You Don’t Have To Go It Alone

virtual IT environmentAs businesses evolve, they often face challenges they aren’t fully equipped to handle. If your business is relocating to a larger facility, is migrating from a physical IT environment to a virtual IT environment, or you have a product entering the drug approval stage, you may not have the expertise on staff to navigate the implementation – and completion – of these changes.

It’s tempting to put transitional events onto the plates of existing staff. But, let’s face it, most departments are already understaffed. For example, your internal IT team handles core business processes like onboarding new employees, data security, compliance and day-to-day help desk issues. They generally do not have enough capacity to implement and manage the additional challenges presented by large or specialized projects.

Information technology is an area often reinforced during transitions that require senior IT professionals that companies commonly don’t possess. They also hesitate to bring on board permanent staff for projects since the hiring process can take months to complete. Life science companies instead often hire an IT partner to guide them through transitional events like the drug approval process, since they have the necessary expertise and experience required to make the project a success.

It takes an average of 12 years and expenses of over $350 million per drug to research, develop and get to market. This means life science companies make huge investments in each drug they develop. Only 1 in 1,000 drugs developed actually make it to trial testing, let alone to the pharmacy shelf. This low success rate makes it extremely important for companies to support the drug at every step of the process to give it the best chance for FDA approval. This means bringing on more expertise during the drug trial process to further strengthen chances of approval.

Logically, life science IT leaders hire a third-party IT partner with the experience and expertise to guide them through transitions. The IT partner must be trusted, cost effective and have the ability to meet stringent deadlines.

Protocol Networks specializes in helping companies through unique events like an FDA drug approval, facilities expansions and other growth activities. As a change agent, Protocol Networks has encountered and facilitated these kinds of situations many times.

Selecting the right IT provider is critical to successfully making these transitions. Here are the top 4 considerations when hiring an IT partner:

  1. Cost effectiveness – Whether you’re deciding where to go to dinner or which car to buy, the first consideration is cost. Hiring senior IT professionals temporarily for the life of the project provides you with the expertise and experience needed without long-term expense.
  2. Strategic direction – Your IT partner should go beyond tactical solutions to identifying strategies to propel the project (and your organization) forward. A good partner won’t just make sure your infrastructure is up to date; they will also ensure that it is capable of supporting your organization through upgrades, physical to virtual migrations, and even global expansion.
  3. Experience – Your expertise is life science technology; your IT partner’s strengths need to complement yours. Let’s say your active directory needs updating, and you’ve never done it before. You need an IT partner who has upgraded directories many times. More to the point – you have one shot to get this drug approved so a partner who has been through the process many times is who you need on your team.
  4. Working relationship – Speaking of teams, you need to know who you’re in the foxhole with. Hiring a trusted, third-party to come in and help your company get through an important transition is essential for a smooth process. Protocol Networks listens to your needs and works with you to identify the best solutions for your situation instead of just applying a standard template.

Protocol Networks is a true partner who will expertly guide you through transition events like moving or getting new products approved and will coach you about how to effectively convey information to the C-suite. Let us know if you are interested in drawing upon Protocol Networks’ extensive resources: online or call 877.676.0146