Is outsourcing clinical trial services a smart strategy or a risky gamble? The answer depends on how you approach it. This topic was particularly highlighted for me during the Outsourcing in Clinical Trials East Coast conference, which took place at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The event featured insightful presentations and engaging discussions on various topics, including the role of AI in clinical research, diversity, and key factors to consider when selecting CRO and vendor partnerships.
Interestingly, it was the casino setting that inspired a unique perspective on the risks and rewards associated with outsourcing. There are notable parallels between gambling and clinical trials. Although I no longer play, I do have plenty of experience in both areas.
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The definition of gambling includes the words “risk” and “chance.” You take a risk for a chance at something of higher value or importance. For a seasoned gambler, it’s about finding games with the best odds (or chances) of winning. It’s also about finding games where a person’s skill helps reduce the risks. For example, there is no skill involved when using slot machines. You pull a lever or press a button, and the machine decides whether you win or lose. On the other hand, when playing the card game Texas Hold’em, someone with a strong and skillful understanding of the game has a distinct advantage over someone new to it.
How does this relate to outsourcing clinical research services? Let’s say the game is roulette, and instead of a bunch of numbers, each slot represents a specific task or vendor.
The risks and rewards of outsourcing clinical research services
To ensure all clinical research startup activities are covered in this exercise, a bet must be placed on each slot (which can be expensive). Each spin results in one service slot accomplished while the other slots wait for the next spin. Finally, after so many spins, all service slots are finally covered. But how long did it take, and at what cost? What could have been done to reduce the number of spins and cost?
When at a casino playing roulette, you’re not allowed to combine slots into a single bet. However, when playing Clinical Research Roulette, combining service slots helps reduce the risks of timeline delays and costs.
Managing different suppliers for each clinical trial service results in numerous meetings, contracts, and timelines, which makes study management highly complex. The failure to identify, plan for, and synchronize these separate services can lead to unexpected delays and headaches.
Interconnectedness of each clinical research roulette slot
The interconnected nature of the individual components of clinical trials means that each element impacts the others. The way authors write materials affects how easily and precisely they can be translated. Writing clinical trial content with translation in mind proactively ensures the source text is clear and easy to read, making the translation process more efficient. Next comes formatting, layout, and printing. All of these require seamless communication and the transfer of files back and forth with multiple independent vendors. This takes a lot of management time and vigilant version control.
Medical kitting, ancillary supplies, and equipment are on the clinical research roulette wheel as well. Complex supply and resupply schedules must be managed across multiple manufacturing and distributor partners and time zones. Having an ancillary supplies partner that differs from an equipment partner and may also differ from a kitting partner means that you must have a central platform to manage, view, and report on all these disparate pieces.
Outsourcing consolidation
Managing different suppliers for each clinical trial service adds complexity and increases the risk of miscommunication and delays. A single-vendor solution reduces those risks by streamlining workflows and centralizing control.
When multiple services are managed together—from content creation to supply management—study teams gain visibility, efficiency, and the ability to respond quickly to changing needs. This foundation supports a more integrated, proactive approach to clinical trial execution.
Make outsourcing clinical research services a strategic advantage
Vendor consolidation goes beyond simplification; it provides control. When clinical trial services operate within a single workstream, study teams enjoy clearer communication, fewer delays, and a more predictable path to execution.
Imperial Clinical Research Services employs this approach and acts as an extension of your study team by integrating key services commonly handled by separate vendors. Imperial combines content creation, design and layout, optimized translation, and printing into a single workflow designed for global deployment. The same unified coordination applies to ancillary supplies, medical equipment, and kitting. This approach ensures that inventory levels, packaging, and resupply plans align from the start.
Managing these services under one roof with a single project lead tightens timelines, smooths handoffs, and simplifies quality maintenance. With warehousing, international shipping, and logistics support integrated into the process, we eliminate surprises and provide study managers with end-to-end visibility into supply chain readiness.
By managing these interdependent services together, Imperial provides sponsors with the control, speed, and clarity needed to navigate complexity and keep clinical trials on track. This integrated approach helps ensure that the real winner is the study itself. Visit our website or contact us for more information.
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What strategies have you used when working with clinical trial vendors? Share your thoughts, questions, or experiences with a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.
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