This week’s must read
Laboratories must meet ever-increasing demands for accuracy and speed of analysis, as well as productivity and flexibility, as well as regulatory and environmental restraints. When people are involved, however, speed, quality, and reliability are especially difficult to harmonize. Automation is one option.
This Week’s Must Read is an insight piece from SPC Consultants on how laboratories have to adapt and prepare for the new digital era of digitization and automation.
Thought Leadership
National payers in Europe are under increasing financial strain, and they want to give access to and fund novel treatments to improve patient care, but they must do so within budget constraints. What efforts are they taking to keep expenses down while preserving care quality?
Many pharma/biotech businesses have been reimagining how to deliver improved patient outcomes with acceptable economic value across a broad spectrum of stakeholders as the healthcare environment continues to advance at a rapid pace.
The hunt for a cure or prevention for COVID-19 has drawn a lot of attention from the government, the media, and the general public, reinforcing the impression that biotech acquisitions and partnerships are a smart investment. Can the industry continue to develop at a rapid pace?
Clinical trials have been virtualized for a long time, but cultural and regulatory hurdles have impeded deployment. With over 1200 clinical studies worldwide being halted owing to the SARs-CoV2 pandemic 1, virtualizing clinical trials has been emphasized for its prospective benefits and opportunities.
This week’s Consulting News
In a field full of worthy opponents, Rivers Agile was named Innovator of the Year: Solutions Provider – Services for 2021. The Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Tech 50 Awards recognize the region’s fastest-growing and most innovative technology businesses, as well as their top executives, on an annual basis.
The team was overjoyed to win the latter after being finalists for both CEO of the Year and Innovator of the Year. | Ben Wilson@Rivers Agile
In the HFS Top 10 for Energy Services1, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) was listed among the top three service providers. TCS came in second place for customer voice, overall execution, and technology usage and development. | Debashis Ghosh@TCS
Booz Allen Hamilton has announced the opening of a new office in Honolulu, Hawaii, to extend the firm’s present footprint in the region and fulfill rising mission demand.
The facility, which is located in First Hawaiian Center, employs 250 people and has a variety of capabilities, including an artificial intelligence (AI) and innovation center. | Amanda Allison-Martini@Booz Allen Hamilton
EY has launched Operating Model Transformation, a tool that assists consumer goods (CP) firms in reshaping their operating models.
Dynamic ecosystems, digital DNA, talent flexibility, innovation platform, and lasting purpose are the five integrated design aspects that the solution is based on to analyze where a firm is in its transformation path and where it needs to go. | Maya Vautier@ EY
This week’s media
Biotechnology has swept through modern life. Biotechnology pervades practically every element of civilization, from its critical involvement in agriculture, health, genetics, immunology, and other scientific and non-science fields, to its critical contributions in the race to discover the COVID-19 vaccine.
Consulting sourcing tips

How to Check the References for Consulting Services the Right Way
When you are looking for a consultant or a consulting firm to help you improve your business, it’s a good idea to check the references provided. References can provide more information about the consultant or firm and can offer insights into the kind of work they have done in the past. In this article, learn the importance of checking references and what questions you need to ask while doing so.

Consultancy Procurement 101: A Beginner’s Guide
This beginner’s guide will help you understand everything you need to know about consultancy procurement. It will give you an overview of the key steps involved in the procurement process and will help you get started on your sourcing journey.

12 Essential elements to include in your consulting agreement
When you launch a project, you can always hope that the consultant will understand your needs. Or you can write down the reasons why you start a project and what results you expect. Writing an RFP is not easy
Previous Weeks’ issues

Supply Chain Insights 2023: Latest Innovations, Technologies and Best Practices | This Week in Consulting
In this issue of This Week in Consulting we explore what supply chain executives can expect in 2023, and in 2030 to make sure that they have a sustainable supply chain.

Revitalizing Through Restructuring: Key Trends to Watch in 2023 | This Week in Consulting
In this issue of This Week in Consulting, we explore how to improve cash management in the time of crisis, the key items in the turnaround toolbox, how to navigate financial headwinds as well as the key actions to take depending on your level of challenge from disrupted to distressed.

Top Boardroom Trends to Watch in 2023 | This Week in Consulting
In this issue of This Week in Consulting, we explore various aspects of corporate governance, and how the boards can play a role on topics such as Cyber security, ESG, Diversity, Data Privacy, and Diversity. We look at not only how to set the direction but also how to measure progress.
Hélène Laffitte is the CEO of Consulting Quest, a Global Performance-Driven Consulting Platform and author of “Smart Consulting Sourcing”, a step by step guide to getting the best ROI from your consulting. With a blend of experience in Procurement and Consulting, Hélène is passionate about helping Companies create more value through Consulting.