2018-10-22
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If you are reading this, then you must have an idea about the important role and have to play in the global quest for safer, quicker, and much more effective data management tools in our modern laboratories and the pharmaceutical industry in general. has long been predicted by articles and technology as far back as the 1990’s as having the futuristic potential to solve data management problems for researchers. This dream is slowly becoming a reality with more and more scientists and organizations welcoming the switch from traditional methods. However, the wide variety of available options today is making the task of choosing the perfect one even more daunting. In fact, a , found 72 active products. And a Delft University of Technology petroleum engineer, in the Netherlands, . Here are FOUR STEPS to help you pick the best suited for you;
Start by asking yourself the following question: ‘What specific problems do I want to solve with an ?’ Experts confirm that the importance of any purchase depends on whether it solves problems and meets stated goals. Therefore, evaluating any without first of all outlining the criteria to be met for a practical choice is the wrong way to go. Such an analysis should cover what you are currently doing and what you are going to do in the future. For example, if you are currently taking notes in a notebook, storing data and performing data analysis in excel. Your specific problems are: 1) You need to get your notes documented and organized, 2) You need a repository to store your data and 3) And you need a customized function to analyze the results. Other things that are good to consider are the type of data to be stored, how it should be stored, the workflow, collaboration facilities, data quality improvement, security, maintenance, scalability, and upgrade potential. All these will help you highlight specific MUST-HAVE features that narrow down your search to vendors more relevant to your needs. Avoid searching for s that directly replace your paper methods and make sure you consider letting technology to drive productivity and collaboration. Also, pay attention to the fact that you need an that can seamlessly support your company’s growth with easy upgrade and uncomplicated additional applications in the future. It is also helpful to read some comments online. .
After settling on a shorter list of potential ’s perfect for your organization, you can move on to utility aspects. Seeing a product in person will facilitate your understanding of how it works and an online demo can provide vendors with the easiest way to show the features to you. The goal of this demo is to further narrow down your list of that could meet your requirements. All the products are different from each other and finding the features you want by yourself could be really difficult. This is also a good time to ask questions. Be sure to tell your vendors what are the MUST-HAVE features, they will emphasize on these features and will let you know directly whether or not such functions are available. Check with your vendors how it could be done if your required function is not available, is it possible to customize, how much will it cost, et.al.
Although a majority of companies have free versions of their software, they always have limitations on the functionalities, the data storage, number of users, etc. However, signing up for a free trial can give you a better sense of what value it adds to your organization or research setup. The free trial period could also present the best time to educate yourself and other members of your team on how to use it. After the trial period, you can then propose the customization of a few more features that will make the even more perfect for you or decide to try out another option on your narrowed list without any extra expenditure.
Succeeding to pick the right can offer a good and fast return on investment. But the price has to be right as well. What you pay should be driven by : - At least 20-30% efficiency improvements - Cost-effectiveness and R&D productivity enhancement by at least 7.5% per user - Potential to improve your intellectual property by 25% Most vendors usually have price plans that are customizable and negotiable. With these in mind, negotiate the price that reflects the best deal for you both and discusses the development of any special features you may need. also provides Pay Per Use options, it allows you to use full functionalities of the without putting in too much budget upfront. If you can’t afford an expensive or , The Pay-Per-Use option is a great option for you to try. Follow this four-step guide and easily get yourself the software that is designed to serve the specific needs of your organization. To learn more, schedule a meeting with Labii representatives () or create an account () to try it out yourself. Yonggan Wu
