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From 90-10 dominance to 60-40 rebalancing: the new power dynamic in pharma CRM 

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Pharma Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is no longer a winner-takes-all market. For years, pharma CRM decisions were relatively straightforward, not because enterprises lacked strategic intent, but because the market offered limited real choice. That is now changing. 

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, pharma leaders have been rethinking the role of CRM itself. What was once viewed as a system of record is increasingly expected to function as a system of engagement, one that supports evolving commercial models, integrates seamlessly across the enterprise, and enables more personalized, data-driven interactions. Even when the market appeared stable, pharma leaders were already reassessing platform dependence and long-term architectural flexibility. As buy-side expectations evolved, the dynamics in the supply-side reshaped the CRM ecosystem, as we examined in: Veeva and Salesforce parting ways, Salesforce acquiring IQVIA’s OCE, and the launch of Life Sciences Cloud.  

Today, the pharma industry is at an inflection point where the leaders are actively reassessing long-standing platform choices and asking a more fundamental question: What should our future CRM look like, and which platform is best positioned to deliver that vision?  

Reach out to discuss this topic in depth. 

We spoke with CRM decision-makers across the top 30 pharma organizations. While all parameters are considered, their influence on final decision-making varies when evaluating between Veeva and Salesforce. We evaluated how pharma organizations prioritize CRM selection criteria. Exhibit 1 ranks these decision-making parameters by relative influence, highlighting which factors truly shape platform choice.  

Exhibit 1: What matters most in pharma CRM platform decisions 

The ranking reveals a clear pattern: foundational capabilities such as compliance, usability, and integration continue to outweigh emerging differentiators like Artificial Intelligence (AI). This gap between narrative and decision reality is shaping how Veeva and Salesforce are evaluated in the market. 

One insight stands out: AI maturity ranks ninth in decision influence. Despite the broader industry narrative around AI-led transformation, it remains more of a good to have than a decisive factor in core CRM selection. This is particularly evident given the rise of niche technology providers addressing AI-led whitespace opportunities around incumbent CRM platforms. 

Building on this prioritization, we assessed how Veeva and Salesforce perform across these decision-making parameters. Exhibit 2 reveals a clear pattern: while Salesforce differentiates on AI and ecosystem capabilities, Veeva continues to lead on high-influence, core decision drivers, resulting in a market defined more by competitive proximity than clear displacement.  

Exhibit 2: Comparative assessment of Veeva and Salesforce across CRM selection criteria 

A few themes stand out: 

  • Salesforce differentiators: Maturity of Artificial Intelligence (AI) recommendations, partner ecosystem, and third-party integrations stand out for Salesforce, compared to Veeva. However, the influence of these parameters on CRM decision-making remains limited 
  • Level playing field: Enterprises rated Veeva only slightly ahead of Salesforce in several high-influence parameters. Targeted interventions across market messaging, partnerships, and product capabilities could help Salesforce close this perception gap or allow Veeva to extend its lead 
  • Veeva differentiators: Regulatory compliance and intuitive User Interface (UI) / User Experience (UX) stand out for Veeva, with Salesforce trailing significantly. Both are critical decision-making parameters 

Thirteen of the top 20 pharma companies have finalized their CRM platform decisions, indicating a 55:45 win ratio between Veeva and Salesforce. This marks a clear shift from the pre-separation landscape, where Veeva held ~90% market share. Based on current momentum and decision drivers, we expect the overall pharma market share to converge toward a 60-40 split between Veeva and Salesforce.  

This is not displacement. It is structural rebalancing. 

Rise of the dual-platform strategy 

A 60-40 split does not imply displacement but rebalancing in most instances. Pharma increasingly views the future as one along with the other rather than one versus the other. Nearly 50% of pharma leaders indicate a preference for a Veeva + Salesforce model. The most important signal from this research is not who is winning individual deals, but how enterprises are thinking about architecture. 

Dual-platform environments are no longer transitional states; they are deliberate strategies. Pharma is no longer asking: 

Which platform replaces the other? 

They are asking: 

Where does each platform create the most strategic advantage? 

That shift moves the conversation from vendor rivalry to capability positioning. It fundamentally changes how both providers must compete, not just against each other, but within a shared enterprise footprint. 

Questions both leaders must answer 

For Veeva: 

  • How does it extend its regulatory and domain leadership without being perceived solely as a compliance-first platform? 
  • Can it widen its advantage in high-influence parameters, such as ease of platform customization, enterprise integration, and third-party ecosystem connectivity, before Salesforce meaningfully narrows perception gaps? 

For Salesforce: 

  • How does it translate AI maturity and ecosystem scale into deeper life sciences credibility? 
  • Can it close the perception delta in regulatory depth and pharma-specific UX, two parameters that continue to heavily influence enterprise decisions? 

The next phase will not be won through incremental feature releases. It will be won through narrative clarity, targeted partnerships, and decisive capability investments aligned with evolving enterprise priorities.  

We are beginning to see both Veeva and Salesforce move in this direction through different approaches: Veeva with its AI partner program enabling ecosystem-led innovation, and Salesforce through deeper investments in patient services and clinical capabilities to strengthen its life sciences positioning. However, these moves have yet to translate into measurable market impact. 

The dominance era is behind us. The rebalancing era is underway. In a 60-40 market, competitive strategy becomes far more deliberate than it ever was in a 90-10 world. 

If you enjoyed this blog, check out, Enterprise AI is only as good as its data: Salesforce just proved it  – Everest Group Research Portal, which delves deeper into another topic relating to Salesforce. 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss these topics in more detail, feel free to Durga Ambati. ([email protected]).