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Independent Review of Pharmaceutical Software

 

Dedicated to bringing you objective choices and evaluation of Pharmaceutical Software

 

PharmOut Information Technology offers an object review of software choices facing a Pharmaceutical Professional. With a large variety of software products available that are either designed or targeted at the Life Sciences industry, there are likely to be numerous products or suites that will closely match your requirements.

When reviewing each software solution, it is important to consider the following key factors:

 

 

 

If you are experienced in using one of the software packages listed below and would like to rate the product while sharing your comments and experiences with other visitors, please submit a comments form at the base of this page.

 

 

Purchasing Advice

 

Ease of Use/Intuitiveness of Software

 

 

The intuitiveness and ease of use of the software is arguably the most important aspect. Not everyone is an  Information Technology expert and many people are still not comfortable using computers. If people are unable to easily adapt to the software then they will become frustrated and it is unlikely that they will use it with confidence and make full use of the functionality available and for which you have paid for!

When evaluating a software product, canvas opinions from a wide range of potential users and invite the them to demonstrations. Don't just rely on Information Technology personnel, also include a number of people who understand your business processes and are everyday users. It is their opinion which is most important and can evaluate if they could use the software without assistance after initial training. Remember, it is the everyday users who will be using the software not the  Information Technology department. Software that is not intuitive will result in decreased productivity.

 

Functional Capabilities of Software

 

 

Functionality and usability go hand in hand. When reviewing the software evaluate them against your functional and user requirement specifications. Not every software package can do everything but ensure that Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) the majority of your requirements have been met. Subsequently, evaluate which packages can be configured easily to do the rest.

 

Again, it is important to canvas opinions from a wide range of potential users and invite them to the various demonstrations. Including those who understand your business processes is key to evaluating how the product functionality has been implemented and if it can be matched with the processes employed by your organisation. The software may do everything you can imagine but if you need to find laborious workarounds to achieve your everyday tasks and objectives the the software is going to be more costly in the longer term. 

 

 

Integration of Software with Existing Systems/Other Software Modules

 

The importance of integrating the software with your other key software and operating systems should never be underestimated. The inability of some software to integrate with other systems and software may make it cheaper, but the workarounds in you’ll need to put in place by lengthening processes and purchasing additional software to make it work could become costly.

 

Preferably, the software should have an open API (Application Programming Interface) to allow it to freely exchange information with other software systems, i.e. connect your QMS system to your ERP system.

 

Additionally, if you are buying a software component which forms part of a larger suite of products, then ensure that the software can easily be connected to the other suite modules at a later stage. It is important to question how different modules in a suite are integrated to each other. Often various modules share common components, database tables etc. and any configurations/customisations that you have made to the system may potentially be affected. This can subsequently result in costly additional validation or in a worse case scenario, corrupt your data!

 

 

Implementation and System Maintenance

 

 

Implementation and System Maintenance Costs could be a significant portion of the overall costs. .

 

 

Purchase and Support Costs

 

 

Cost is probably the ruling factor of your decision. It might be less of a factor than you realize, especially if you are relatively new to software purchasing. Depending on your needs, you may find that bargain basement software does the trick for you. Of course, for larger corporations with bigger demands, it may be necessary to pay top dollar for the most robust, effective software.

 

When receiving quotations for software packages ensure that they include all of the costs associated with the initial capital purchase of the software package as this may not be clear when you first begin the vendor selection process. The main costs to consider are product Licences (are they a one off purchase or require renewal), warranty and maintenance agreements, implementation, validation and training services. 

 

Maintenance and other ongoing costs are related to the above, and they may be difficult to assess. It is a good idea to talk to others who have purchased the software, gather opinions like those expressed on this site, etc. Find out if the software has caused any expensive problems or whether it has been difficult to maintain. Some software packages initially reasonable are expensive in the long term.

 

Remember to read the small print in the service agreement. A lot of companies will provide different levels of support agreements so it is important to know what you are paying for and don't get caught out. The agreements will define the frequency and availability of key support requirements such as the release of patches, product and feature upgrades, technical support etc.

 

Also be aware of any customisations to the software you may wish to make. Most OTS solutions are configurable to meet any users process. However, if you wish to customise the software, i.e. make changes to the programming code, then this is going to be expensive and consume a large proportion of your maintenance budget.

 

A cost often forgotten is the hardware required to run the software. Investigate if new equipment such as servers or PC's are required and if the equipment currently within your organisation meets the defined requirements.

 

Effective Product Demonstrations

 

 

Demonstrations/Trials of the software are ideal and commonplace. An effective demonstration is a deciding factor when deciding if a product matches your requirements. If the company you are dealing with does not allow you to try out their software or is unwilling to provide a demonstration, this may indicate they have something to hide or they are simply amateurs. Its still worth your while to investigate the software before you submit to a trial as the trial is going to cost time.

 

When being given a demonstration of the product evaluate how much of the presentation was a marketing blitz vs seeing the product working in order to evaluate the look and feel. Most product presentations will consist of a slide show with details and screenshots of the functionality followed by a demonstration. If the overall presentation consists predominantly of the former then again question why you are not being allowed to see the product. Stop the sales representative and ask them to jump straight to the demonstration.

 

Remember that slide shows usually contain information that is freely available from the vendors website. If you have conducted thorough research into a product then you should already be aware of the information being presented to you.

 

Finally, always ask lots of questions. The detail and clarity of the answers will indicate if the product can do what it says on the box!

 

 

Hardware Requirements

 

 

As mentioned above, a cost often forgotten is the hardware required to run the software. Ensure that you investigate if new  Information Technology equipment such as servers or PC's are required and if the equipment currently within your organisation meets the defined requirements or requires upgrading.

 

 

The comments in this site are human verified, if you leave a legitimate email address and your comments, if relevant to our readers it will be included in the site.

E-mail:- info@pharmoutit.com