Issue 01 ·
Before the launch plan, map the buying decision
By US Health Strategy Group · Editorial analysis
A useful launch plan begins with a clear account of who will use the technology, who can authorize the purchase and what each person needs to decide.
A commercial plan can name a market, a channel and a launch date without identifying who can approve the first purchase. A clinician may see a useful application while another person controls the budget, an operating team owns implementation and procurement sets the contracting process. Those roles can overlap. They should be verified for the intended account.
Why the buying decision comes first
USHSG’s editorial recommendation is to start with one care setting, one use case and one purchasing decision. Map the people and requirements around that decision before turning assumptions into a sales plan. This is a planning method, not a prediction of adoption.
The question is more specific than “Who is our customer?” Ask who experiences the problem, who evaluates the proposed change, who pays and who is responsible after implementation. Include the people affected by a change in workflow, even when they do not sign the contract.
What the map needs to show
Keep regulatory status, clinical evidence, coverage and the purchasing process as distinct questions. For medical devices, FDA distinguishes 510(k) clearance from PMA approval. Establishment registration and device listing do not establish approval, clearance or authorization. Record the actual product status and intended use.
Coverage, coding and payment also need separate verification. CMS explains that Medicare coverage generally requires an applicable benefit category, no statutory exclusion and meeting its reasonable-and-necessary criteria. A national coverage determination does not itself assign a code or establish a payment amount. Identify the relevant payer, setting and coverage questions for qualified review.
Use a working map like this. These are roles to investigate, not a universal hospital organization chart.
| Role | Question to verify | Record to build |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical or service sponsor | What problem and evidence matter here? | Use case and evidence questions |
| Operational owner | What must change in the workflow? | Implementation needs and dependencies |
| Budget owner | Which budget and approval process apply? | Funding assumptions and decision criteria |
| Procurement or contracting lead | What review and purchasing steps are required? | Requirements, owners and timing |
How to build the first version
- Define the decision. Write one sentence describing the account, use case and decision you need to understand. Keep an early assessment separate from an agreement to purchase or conduct a pilot.
- Separate evidence from assumptions. For each role, record what you know, its source and date, and what remains unverified. Use approved product records, applicable payer materials and permitted account research.
- Ask focused questions. Test the map with people who understand the setting. Keep independent expert questions, compensation and permissions documented. Advisory input should preserve disagreement and uncertainty.
- Assign the next action. Give each unresolved requirement an owner and a review point. Then decide whether the next deliverable is an evidence assessment, a buyer map, an RFP package or a launch plan.
Carry the same discipline into the message. The FTC’s health-products guidance says advertising must be truthful, avoid misleading impressions and have adequate support for objective claims before publication. Document the evidence and its limits before using a claim in sales materials.
The first deliverable
Leave with a one-page decision map, a source log and a short list of unanswered questions. That gives the team something to review before committing resources. The launch plan can then name its dependencies and the decisions still required.
USHSG offers buyer and decision-maker mapping as a defined commercial scope. Independent advisory and partner operating work remain separately scoped.