60% of R&D Managers Unable to Compile Data Effectively for R&D Collaboration

Time and Resources Wasted Searching for Relevant R&D Data, Resulting in Duplicated Research and Potential Loss of Intellectual Property

Guildford, UK, and Burlington, Mass., October 26, 2011 - IDBS, a global provider of innovative data management, analytics and modeling solutions, today announced survey findings that show 60% of R&D organizations lack the adequate systems or practices to automatically collect data for reporting, analysis and decision making. Most organizations are drowning in data, caused by a fragmented IT infrastructure and inadequate methods for storing and managing enterprise R&D information.

Effective collaboration requires individuals and organizations to share data transparently, securely and with context. The survey found that today’s researchers still rely on manual processes and non-scientific applications, such as Microsoft Office®, for report production, and are unable to compile data without manually searching through documents and reports. The task is particularly difficult in Defense & Aerospace, Manufacturing & Engineering, Energy & Utility, and Academia & Government sectors.

These findings are from a survey of 682 R&D professionals completed during July 2011, in conjunction with Scientific Computing, R&D Magazine and Drug Discovery & Development. The survey uncovered the key challenges organizations are facing in the quest for R&D collaboration, intellectual property (IP) protection, and effective data management.

"Compiling data and producing reports are basic requirements in any organization, particularly those that rely on research and development to foster innovation and improve competitiveness, but there is an assumption that IT has already solved this problem," said Chris Molloy, VP of Business Development, at IDBS. "The survey shows this is not the case. Now more than ever there is a strong need for enterprise-level data management systems that enable users to collect, store, search, share and analyze information and make it readily accessible to multiple layers of users within an organization."

57% of respondents across all R&D sectors are using a fragmented set of legacy in-house solutions to manage R&D data. These siloed data and niche applications must be maintained or upgraded on an ongoing basis, causing a burden on the business and the IT support staff, and creating more work for scientists who struggle to manage data for consistency within their research and effectively collaborate with colleagues.

The survey also found that fewer than 25% of responding organizations have deployed critical foundation technologies such as knowledge management (KM), electronic laboratory notebook (ELN), laboratory information management systems (LIMS) or product lifecycle management (PLM) systems. This creates serious barriers to effectively manage IP from early research through to commercialization. 

View the IDBS data management blog to discover more survey findings as well as the IDBS interpretation of the results.

To discover what winning companies such as Roche, Selventa, and Total Petrochemicals are doing to streamline data capture, improve collaboration, and maximize innovation, attend one of our R&D Informatics: Strategies for 2012 seminars in Frankfurt, Boston, or Paris, or register for the November 17 webinar here http://bit.ly/2012webinar.

About IDBS

IDBS is a global provider of innovative enterprise data management, analytics and modeling solutions. The company’s uniquely sophisticated platform technologies are used by more than 200 pharmaceutical companies, major healthcare providers, global leaders in academic study, and high tech companies to increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve the productivity of industrial R&D and clinical research. IDBS is clearly differentiated by its unique combination of award-winning enterprise technologies and domain knowledge in R&D.

IDBS’ solutions help scientists, hospitals and R&D businesses produce the world’s newest therapeutics, diagnostics and personalized treatments, high-tech materials and consumer products, faster, cleaner engines and fuels, breakthroughs in productive agriculture, healthy, safer food products, and high tech materials and products.

Founded in 1989 and privately held, IDBS is headquartered in Guildford, UK with a direct sales and support presence worldwide. IDBS is a 2010 Profit Track 100 company and the recipient of multiple awards including the Frost and Sullivan 'Enabling Technology' Award in R&D data management for 2010 and Queen's Award for International Trade 2011. For regular updates follow us on Twitter @IDBSsoftware

For media enquiries, please contact:

Danielle Guinebertiere, IDBS Communications Director
Tel: +1 908 429 2933
Email: dguinebertiere@idbs.com