14 hidden IT costs of Veeva and Salesforce

Life sciences organizations implement CRMs like Veeva or Salesforce—only to be unpleasantly surprised by an expensive hidden layer of CRM IT costs and complexity issues. From fragmented data environments to redundant tools and middleware, Veeva and Salesforce platforms require significant infrastructure investments in a Microsoft environment that strain IT budgets and resources.

But what if your CRM worked with your existing Microsoft environment instead of against it? That’s where Exeevo comes in—as the only Microsoft life sciences partner offering a native, unified CRM solution purpose-built for the industry.

Download chart

Compare Veeva/Salesforce vs Exeevo/Microsoft

1. Standalone Data Warehousing and Integration Tools

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: Unifying siloed data across platforms (e.g., analytics, CLM, medical affairs) requires additional spending on separate data lakes or expensive ETL tools.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: Native integration with Microsoft Fabric, Azure Synapse, and Power BI means no need for additional data infrastructure or integration platforms.

2. User Identity and Access Management Complexity

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: It requires additional spending, integration with third-party IAM tools, or manual provisioning across multiple apps.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: Seamlessly leverages Azure Active Directory (AAD) for centralized user and role management—already standard in most enterprise IT environments.

3. Duplicate Licensing for Productivity Tools

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: Life sciences organization use Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams), creating duplication and data silos.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: Fully embedded in Microsoft 365—CRM data integrates directly with Copilot, Outlook, Teams, Excel, and Word, eliminating redundant tools and improving adoption.

4. Fragmented Compliance and Security Layers

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: Requires additional spending on GxP compliance solutions, audit tracking, and data residency management tools.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: Built on Microsoft’s compliance framework with 90+ certifications, including GxP, HIPAA, and GDPR—Exeevo automatically inherits these.

5. Custom Middleware for Workflow Automation

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: Requires additional spending on workflow tools like MuleSoft or Boomi to automate interdepartmental or cross-system processes.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: Utilizes Microsoft Power Automate—already available in Microsoft enterprise licenses—for low-code/no-code automation that’s scalable and governed by IT.

6. Ongoing API Management and Maintenance

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: APIs require constant monitoring, versioning, and security patching—especially when integrating with other enterprise systems.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: API endpoints are managed within Azure API Management—fully governed, scalable, and already part of Microsoft’s trusted infrastructure.

7. New System Training and Onboarding

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: New interfaces, custom workflows, and platform-specific terminology require dedicated training—especially for non-technical users.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: Familiar Microsoft UI and experiences (e.g., Outlook, Teams, SharePoint) drastically reduce onboarding time and training costs.

8. Data Residency and Sovereignty Complexity

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: Customers often need to negotiate or pay for data residency solutions in regulated markets (e.g., EU, China, Canada).
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: This partnership Leverages Microsoft’s global Azure infrastructure, with built-in regional compliance and data residency options already available in enterprise plans.

9. Environment Management (Dev, Test, QA, Prod)

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: Managing sandbox and production environments requires manual replication, version control, and testing frameworks.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: Exeevo uses Microsoft DevOps tooling and GitHub integrations to simplify environment control, CI/CD pipelines, and version management—all of which are standardized with the rest of the IT landscape.

10. Dependency on Proprietary Ecosystems

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: Locked into proprietary ecosystems for app development, integrations, and even partner services.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: Fully open architecture within Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem, giving you access to an enormous partner network, open APIs, and flexibility in tool choice (e.g., Dataverse, Power Platform, Azure Marketplace).

11. Operational Friction Across Teams

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: Users toggle between disjointed apps and interfaces, increasing delays and errors.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: Fully integrated with Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive—reducing context switching and increasing efficiency.

12. Security & Compliance Overhead

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: Security patching, audit prep, and role mapping are often manually managed or outsourced.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: Centralized security and compliance with Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, and 365 Compliance Center.

14. IT Governance Fragmentation

Veeva/Salesforce Impact: IT teams must manage a fragmented tech stack with varying policy controls.
Exeevo/Microsoft Advantage: One governance framework, one security policy, one infrastructure—all Microsoft-native.

While platforms like Veeva and Salesforce appear competitive on the surface, their hidden infrastructure demands tell a different story. Exeevo eliminates these challenges by embedding itself directly into the Microsoft ecosystem—simplifying IT operations, reducing costs, and accelerating value for life sciences companies.

If your IT team is stretched thin or constantly managing CRM workarounds, it’s time to consider a platform that fits seamlessly into your environment. With Exeevo, the infrastructure just works—securely, efficiently, and without surprises.

Go Unified. Choose Exeevo.

Exeevo provides life sciences companies with a scalable, compliant, intelligent platform to unify customer data, automate engagement, and optimize decision-making. By integrating AI-powered insights, next-gen automation, and seamless omnichannel experiences, Exeevo empowers organizations to enhance HCP relationships, improve patient outcomes, and drive commercial success in an increasingly digital and personalized landscape.

Unlike other life sciences CRM platforms, Exeevo is the only Copilot-enabled Microsoft-based solution designed specifically for pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies. It offers seamless integration across the entire Microsoft ecosystem. Built natively on Dynamics 365, Exeevo natively connects with AI, Teams, Power BI, and Office 365. This enables life sciences organizations to leverage their existing Microsoft investments like Copilot while enhancing collaboration, data intelligence, and automation.

This deep integration ensures all teams can access real-time insights, personalize engagement at scale, and streamline workflows without complex third-party add-ons. With AI-driven automation, built-in compliance, and enterprise-grade security, Exeevo delivers a future-ready solution that empowers life sciences companies to transform HCP customer engagement with the power of Microsoft AI and cloud technology.

Don’t settle for disconnected systems—unlock the value you’ve been missing with a demo tailored to your needs. Get in touch today to see how Exeevo can transform your HCP interactions, streamline operations, and future-proof your strategy.