A Perfect Information Technology Consulting Firm For A Biotech Company: 7 Signs

Small and medium-sized biotech companies do not have the financial resources that their larger pharmaceutical counterparts do. This means that they must be even smarter in the way they spend. Larger companies have deeper pockets for their projects, while biotech startups and midsize companies must find investors if they do not have enough R&D budget. Therefore, due to budget constraints, small and medium-sized companies biotech must find creative ways to use their limited resources while growing their business. The most effective way to do this is to make sure that the company you are hiring is an excellent long-term option. When looking for an information technology company to hire, biotech companies should look for seven main signs.

An information technology consulting company that truly understands and accepts the needs of its biotech clients must have the experience and knowledge to serve the biotech industry. We believe there are seven characteristics that a successful IT partner must have:

1. They must have an understanding of the biotechnology industry and the specific needs that may arise, such as regulatory requirements, clinical trial needs, GMP standards, HIPAA (in some cases), FDA compliance, ISO certifications, secrecy protections business, supplier relationships with proprietary laboratory equipment manufacturers, etc.

2. They must have leadership experience and many years of industry experience (more than 10 is a good number). They should be able to work with C-level executives, as well as line workers, so that they understand the needs on the front line, as well as the needs of a growing business at a high level.

3. They must be responsive and agile. In the biotech industry, innovation is key and getting to market faster means reaching profitability sooner and therefore less need for additional rounds of funding. In other words, an agile response equates to saving time and money.

4. They must work closely and strategically with the company. They shouldn’t just be on-call techs who come and fix things without seeing the big picture. There are two distinct needs within each biotech company: administrative and research. Therefore, technicians must be able to keep computers running for administrative purposes, but they must also be technologically strategic enough to leverage their knowledge of technology to generate profit; thus allowing your customers to increase productivity, lower costs and get to market faster.

5. An information technology company that has the best interests of its customers in mind will constantly be thinking about cost savings. Based on their years of experience, a veteran IT firm will have several methods on how to reduce or even eliminate additional costs related to equipment, labor, or time for their client. Therefore, by choosing an IT money saving expert, the customer will be able to save on expenses.

6. An efficient IT company knows how to find creative solutions to a current network problem a customer may have and can even foresee related problems in the future and prevent them from happening.

7. An information technology company that is familiar with the nuances associated with proprietary laboratory equipment is able to understand that they are manufactured differently and unique in their operation. For example, some are standalone drives, some operate in an Active Directory domain environment, some operate in a quasi-domain environment, and some come with very lax security protection that should be addressed. The IT company will also understand that they all require careful security reviews and possibly security changes to integrate it into the company network.

As the owner of an information technology consulting company in San Diego, I have had the opportunity to work with several biotech companies based in San Diego. Many times, the pains and needs that they share with me are very similar. After all, everyone is racing to get their products to market sooner, they want it done right the first time and profitably. Some say that with this economy we have to do more with less. I say, you should do more with less, always!

Being well versed in the biotech industry does not give the IT consulting firm a license to overcharge its biotech clients. A good IT partner will have good human resource management on their team to properly allocate the necessary resources when that experience is required on a project.

An IT company that is dedicated to its customers establishes a relationship with them that is more of a partnership. Rather than labeling the client as just another account, an information technology consulting company that truly cares about its clients’ best interests goes the extra mile for them. Here in San Diego, we once received a call from a customer who had a problem with his laptop. He couldn’t make it work and had an important presentation to make at an executive meeting. We take your laptop, fix it for you, and deliver it to your meeting just in time. Our client was very satisfied and so were we.

The perfect information technology partner for a technology, research and development-oriented company is one that can take advantage of information technologies and help its clients move agilely with the market, bring their products to market sooner and, most importantly, do more with less.