Vault CRM Migration Workshops with Sycor

Pharma CRM:

Preparing for Upcoming Pharma CRM Migrations: Vault CRM Migration Workshops with Sycor

An interview with Marcos Garcia Villas

Sycor Group/

Vault CRM Migration Workshops with Sycor

April 21, 2026

An interview with Marcos Garcia Villas, Principal Consultant for Transition Management in CRM/BI at Sycor, who has many years of experience in the field of pharmaceutical CRM.

Sycor: Hi Marcos! Please tell us what you do at Sycor and what your experiences have been like.

Marcos: I’d be happy to. I work at Sycor as a Principal Consultant for CRM and BI transition projects. In this role, I support clients in the life sciences industry with migration projects. My focus is on CRM and BI systems, and there’s a lot going on in that area right now.

I assume you’re referring to the decisions by Veeva and Salesforce to launch their own CRM solutions—Veeva Vault CRM and Salesforce for Life Sciences, respectively—and the fact that their previous systems have been discontinued as of 2029.

Exactly. This decision has created quite a bit of momentum in the market. Since 2024, we’ve seen more and more companies deciding on their future CRM system. I’m currently working with several companies that have already chosen a CRM system—in these cases, Vault CRM. However, the actual migration project is still ahead for these companies.

But if the migration project hasn’t started yet, what exactly are your responsibilities?

One of my responsibilities is to prepare these companies for the migration project. Together with my colleagues Maximilian Messerschmidt and Julian Hummelsiep, I’ve prepared a series of workshops designed to help clients prepare for the challenges and tasks they’ll face.

A whole series of workshops right off the bat? That sounds like a lot of challenges and tasks.

As we had hoped, companies are realizing that they lack knowledge about their new CRM system. Since Veeva’s Vault CRM is a system that has already been successfully rolled out at many companies, we began early on to build up this knowledge ourselves and make it available to interested companies. Along with several other colleagues, Max, Julian, and I have also successfully completed Veeva’s Vault CRM certification program.

So, you train life sciences companies that have chosen Vault CRM on how to use the system?

That’s not exactly what we do. Our focus is different.

Namely?

Depending on whether a company is already using Veeva CRM—essentially switching from “Veeva to Veeva”—or uses a different CRM solution, such as IQVIA’s OCE P, the knowledge requirements naturally vary. Depending on the client and their “CRM history,” we prepare a catalog of topics that are important for the client to know. Based on the client’s preferences, we then prioritize certain areas or develop content on specific topics. I also advise clients on this.

Can you provide us with a workshop scenario for a company that already uses Veeva CRM, and a scenario for a company that doesn’t use Veeva CRM but instead uses an alternative solution? What are the typical topics covered in each case?

Certainly. For a company that currently uses Veeva CRM and is switching to Vault CRM, we generally focus on three key areas:

Impact of Vault CRM on daily business operations
Technical differences between Veeva CRM and Vault CRM
Tasks for the project team in the migration project

And for a company switching from another CRM system to Vault CRM, in addition to the topics already mentioned, the focus is on understanding how Veeva implements the various business processes. Here, it is particularly important to learn how Veeva typically addresses company requirements, whether “special requests” are possible, and if so, what costs may be involved. This means we cover the topic much more comprehensively here.

OK. Could you describe the first three key topics in a bit more detail?

Of course. When we discuss the topic “Impact of Vault CRM on Daily Business,” we’ll highlight what will change for each group of end users. For a typical sales rep who works with an iPad and is already familiar with Veeva CRM, the changes with Vault CRM may actually be manageable. It’s a different story for back-office users, because while they’re still working in a browser, the interface is no longer provided by Salesforce. Many details are already different here. Users with administrative tasks in Vault CRM will experience the greatest impact.

Are you referring to the “technical differences between Veeva CRM and Vault CRM”?

Yes. To give just two examples: the permissions model in Vault CRM, which determines what a user can see and do, differs significantly from how it’s handled in Veeva CRM or in Salesforce with OCE P. Understanding that was the biggest challenge for my colleagues and me. Secondly, I’d like to mention the topic of “reporting.” Whether you’re coming from Veeva CRM or, for example, IQVIA’s OCE P—reports always have to be redeveloped. They cannot be migrated. You can do much more with reports and dashboards now, but that also makes the topic significantly more complex.

Okay. So what are some typical “tasks in a migration project”?

With this focus area, our main goal is to raise the client’s awareness of certain aspects such as data cleansing during migration, UAT, training, and the double workload on project team members.

Double workload? What do you mean by that?

Marcos: Before and during the migration project, we still need to support the existing CRM system and end users in their day-to-day operations—all the way up until Vault CRM goes live. Typically, the colleagues responsible for this are already working at full capacity. The tasks associated with the migration require additional time and focus, which are then lacking for day-to-day operations. The project team should therefore consider early on how to mitigate the expected work peaks, e.g., through redistribution or outsourcing.

Can’t we support companies with this?

Of course we can. We have been supporting numerous companies in the life sciences industry with all these issues and tasks for many years. With our acquired industry expertise, we are reliable partners and provide the necessary relief during the migration project—and beyond.

Thank you very much, Marcos. That was very insightful. We wish you every success in your future projects.

Thank you; it’s definitely going to be exciting.

Do you have questions about pharmaceutical CRM?

Rely on Sycor’s experts when switching or upgrading your CRM system. With over 20 years of industry expertise and in-depth knowledge of a wide range of systems and requirements, we can provide you with comprehensive support during the migration or upgrade of your CRM system: Schedule an appointment today.