With the onset of the pandemic, Medidata, a premier American software-as-a-service (SaaS) developer of clinical trial software, faced a sudden surge in demand for mobile health and biomarker devices. The demand came from pharma organizations and contract research organizations (CROs) gearing up to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, our client needed to scale up and manage their device delivery network.
Having acquired emergency authorization as an essential business, Medidata sought a partner to deliver devices faster with better outcomes to locations worldwide. Because they had collaborated successfully with HCLTech since 2006, we were recruited to configure and support scaled-up hardware provisioning and improve customer satisfaction.
The Challenge
Addressing the demand spike for clinical trial global logistics and support solutions
Medidata required an operational module for the global distribution of mobile devices that pharma companies issue to clinical trial patient participants. They also needed to enable their pharma customers to conduct clinical trials remotely and securely.
These requirements presented the following challenges:
- Engaging a vendor with an established global footprint to configure and ship clinical trial equipment to match the soaring demand
- Configuring and locking the devices so they can be used only for their intended purpose
- Adherence to rapid turnaround, which required product delivery channels to operate seamlessly
The Objective
To deliver configured devices for use in hybrid and decentralized clinical trials
In collaboration with Medidata, HCLTech determined the best course: A delivery center solution that enabled swift, robust and highly scalable delivery that met the end-client clinical trial timelines.
The client wanted to accomplish the following goals:
- Create a mobile device management (MDM) environment to enroll the devices
- Install the required data collection software on the devices
- Ship the devices to all customer clinical trial sites
The Solution
A robust global delivery model that expands hardware provisioning capabilities
At the peak of the pandemic in July 2020, our life sciences and healthcare (LSH) team partnered with Medidata to supply mobile and wearable devices to 79 countries from the client's delivery centers in China, Bulgaria and the US.
Our team also provided support in the following ways:
- Added three delivery centers in India, Japan and Brazil to make provisioning more flexible and scalable; an HCLTech export manager handles all import or export requirements
- Supported MDM engineering, device provisioning and clinical trial dashboard reporting
- Deployed an automated device provisioning portal so that users can submit requests for devices, accessories and returns quickly, and the client can also fulfill these requests promptly
- Leveraged its core-flex dedicated staffing model to address the requirements of global expansion and quick ramp-ups by focusing on parameters such as staffing models, hiring forecasts, delivery center models, lead times and inventories
- Enrolled devices in the MDM environment to ensure that devices are locked to their intended purpose
- Configured and securely installed the client's applications on mobile devices before shipping
- Established quality assurance procedures to ensure quality and data integrity
The Impact
Streamlined ordering, a dramatic increase in distribution capacity and high customer satisfaction
Our LSH team delivered the requirements of the global ramp-up in less than three months, contributing to the speedy development of COVID-19 vaccines. We also ensured on-time performance, quality metrics and adherence to approved SOPs.
The client realized the positive impacts:
- A streamlined order process
- Devices were securely locked, so patient participants used them only for their intended purpose
- A dramatic increase in device distribution capacity — from 1,500 per month to more than 10,000 per month
- Exceptional customer satisfaction metrics, reflecting the fact that more than 99.6% of devices were delivered within SLA timelines, several points higher than the 90% target
As a steady-state partner with a global footprint, HCLTech was a crucial collaborator in helping Medidata tackle the global pandemic at its peak. The client was pleased with our solution and its tangible business benefits, extending their contract with us for an additional three years.
We are now discussing the next steps to automate Medidata's entire hardware provisioning value chain and a potential partnership between HCLTech and the client to provide various services to other pharmaceutical companies.
