Veeva’s Evolving Approach to Quality and Manufacturing

Insights from Axendia’s Briefing

Axendia was recently briefed by Veeva on developments in their quality line of business.
During the briefing, Veeva’s Executives Mike Jovanis, Vice President Quality Cloud, Jamie Crouch, VP Marketing, andAshley McMillan, Senior Director Strategy provided an update on the company’s evolving approach to quality management and manufacturing, recent customer wins, and the integration of advanced automation and AI-driven solutions. The discussion also covered Veeva’s market expansion strategies and product roadmap updates.

Veeva Elevates Quality to a Core Business

A notable shift in Veeva’s structure is the elevation of its quality management portfolio to one of the company’s four core business areas. “Previously, quality was part of the Development Cloud, but it became clear that most of our work focuses on manufacturing,” said Jovanis. “Now, quality is a top-level business unit at Veeva, aligning with how customers work and engage with our solutions.”

While the organizational change appears subtle on the surface, it represents a significant shift in Veeva’s market positioning. “This might look like a small adjustment on a PowerPoint slide, but internally, it has been a major push that reflects our long-term growth strategy,” Jovanis added.

Selective Market Expansion and Customer Wins

Veeva continues to refine its market focus. While expanding in some areas, the company has deliberately chosen not to enter the Electronic Batch Records (EBR) or Manufacturing Execution System (MES) space at this time. “We determined that EBR is not a clear target market on its own, and we are not yet ready to tackle MES,” said Jovanis. Instead, Veeva has doubled down on quality management, lab information management (LIMS), and batch release solutions.

According to Veeva, key customer wins reflect this strategic focus. A top 20 global biopharma, for example, expanded from using Veeva’s Quality Management System (QMS) to implementing Quality Docs. Another global biopharmaembarked on a transformational program with Veeva, spanning both quality and R&D. “They hadn’t done much with cloud-based solutions before, so this was a big shift for them,” Jovanis noted.

Veeva has continued to see traction across different segments of the life sciences industry.

AI Automation and the Future of Quality

Veeva is making significant investments in AI and automation. “Initially, we paused on AI to see how the industry evolved,” said Jovanis. “Now, we’ve observed that actionable use cases have matured faster than expected, and we are making AI a priority across our products.”

Some of the AI-driven innovations include:

Auto-Categorization of Quality Events– Enhancing complaint handling and root cause analysis.
Automatic Translations– Enabling seamless multilingual data entry and communication.
Narrative Summary Generation – Providing concise overviews of quality records for faster decision-making.
Real-Time Quality Event Signal Detection – Identifying emerging trends and risks in quality management.

LIMS: A New Approach to Lab Management

Veeva’s approach to LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) differs from traditional solutions.
“We didn’t just build another LIMS,” said Jovanis. “We created a system that consolidates previously separate layers into a single, streamlined experience.”

This includes:

Embedded Test Execution – Eliminating the need for a separate ELN (Electronic Lab Notebook) or lab execution system.
Partner Platform for Seamless Instrument Integration – Connecting laboratory equipment for real-time data exchange.
Digital Master Data Management – Enabling real-time simulation and impact analysis of data changes.
External QC Oversight – Allowing contract labs and partners to access relevant data directly within the system.

Validation Management and Batch Release: A Growing Focus

Veeva’s validation management platform has gained rapid adoption. “Many companies still rely on outdated tools, creating unnecessary manual work,” said Jovanis. “Our fully digital, structured-data approach eliminates these inefficiencies delivering up to 70% efficiency gains over traditional paper-based validation processes.”

Batch release is another emerging area. Veeva released its batch release product in August 2023 and secured two customers before launch. “Our ability to integrate RIM (Regulatory Information Management) data to support product ship decisions is a unique differentiator,” Jovanis stated. However, early adopters have faced challenges in standardizing their processes before implementing technology, underscoring the need for pre-implementation readiness.

Expanding into India and China: A Long-Term Play

Veeva has made a dedicated investment in India, establishing a local team focused on quality solutions. “India is a culturally complex market, but we took a patient approach, built the right team, and now we are seeing strong momentum,” said Jovanis. In contrast, China remains a more challenging landscape, though Veeva has a growing customer base and localized operations there.

In Brief: The Road Ahead

As Veeva continues to expand its presence in quality management and manufacturing, its commitment to innovation remains strong. Whether through AI-driven automation, streamlined LIMS solutions, or next-generation batch release technology, the company is influencing the future of digital quality management in life sciences.

While challenges remain, such as standardizing complex global processes and integrating diverse enterprise systems, Veeva’s measured and deliberate approach positions it well to support the industry.

We will continue to provide updates on VEEVA as they become available.

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The opinions and analysis expressed in this post reflect the judgment of Axendia at the time of publication and are subject to change without notice. Information contained in this post is current as of publication date. Information cited is not warranted by Axendia but has been obtained through a valid research methodology. This post is not intended to endorse any company or product and should not be attributed as such.