without doubt redefine the roles in the sector. Within just a year, I believe, it’ll have an enormous impact on what general practitioners will be able to do, for example. And who holds responsibility? I don’t have the answers, but I see that developments raise regulatory questions and considerations, he says and continues:

– The pharma industry is characterized by its conservative nature and its regulatory safety net that requires everything to be highly tested and validated. This means, of course, that we can’t adapt to new technologies at the same pace as other industries, as our entire value chain is regulated. But as a global concern, we must be at the forefront to challenge and influence the regulations. The reality is that if you just lean back, change won’t come.

At the same time, he acknowledges that the regulatory nature of the industry puts certain limitations on speed:

– Sometimes it can feel like we’re not moving fast enough, but I think, in reality, we can’t move any faster in an industry like ours, where we need to constantly keep focus on regulatory aspects. Of course there are exceptions, for example, if you use generative AI to help employees with their travel bookings where the business risk is low. But as soon as you look into applying these technologies in regulatory areas, it’s another ball game. Looking ahead, I see this as my finest role: To ensure that we find the delicate balance – we want a nice gallop but we don’t want to completely let go of the reins, Thomas Senderovitz ends.

Thomas Senderovitz’ best tips for digital leaders in 2023

1. Ensure the right mix of competencies. In order for your data efforts to be business driven and create value, you must ensure that team members represent a broad range of competencies. It’s important to cover commercial business perspectives and technology competences, and to bring new knowledge from outside.
   
   
2. Ensure your data foundation. There are endless technological possibilities to grasp, but if you don’t control your data infrastructure and access, you won’t get anywhere. It’s very simple; the foundation comes first.
   
   
3. Take charge of the architecture. Just as you don’t initiate a construction project without the architectural framework at place, so it is with data. You need to have the architecture to support your business strategy. Not until the architecture is in place can you work on engineering and execution. And ensure that what you build in one area of the business is interoperable, so it links up with the remaining areas.
   
   

Digital facts about Novo Nordisk

• Data is on the agenda throughout the organization, and there are different fora in which Novo Nordisk zooms in on data – from Project Governance and Policies to the Clinical Data and Council, where Thomas Senderovitz is also the chair.
• Though headquartered in Denmark, the 800+ colleagues working within data science at Novo Nordisk are one global team, and fostering cohesion across global borders is highly prioritized.