What is SaaS? What exactly does multi-tenant cloud mean?

Multi-tenant cloud (or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), or pure cloud) is the software delivery model where multiple customers leverage a single version of software and co-exist on a shared infrastructure that is managed and hosted by the software vendor.  

Much like systems used to separate bank accounts or medical records, multitenant cloud vendors use virtual partitioning (think firewalls) to securely segregate customer’s data, configurations, and customizations.

Each customer is on the same, most current version of the software, but each customer’s configuration or customizations are their own. In other words, each customer (i.e. tenant) shares computing resources, but each tenant is autonomous and remains invisible to other tenants.

To learn more, check out our Expert’s Guide to Buying Cloud Software blog series and eBook.

How does the Vault Platform and applications fit into my overall system architecture?

Veeva Vault is designed to fit into any customer’s system ecosystem and supports modern integration patterns. Each Veeva customer brings unique integration requirements based on their current landscape.

The Veeva Professional Services team offers a large breadth of experience in partnering with enterprise companies to advise on complex integration strategies. Sharing best practices from these engagements ensures a sound integration architecture strategy regardless of the specific applications required to integrate with Vault.

Our dedicated Technical Services team can help you plan and design integrations leveraging your current landscape.

Does system configuration require any code?

Veeva Vault applications provide domain-centric solutions that are highly extensible through configuration to suit your specific business needs. A majority of business requirements and functionalities can be achieved with simple drag-and-drop configuration. For more complex requirements, Vault makes this possible with a native SDK. 

Interested to learn more about this? Contact us.

How does the Veeva team handle data and content migration?

Veeva has extensive experience leading our customers through the data and content migration element of their programs. Most data and document migration scenarios can be handled by the Veeva Professional Services team, but for more complex or specialized data migrations, we’re able to engage our network of approved migration partners. 

The appropriate pre-planning efforts around inventory definition, such as establishing and categorizing data based on guidance, has led to a simplified approach and reduction of effort in the overall migration scope. Veeva’s Professional Services team offers several options to accommodate the migration of documents and metadata from other repositories into Vault. 

Veeva has performed transfers from a variety of validated environments and many different types of content. The migration methodology for moving data from a source system into Vault can be flexible to support either a one-time, linear migration approach or one that supports migration iterations (or waves), structured by groups of documents/data based on selected criteria, which can be completed over time. Loading, augmenting, and testing the source data is executed through an iterative process. 

As standard, Veeva Vault includes an utility called Vault Loader, which supports the bulk loading of data and documents into Vault, and is mapped to the Vault data model. Veeva Professional Services can also support and guide our customers through the data preparation process, including the export from source systems, data transformation, and mapping to the Vault data model. 

For more information about Veeva’s data and content migration experience and methodology, we encourage you to contact us.

Does the Vault platform and applications openly integrate with other systems?

Almost all of our projects will be integrated with other systems, starting with single sign-on (SSO) as the simplest form of integration up to fully bi-directional integrations with ERPs and other typical master data sources. 

Veeva products are able to operate independently from other customer systems and interfaces. Integration with other systems may be achieved through the Vault open, REST-based API. The Vault API provides programmatic access to Vault information and functionality using a simple, powerful, and secure application programming interface. The API can be used to develop custom applications, custom integrations, or to develop higher-level tools such as data loaders or schema visualization. The API provides methods to read and write to Vault securely, so your application can import, update, and retrieve data and documents. It respects all the same business rules and security model as if you were in the Vault Web UI directly. 

Veeva also provides the Vault API Library (VAPIL), which is an open-source Java library for the Vault REST API that includes coverage for all Platform APIs. This library allows developers to quickly build and test API integrations that can be hosted on any Java-based external system. 

Please see the Veeva Vault API webpage for additional details. In addition to the API reference documentation, developers can download the official Vault Platform Postman™ Collection, which includes all Platform APIs with matching API endpoint names and variables. This collection allows developers to test and analyze integration designs.

What is Veeva’s implementation methodology?

Veeva utilizes an agile project methodology that focuses on configuration definition and review, rigorous planning around project timelines and overall project resourcing, as well as continuous tracking and monitoring of progress throughout the project. This methodology is designed to provide project agility, increase the quality of the overall solution, and reduce risk. 

Veeva’s implementation methodology is different from others in that: 
• Subsequent testing and training stages are faster to execute 
• User requirements are defined and reviewed in context in the live system 
• Critical change management activities occur naturally as part of the system implementation process 
• Veeva provides a validation-ready solution 

Each Vault implementation is unique. To meet our customer’s unique business requirements, Veeva has designed two implementation approaches. A thorough scoping exercise is conducted before determining which implementation approach will best achieve our customer’s program goals and objectives. 

Pre-Defined Configuration – Ultra-rapid implementation with focus on a review of the standard, prebuilt Vault object model, workflows, and lifecycles. Suitable for customers with small project teams (e.g., 4-6 core team members), little to no change to the standard pre-built model, no system integrations, no legacy data migrations, a focused group for training efforts and leveraging Veeva’s UAT package. 

Client Specific – A project scoped specifically to meet a customer’s implementation needs and goals. These projects begin with the standard prebuilt Vault object model, workflows, and lifecycles, which are configured to meet a customer’s specific business process. Suitable for customers with larger project teams, existing business process, larger training initiatives, system integration needs, and/or legacy document migrations. 

A high-level overview of our proven implementation methodology and approach follows below.
A Vault implementation typically includes some or all of the below project phases. 

1. Project planning 
2. Solution design and configuration 
3. Integration 
4. Migration 
5. Validation testing support 
6. Training and deployment 
7. Post-production support

What should I expect in terms of internal IT resourcing needed for a Veeva implementation for an upcoming project?

Implementations will vary by customer needs and requirements but, expected roles during an implementation could include:

IT Support – As with any implementation, Veeva may require access to applications and systems. IT should provide an Integration Lead and/or Architect to manage the exchange of data flows in alignment with their overall solution landscape. These IT resources will need to support access requests and other technical discussions.

System Administrator(s) – As the project nears deployment, customers generally identify one or more application business and/or system administrators who will be responsible for the daily management of change requests to the application during and after deployment. For larger projects, it’s recommended that a primary system administrator is assigned, as well as administrative sponsors for each of the business or functional teams.

Project Management – Some of our customers have dedicated PMO teams and we typically will see them leading from a program management perspective.

Migration Lead – A migration lead is responsible for managing the customer’s migration activities. The migration lead is the primary customer resource for identifying the content to be migrated, reviewing the migration approach, and managing the population of migration templates. The resource is responsible for working with Veeva resources through the iterative testing cycles to achieve final content inventory for execution.

What type of post-go-live support do you offer?

Veeva has a wide range of post-go-live support options to ensure sustained customer success. These include:

Product Support: Veeva provides 24/7/365 product support at no additional cost as part of the Veeva license subscription fee. Product support is intended for system administrators working for or on behalf of the customer to configure, maintain, manage, and support the Veeva solution. There is no limit to the number of support cases that can be filed.

Post Go-Live Configuration Services: For customers seeking support administering and maintaining their Veeva application, Veeva offers a Post Go-live Configuration Services program which provides a named consultant to assist with ongoing, ad hoc administrative needs. Also referred to as “Managed Services” this is a cost-effective way for customers to maintain their Veeva applications, implement configuration changes, and enhance applications when new product features are released. Consultants are by your side, serving as an extension of your internal team as you embark on the journey with Veeva’s applications.

Technical Managed Services: For customers who have customized their Vaults with SDK or complex integrations, Veeva can provide a named Technical Managed Services consultant to assist with retaining familiarity with your code, addressing defects or minor changes, monitoring system performance, and acting as a technical subject matter expert on all things Vault. Technical Managed Services is a supplemental service to Post Go-live Configuration Services.

Product Education: These experts are assigned to select customers to act as post-go-live product and application management advisors. They increase the value of Veeva applications by ensuring application owners are up to date on releases, best practices, and existing functionality.

How does Veeva ensure that our proprietary content and data are secure?

Data security is paramount for Veeva and our customers. Veeva protects customer data with world-class physical, network-, application-, and data-level security. In addition, Veeva invests in the most advanced and modern infrastructure available to provide an innovative, scalable, global, predictable, and secure environment.

To learn more about our approach to security, please visit our Trust page.

How often does Veeva release platform and application upgrades? How do we handle upgrades? Do we need to do anything?

We upgrade the Vault Platform and applications three times per year, or approximately every 120 days. Veeva customers benefit from instant deployment of new versions, meaning the entire customer base is always working on the latest version, eliminating wasteful upgrade projects that plague their industries. Veeva’s multi-tenant model delivers long-term value for all customers since upgrades are instantaneously available across the entire platform and provided at no additional cost to the customer.

Several weeks in advance of a release, all customers have access to an informational webinar and the ability to connect with Veeva Services Representatives for more information about the release. Customers who are actively engaged with Veeva Services also have the option to receive a customized Impact Assessment for their Vault(s) for every release. Releases include many features, some of which may be “auto on” and automatically activated when the new release is deployed. Other new features may be optional and require additional configuration changes in order to utilize.

All of our customers also have access to a pre-release environment for several weeks in advance of the official release deployment, to allow for testing and familiarization of their specific configuration alongside the new release features.

Interested to learn more about this? Contact us.