All-In-One: Using Portals for Accessing Approved Content in PromoMats and Medical Vaults

Introduction

In recent years, I have noticed a shift in how life sciences companies prefer to provide their sales and medical representatives with access to approved content. Traditionally, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems like Veeva CRM, and its Closed Loop Marketing (CLM) functionality integrated with Vault, have been the go-to solution for managing and distributing content to these users. However, a growing number of clients are now interested in Portals within their existing PromoMats and Medical Vaults as a simpler, superior alternative.

This article explores the rise in popularity of these Portals, their advantages and limitations, and provides a comprehensive understanding of what Portals are and are not.

From Storage to Storefront

To understand the growing preference for Portals, it's essential to grasp how they fit into the fundamental structure of PromoMats and Medical Vaults. Portals were originally created to be used in conjunction with Digital Asset Management (DAM) in PromoMats. They were an enhanced UI for content creators to shop for components. However, they are not limited to this use case.

Think of the Vault PromoMats (or Vault Medical) Document Library as a vast warehouse where all your content is stored—both approved and unapproved. Within this warehouse, the Portal Library functions like a Shop, containing only the pieces that you want your portal users to see and use. The Portal Homepage acts as a Storefront to showcase the best-of-the-best content, making it easily accessible to portal users.

What Portal Is

Think of Portals as an enhanced, focused Vault UI. Portals within PromoMats and Medical Vaults offer a simple storefront interface and curated library for teams to access and promote key content. This intuitive user experience is designed to facilitate quick access and consumption of content. Here are some key features of Portals:

• Simple Storefront Interface: User-friendly UI with Carousel, Featured Items, and system-curated widgets (e.g., Most Viewed).
• Content Filters: Easily find documents with single-button, customizable filters.
• Quick Access and Consumption: Features like Quick Actions and Quick View help users make swift decisions.
• External Links: Share specific content via external links for increased access.
• Auditing and Reporting: Automatic tracking of usage for compliance and performance insights.

What Portal Is Not

• Not a Separate Application: Portals exist within Vault as a tab; users need Vault logins.
• No Additional Permissions: Document security remains unchanged; expired content is restricted per role permissions.
• Not Fully Curated by the System: Requires Librarian management for content and widgets.
• Not Available on Vault Mobile App: Accessible via desktop or mobile browser, not through the Vault Mobile app.
• Cannot Fully Replace CRM: Portals lack CRM’s interaction-tracking features.

Advantages of Approved Content Portals

• Included Out-of-the-Box: No extra licensing required; use cases for DAM and approved content.
• No Integration Maintenance: Reduces complexity by keeping content within Vault.
• Intuitive User Experience: Focused, streamlined interface for reps.
• Simplified Search Functionality: Easy and effective content discovery.
• Curated Content: Ensures only the most relevant materials are accessible.

Conclusion

Portals within PromoMats and Medical Vaults have emerged as a popular solution for curating and pushing approved content to reps. Their intuitive user experience, simplified search functionality, and curated content make them an attractive alternative to integrating with CRM systems. While they offer several advantages, it's important to recognize their limitations and ensure that they are used in conjunction with other tools to provide a comprehensive solution for your reps.

To learn more about how Slipstream IT can partner with you to make the most of your Vault applications, please visit www.slipstream-it.com/schedule-meeting. We look forward to meeting you!