Key experiences are moments in a leader’s life that foster learning, development, and/or an improvement in their capacity to lead successfully. To have a wide and balanced growth, it is important to have a diversity of experiences. Breakthrough experiences – learning through both failure and success, are those that significantly alter a leader’s development.
Dean Erhardt has more than 30 years of strategic marketing and management expertise in the pharmaceutical and consumer goods industries. Several Fortune 500 companies, including Express Scripts, Cardinal Health, and U.S. Healthcare, have been a part of Mr. Erhardt’s career.
Mr. Erhardt now holds the positions of both President and CEO of D2 Solutions. In this role, he oversees the organization’s interactions with a range of industry participants, such as pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and eHealth firms, as well as channel partners like pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, specialty distribution, retail, long-term care facilities, hospitals/IDNs, payers, and PBMs. In addition, Mr. Erhardt has worked on several international projects in Singapore, South Korea, Algeria, South Africa, and Albania.
Work Experiences
Mr. Erhardt was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Express Scripts Specialty Pharmacy Benefits Management business prior to his position at D2. In this position, Mr. Erhardt collaborated on formularies, reimbursement models, and product support programs for specialty and biotech therapeutic categories with several Managed Care and Payer organizations. Prior to holding that position, Mr. Erhardt was the Sales and Marketing Director for Express Scripts Specialty Distribution Services, where he worked with over 30 pharmaceutical manufacturers on limited distribution programs, patient assistance programs, sampling, reimbursement support, and other product-specific support programs.
Mr. Erhardt holds an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Oklahoma. He has also participated in numerous executive management training programs. Mr. Erhardt’s board affiliations have included VirMedica, Inc. and StagesSTL.
Company’s SaaS solutions
Since 2008, D2 Solutions has been enabling health care executives to look past the present and take steps toward the future. D2 is dedicated to enabling its customers by offering solutions that deal with actual real-world issues faced by manufacturers, pharmacies, payers, PBMs, and hospital systems.
D2’s ‘point of progress’ represents a mindset of change and innovation. “Today we don’t think about the Sony Walkman as innovative, yet at the time it was revolutionary. Unfortunately, many entities with whom D2 works are still ‘using’ the Walkman — failing to keep pace in an environment of ever accelerating change. D2 is working with entities to move them forward, driving their point of progress, focused on bringing together pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers with innovative services providers and technology that can accelerates patients access to medications and keep them compliant.” states Erhardt.
D2 Solutions is consistently acknowledged as a leader in healthcare technology-driven solutions. D2’s SaaS solutions are focused on a) capturing additional revenue, b) enhancing margin (lowering operational costs), and c) reducing exposure to business risk by focusing on assisting its clients in removing friction points. In order to reduce the time it takes from patient diagnosis to treatment, D2 is collaborating with stakeholders in the health care industry to create and employ technology.
More than 14 years of consulting in the industry has allowed D2 to recognize the processes that cause stress and friction. Over the years, D2 has worked with many clients and regulatory organizations and has identified how to simplify processes to save time, labor and money. ComplySuiteTM is a web-based, automated compliance system that the firm created by listening to the need of the clients. By ensuring that standards and laws are understood and followed, this continuously updated, comprehensive documentation platform helps to facilitate ongoing accreditation, maintenance of licensure, and regulatory compliance. Consistent, ongoing updates are a cornerstone of the company’s operations to guarantee that its client partners are always informed.
Traditional HUB services and outreach initiatives centered on phone calls are the Walkman – outdated and insufficient in today’s environment. This undoubtedly is affecting patients, which in turn affects manufacturers and pharmacies. Many specialty prescriptions, up to 50%, are never filled, and in addition, many people only make it to the second refill. To improve product availability and improve patient care, D2 Solutions created UltraTouch EngageTM to bring manufacturers, clinicians, pharmacies, and patients closer together. With UltraTouch Engage, quantifiable outcomes and actionable data are delivered at every stage of the patient’s pharmaceutical journey, starting with the generation of the specialty prescription through the first fill and continuing through ongoing compliance and clinical interaction.
D2’s experience enables clients to assess, comprehend, and handle the difficulties that arise, whether for a standalone pharmacy or a pharmacy/clinic connected to a hospital. There are no easy, all-encompassing answers to the problems of decreased patient participation, payer contracting difficulties, and financial, licensing, regulatory, and accreditation challenges.
D2’s main goals are to increase profitability, lower risk, and boost sales. Because of this, its pharmacy professionals have created an integrated strategy to assist customers in identifying gaps and opportunities throughout their business or network.
Responsibilities as CEO
It is Mr. Erhardt’s responsibility is to make sure that his employees have the necessary resources, such as personnel, technology, or both, to successfully solve problems for additional clients. His primary focus, however, is to listen to clients, customers and the industry. Mr. Erhardt claims that listening to customers is the one thing that really drives D2’s business and technology forward. He states, “Our solutions are non-disruptive to our existing client’s workflow. It enables them to be able to address the functions, budgetary constraints, labor shortage and other issues and to better drive outcomes in their business.”
Establishing a Culture of Innovation
A culture of creativity has been created by D2 Solutions. Mr. Erhardt states, “You know, our senior staff is really tasked with working with their teams to be able to come back and be able to solve market problems through technological advances.” He continues by saying that Facebook and Twitter aren’t constrained by legacy systems if one takes a second look at them. According to Mr. Erhardt, many of the company’s clients are hospitals and pharmacies, and they are heavily burdened by legacy systems. D2 technology is structured to enable these entities to bet more efficient without the need to disrupt these legacy systems
D2 Solutions is really focused on API and connectivity and becoming a solution provider for its clients that effectively allows them to work in the cloud and then push information in and out of their system. Mr. Erhardt shares, “What we’re really hearing today is about the change in the environment regarding the availability of workers — not enough personnel to be available, about inflationary wages and how it’s becoming more and more costly to be able to provide or hire people that can provide support. The situation is accelerating the need for technology-based solutions that can drive efficiency.” D2 Solutions helps clients augment real people with technology to drive efficiency and effectiveness while still enabling the feel of that personal touch.
Client Satisfaction is True Motivation
Dean’s drive as a company leader comes from the fulfillment of being able to look at a customer and know that you are making a difference in their business and in their life. In certain circumstances, D2 Solutions has assisted customers in evolving their business — from not profitable to profitable, assisting them in running their businesses more effectively, taking better care of their patients, and setting them up to find fulfillment in the process. He states, “The value we’re bringing to our customers is really what motivates me.”
Dean believes that constant communication is the key to inspiring workers. As a result, D2’s team members are fully incorporated into the discussions at the company’s daily and weekly meetings. He states, “Trying to solve client problems while moving our business forward requires the need to over communicate. Whether it be clients or your employees, you have to take a look at your employees as if they are internal customers as well.”
As a result, as an organization, it’s a constant struggle for management to find ways to not just hear what employees have to say but also to help them know that their input is of the highest value. He asserts, “Engaged employees are at the center of being able to push the organization forward.”
Find the Solution that is Required Widely
The first step on the path to being a successful leader is to challenge yourself to continually seek out and stay abreast of the next question that needs to be answered.
Dean believes that the best strategy is to simply keep challenging yourself and asking questions. He thinks that there is always a solution if one asks enough questions to get to the essential factors, the who, what when, where and how. And that’s often how they begin the dialogue when businesses are dealing with new clients or new problems. What precisely are they seeking to solve? He states, “Once we understand what we’re trying to solve, then we can work our way into what is a solution that works.”
Visioning to Solve Real World Challenges
Dean’s goal for the business is to establish itself as a leading innovator combining consulting and technology solutions. Today’s real-world issues include wage inflation, efficiencies, and margin. D2’s ability to smoothly integrate technology-based solutions into client workflows and legacy systems is an innovation-driven approach that will continue to fuel their value and growth.
Written by Steve Sanchez.
