Enabling Outstanding Program Management As A Competitive Advantage For Life Sciences Companies

By William Tamulymas, Implementation Consultant, Sikich

When life sciences businesses engage with contract research organizations (CRO) to perform pre-clinical testing and other scientific work, millions of dollars can be committed to contracts. Typically, research performed under contract terms comprises multiple projects which are part of larger, longer-running programs. Setting up, operating, and tracking programs and the management of the business relationships with the CROs involved are business-critical, highly consequential activities.

Too many times, neither life sciences executives nor program and business managers have the right level of visibility. Given that CRO and program management are areas of the business on which auditors like to focus, limited transparency results in the high risk of unsatisfactory audits and penalties.