The company ended the year with approximately $33.5 billion of remaining performance obligations, indicating a strong backlog and potential for future revenue recognition. This suggests continued demand for IQVIA's services.

The company has completed and will continue to consider strategic business combinations to enhance capabilities and offerings in certain areas. This indicates a growth strategy focused on expanding service offerings through acquisitions.

The company is expanding its services and technology offerings, such as the development of a cloud-based platform with a growing number of applications to support commercial and clinical operations for life sciences companies. This suggests a focus on innovation and technology-driven growth.

Cash provided by operating activities increased by $567 million, indicating efficient management of working capital and strong operational performance. This demonstrates management's ability to generate cash from its core business activities.

The company has adopted restructuring plans to improve operating efficiency through various means such as reduction of overcapacity, elimination of non-billable support roles or other realignment of resources. This suggests management is actively managing costs and improving operational efficiency.

The company is committed to using AI responsibly, ensuring that AI-powered capabilities are grounded in privacy, regulatory compliance, and patient safety. This indicates a proactive approach to emerging technologies and ethical considerations.

The document emphasizes the importance of data privacy and security, noting that security breaches and unauthorized use of IT systems could expose the company, clients, and data suppliers to risk of loss. This underscores the ongoing threat of cyberattacks and the need for robust security measures.

The company depends on third parties for data and support services, and suppliers might restrict use of or refuse to license data, which could materially and adversely affect operating results and financial condition. This highlights the vulnerability of relying on external data sources.

The company's global operations are subject to international economic, political and other risks that could negatively affect results of operations and financial condition. This includes compliance with various local laws and regulations, which may change unexpectedly.

The biopharmaceutical services industry is highly competitive, and the company's business could be materially impacted if it does not compete effectively or rapidly adapt to technological change. This highlights the need for continuous innovation and adaptation to maintain market share.

Consolidation in the industries in which clients operate may reduce the volume of services purchased by consolidated clients following an acquisition or merger. This suggests the company is exposed to client-side consolidation risks.

The company competes with a broad range of new entrants and start-ups that are looking to bring new technologies and business models to healthcare information services and technology services. This indicates a dynamic competitive landscape.

The company is pursuing business transformation initiatives to update technology, increase innovation and obtain operating efficiencies. Failure to meet productivity objectives could adversely impact competitiveness and harm operating results.

Cost of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, remained relatively consistent as a percentage of revenues in 2024, suggesting stable cost management in relation to revenue generation.

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $61 million, including a constant currency decrease of approximately $33 million, indicating successful cost control measures.

The company is building artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into internal applications and solutions it uses with others, including clients, and expects the use of AI to grow. This signals a commitment to leveraging advanced technologies.

The company provides an extensive range of cloud-based applications and associated implementation services, as well as real world solutions to generate and disseminate evidence in a cost-efficient manner. This indicates a focus on technology-driven solutions.

The company recognizes the evolving need to integrate and structure expanding sources of data, which can only be realized through structuring, organizing and integrating new and existing forms of data in conjunction with sophisticated analytics.

The board increased the stock repurchase authorization by an additional $2 billion, demonstrating a commitment to returning capital to shareholders. This suggests confidence in future cash flow generation.

The company has completed and will continue to consider strategic business combinations to enhance capabilities and offerings in certain areas. This indicates a focus on growth through acquisitions.

The company continues to invest significantly in growth opportunities, including the development and acquisition of new data, technologies and services to meet clients' needs. This signals a commitment to future growth.

The company is committed to sustainable practices that further its corporate mission of accelerating innovation for a healthier world. This is organized under three pillars - People, Public and Planet.

The 2024 Sustainability Report will be aligned with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting frameworks. This indicates a commitment to transparent and standardized sustainability reporting.

The company is committed to maintaining a safe workplace that supports and promotes employees' health and adopts a safety-first mindset. This highlights a focus on employee well-being.

The life sciences industry is a large and critical part of the global healthcare system and, according to the latest information available from the IQVIA Market Prognosis service, is estimated to have generated approximately $1.73 trillion in revenues in 2024. This highlights the overall size of the market.

Spending on pharmaceuticals in emerging markets will expand at a 5% to 8% CAGR through 2029, demonstrating their strategic importance to global life sciences organizations. This signals a growth opportunity in these regions.

Despite expected accelerating growth in the global life sciences market, clients will face increased operating margin pressure due to their changing product mix, pricing and reimbursement challenges, and rising costs of compliance. This underscores the importance of cost-effective solutions.