Our Mission
We help business and IT leaders to
select the
right IT solutions
for
promising business improvement targets
to meet
well-understood user requirements
from reliable providers
at the
right price and terms,
and to achieve better results with less investment
through well-formulated projects.
What People Say About Us
Pathology Head: "Based on my prior experience, I thought Kendal Tech was crazy to promise we
would capture requirements and reach a consensus vendor selection decision on LIMS for pathology and in-life toxicology
in only eight weeks instead of the six months I expected. But we did it!"
Succcess Story: Accelerated Vendor Selection >>>
Director, Supply Chain Systems: "In behalf of the team, I would like to thank you for your leadership
throughout the RFP process. We appreciate the very satisfying outcome, especially with the short timeline.
Bottom line: your process helped us save over fifty percent on the best solution for us."
Success Story: Vendor Negotiation & Contract Support >>>
Lt. Colonel, US Army: "I cannot thank you enough for the help you provided us in today's strategy workshop.
We now have a focus that was lacking before we met you. I appreciate it. I truly appreciate it.
You are a true Patriot as evidenced by your dedication in support of our mission."
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WHAT WE DO
Our services include
- IT Strategy for a Business Area
- Business Case for a Technology
- Accelerated Vendor Selection
- Accelerated User Requirements
- Project Management
- Vendor Negotiation & Contract Support
Features Common to All of Our Servces
- Management Perspective. We interview management to understand their goals for business process improvement, priorities, and concerns.
- Business Operations Perspective. We use Business Process Models, Information models, and other visualization aids so that everyone sees the same big picture of how IT can help the business.
- Short, Efficient Requirements Workshops. We conduct brief workshops to elicit judgments and ideas from the people who perform the tasks, and will use the tools, to execute the business processes.
- Quantitative Business Facts. Facts about key business activities (e.g., volumes, staffing, cycle times, defects, etc.) are important to put business priorities and requirements into context, and for determining the measurable benefit of IT products and services.
- Consensus Building and Alignment. Ownership of recommendations and decisions are essential to successful implementation. We facilitate evaluations of and decisions about technology in a business context through brief workshops with stakeholders.
WHO WE SERVE
We focus on organizations that compete on the productivity and impact of their knowledge workers. Our clients include small biotechs and the largest global pharmaceutical makers, and the CROs, contract manufacturers, and vendors that support them. Our services can benefit any organization, and are especially attractive in regulated environments.
- Life Sciences
- Medical Devices
- Contract Labs and Manufacturers
We have successfully contributed in the following business areas:
- Drug Project & Portfolio Management
- Research
- Non-clinical Development
- Clinical Development
- R & D and QC Laboratories
- Manufacturing and Quality
- Sales and Marketing
- Business Development
- Information Technology
Or click here to see the detailed list. If you manage or support one of these functional areas, we can work with you to formulate a strategy or individual automation projects.
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OUR DIFFERENCE
- Hands-on Personal Service. All of our services are performed personally by the principals because
we are obsessed with demonstrating business improvements through the wise use of IT. The people who plan the
assignment with you are the people who do the work.
- Rapid Delivery. As subject matter experts in the functional areas we serve,
and the systems and vendors that power these areas,
we know who, know how, and know why to deliver results rapidly using our innovative methods.
- Small Agile Team. Our people are specialists with broad experience,
and have collaborated for years. We don't need five consultants to do a two-person job.
- Cost-effective. Fixed Price Preferred. We have none of the bureaucracy and
little of the communication overhead of a "Big-Five" firm so you get more value from our fees.
We prefer fixed-price assignments so that we're focused on results and not distracted by billable hours.
- Management Insight. Our experience as line managers enables us in interviews
to quickly elicit management's thinking about business needs and opportunities, priorities,
and help management articulate "commander's intent" about business improvement goals to drive IT decisions.
Managers are very comfortable with us because "These consultants get it!"
- Business Context for Better IT Decisions. Everything we do is grounded
in your business context: your processes,
your metrics, and the information
people need to do their jobs better. We can appreciate what's different about your business,
and how to leverage your unique situation.
- Consensus from Diverse Groups. We are successful in leading contributors
from diverse organizations and disciplines, with different agendas, to reach shared understandings
of the big picture, essential details, and a course of action.
- Respect for Your People's Time.
Your people will be well-informed and in control yet spend surprisingly little time to make
significant and satisfying contributions because of our time-sensitive methods.
This means more time on their primary jobs and a lower total cost project.
- Innovative, Exceptionally Efficient Methods. Our exceptionally efficient methods for gathering and presenting complex information in a clear, simple manner using visualization tools and brief workshops allows us to complete assignment rapidly and cost effectively.
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ABOUT US
Kendal Tech LLC is a New Jersey-based consultancy founded in 1993.
Tom Conlon has a thirty-year track record working with life sciences organizations,
to find solutions to a wide variety of business and IT management challenges and issues.
He specializes in helping pharmaceutical business and IM/IT leaders to work together,
through assessments, strategies, and well-formulated projects, to improve business performance.
As a project manager and facilitator, he is highly effective in leading contributors
from diverse organizations and disciplines, with different agendas,
to reach shared understandings of needs, priorities, and actions to achieve intended business results.
Prior to forming Kendal Tech, Tom was VP of professional services at a leading project management company;
and a Principal at the "Big Four" firm Ernst & Young.
Earlier he held IT, supply chain management, and engineering positions in multinational pharmaceuticals and capital equipment firms.
PDF profile >>>
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SERVICE: IT Strategy for a Business Area
Objective: A high-level architecture of IT solutions, and system deployment plans aligned with business goals and opportunities.Business Challenges: " We're paying a high price for the point solutions that we implemented to deliver benefits faster. Our systems don't meet critical business needs, and are hard to integrate. I need a strategy with an architecture that shows how all our systems, the current ones worth keeping and future systems we need, should fit together. And I'm not looking for a "purist" effort that takes 6 months.
We Offer: A pragmatic fixed-price approach that uses business process models as a common language for business and IT to find and win support for high-value opportunities to apply information technology.
Who Benefits: IT Manager: Understand what's really important to business managers. Business Managers: Confidence that the right needs, opportunities, and IT solutions are identified.
Typical deliverables:
- Business Process Model (business architecture)
- Needs and Opportunities prioritized by leadership team
- Business Information Model (conceptual data model)
- Application Integration Map (support for end-to-end business processes )
- Road map for Realization (high-level implementation and deployment plan)
Critical Success Factors: Focus business - IT collaboration on business processes to discover real opportunities for IT to contribute to improving business performance.
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SERVICE: Business Case for a Technology
Objective: A clear understanding for key decision makers of the benefits, costs, and risks of a proposed investment.Challenges: " "I need an independent, objective evaluation of how, where, and how much a specific information technology can help us, and a recommendation of how we should proceed. Our CFO is getting pretty testy over IT investments that can't show a return. The business must own the evaluation results and the justification."
We Offer: Evidenced-based answers to agreed-upon questions such as these about any proposed IT solution or service:
- What are the most promising target areas for this technology?
- What are the benefits we can anticipate from implementing the proposed technology in target areas?
- What are the most promising vendor solutions for the proposed technology?
- What is the investment required to implement the proposed technology in the target areas? ROI?
- What road map should we follow to realize the potential benefits of the proposed technology? (e.g., vendor selection, pilots, business change, deployment)
Who Benefits: IT Managers and Business Managers: Confidence that they understand the real costs, benefits, and risks of applying the proposed technology.
Typical Deliverables:
- Business Process Model (business context of proposed investment)
- Target areas and anticipated benefits prioritized by a leadership team
- Business Information Model (conceptual data model)
- Description of Proposed Solution (investment) and Alternatives
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
Critical Success Factors: Consensus of key stakeholders communicated in terms that business and IT decision makers can readily understand.
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SERVICE: Accelerated Vendor Selection
Objective: A well-accepted evidence-based selection decision for any type of IT product or service. Quickly. With confidence.Challenges: "I need to make a vendor selection decision I won't regret. I need an objective evaluation but I don't want a long drawn-out selection process. And I want the decision to be accepted by associates at multiple sites."
We Offer: An evidence-based process that creates a level playing field for vendors to enable you to make the right choice of IT product or service. We first help you decide how you'll make your business perform better, and then help you pick the vendor who'll best help you achieve it. May the vendor with the best business case and total cost win (rather than the one with the best sales presentation).
Who Benefits: IT Manager: Very competitive pricing and terms for a solution that meets the real requirements. Business Managers: High comfort with the selection, using far fewer business resources.
Typical Deliverables:
- Business Process Model (business architecture)
- Needs and Opportunities prioritized by leadership team
- Business Information Model (conceptual data model)
- Business Scenarios (i.e., scripts) for vendor presentations
- RFI (Request for Information) and RFP(Request for Proposal) documents
- Vendor-product evaluations by business and IT representatives
- Recommendation document
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SERVICE: Accelerated User Requirements
Objective: The right requirements from the right people, in as little as six weeks.Challenges: "I want the real requirements and not a list of nice-to-haves that just drive up the cost and complexity. There has to be a better way than having a large team spend forever collecting and revising requirements. And please reduce the ambiguity in requirements so we won't spend so much on rework and testing."
We Offer: An exceptionally efficient process to capture and agree on the "real" requirements based on tasks people actually perform rather than on what people say they want the software to do. In as little as six weeks. Our Requirements Specification document is especially appreciated in regulated environments.
Who Benefits: IT Manager: Saving of 50% of time and effort on capturing and agreeing on requirements, and 25% on design and testing activities. more >>> Smooth system configuration and validation with far fewer late project surprises. Business Managers: Understandable requirements, using far fewer business resources. Potential business benefit can be demonstrated before the system is implemented. Transparent regulatory compliance in accordance with current regulatory agency thinking.
Typical Deliverables:
- Business Process Map (business architecture)
- Needs and Opportunities prioritized by leadership team
- Business Information Model (conceptual data model)
- Non-functional Requirements (quality, performance)
- Requirements Specification document (for either packaged product configuration or the next step in custom development, i.e., functional specifications)
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SERVICE: Project Management
Objective: Plan and execute a well-formulated project by leading or coaching internal teams or managing external vendors.Business Challenge: "I need to translate management's priorities for the future, and concerns of today, into a project that all stakeholders agree has high business value, feasibility, and good prospects for success. And then deliver the result as planned."
We Offer: Leadership, realistic planning, team alignment, progress tracking and reporting, negotiation
with stakeholders and vendors, and problem solving with a continuous focus on realizing business value.
Who Benefits: Business Managers: A solution providing business value delivered as expected.
IT Manager: Better alignment with the business. Better use of in house and external resources. Own PM capability strengthened.
Typical Deliverables:
- Project Charter
- Risk Assessment
- Project Plan
- Vendor Negotiations
- Team Meetings, Status Reports
- Project Documentation
- Coaching on Good Practices
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SERVICE: Vendor Negotiation & Contract Support
Objective: A good deal (price and terms) with a vendor of software and/or services.Business Challenge: "How do I know what a good deal is with this vendor?
What's the best way to get a great price and the terms and conditions most valuable to us?
We Offer: Research, both quantitative (price) and qualitative (vendor's competitive situation, product/technology/licensing changes, changes in customer base, etc.), and direct participation in negotiations if desired.
Who Benefits: Supplier Management: Tougher, more confident negotiating position.
IT and Business Managers: Better value from budgeted spending. Legal: Clear business requirements, as input to contracts.
Typical Deliverables:
- Review and confirmation of business requirements
- Target Deal Sheet: target pricing and recommended terms (e.g., contract length, maintenance and services pricing, audit clause, intellectual property, publicity)
- Contract review
- Participation in negotiations with vendor
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IT SOLUTIONS
We are familiar with the following IT system solutions as a result of our work in requirements definition, vendor selection, project management, validation, or implementation:
- Drug Project & Portfolio Management
- Drug Portfolio Management
- Drug Project Management
- Scenario Planning view Success Story >>
- Departmental Cost & Resource Management
- Research & Development
- IACUC Protocol Management & Animal Ordering
- Chromatography Data System
- LIMS: Analytical, Bioanalytical, Toxicology, Pathology view Success Story >>
- Scientific Data Management System
- Corrective Action Preventive Action (CAPA)
- Document Management Systems
- Laboratory Inventory Systems (consumables, reference standards)
- Clinical
- Clinical Trial Planning & Budgeting
- Clinical Data Management (CDMS)
- Clinical Electronic Data Capture Systems (EDC)
- Clinical Trial Management (CTMS)
- Manufacturing and Quality
- Clinical Supplies Manufacturing view Success Story >>
- Long-range Capacity Planning view Success Story >>
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
- Electronic Batch Records (EBR)
- Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN)
- Weigh, Dispense, and Labeling Systems
- LIMS for Quality Control view Success Story >>
- Sales and Marketing
- eDetailing
- Drug Sample Fulfillment
- Business Development
- Document & Work Flow Management
- Business Intelligence
- Legal Systems
- Litigation Hold
- Data Loss Prevention
- Information Technology
- Enterprise Project Management (EPM) view Success Story >>
- Project Portfolio Management
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SUCCESS STORIES
The following vignettes are a sample of our more memorable projects.
- Drug Development Chooses A Single Integrated Solution for Project & Portfolio Management
- Global QC Labs Decide to Go Paperless
- Business Case Leads to Big Cost Avoidance
- Very Fast Toxicology & Pathology LIMS Vendor Selection
- Contract Negotiation Support Leads to Big Savings
- "Real" User Requirements Save One Million Dollars
SUCCESS: Drug Development Chooses A Single Integrated Solution for Project & Portfolio Management
Situation: One department at a top pharma manufacturer identified a need and a vendor for a scenario planning tool for resource and capacity management. Management was concerned about adding another point solution (i.e., scenario planning) to an already complex planning systems environment for only one department. IT management requested help in determining the needs of other departments as well drug project teams and portfolio management for scenario planning, selecting a vendor, and formulating a business case for better scenario planning.Business Drivers: IT management continually monitors departmental requests for opportunities to share IT applications globally.
Our Services: IT Strategy for a Business Area, Accelerated Vendor Selection
Approach:
- Understand similarities and differences in scenario planning needs and practices at different levels: Portfolio, Project, and Department.
- Develop a consensus vision of pharma-wide scenario planning, including: Business Process Model ("Business Architecture"), Business Information Model ("conceptual data model"), and an Application Integration Model.
- Facilitate a vendor selection process.
- Develop a consensus business case and budget recommendation.
Critical Success Factors: An enthusiasic, diverse group of managers, scientists, and technologists who focused on business processes instead of product features.
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SUCCESS: Global QC Labs Decide to Go Paperless
Situation: A global pharma manufacturer had successfully implemented a customized LIMS for QC labs at one very large site (i.e., 200 QC analysts). The next challenge was what applications to integrate, how, and when, to realize the goal of a common end point ("Paperless Lab") for a diverse set of large and small manufacturing sites when starting from very different situations (various LIMS, ERP, etc., and paper systems).Business Drivers: Quality Operations and IT management requested (1) a roap map for the future, and
(2) a more cost-effective way to deploy a LIMS to as many as twenty other manufacturing sites, and support LIMS users.
Our Service: IT Strategy for a Business Area
Approach:
- Formulate business improvement goals for QC labs with Quality Operations and Supply Chain management.
- Understand similarities and differences in key practices at different manufacturing sites.
- Develop a consensus vision of an integrated lab systems environment: Business Process Model ("Business Architecture"), Business Information Model ("conceptual data model"), and an Application Integration Model.
- Prepare deployment "Road maps" (high level project plans) for different classes of manufacturing sites.
- Develop a new "Rapid Deployment" approach and a lower-cost support model.
Critical Success Factors: An open-minded, engaged group of Quality Operations managers.
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SUCCESS: Business Case Leads to Big Cost Avoidance
Situation: A mid-sized pharma manufacturer had budgeted over $2 million for a comprehensive user-driven specialized clinical trial supplies solution. IT was concerned that project was risky because of a weak business case and lack of consensus on user requirements. A further complication: the CIO urged consideration of SAP as the solution.Business Driver: The management of Non-clinical Development requested help in surfacing issues and deciding on the best way to support the clinical trial supplies process.
Our Service: Technology Business Case
Approach:
- Develop a business process model to provide visibility into the entire clinical trial supplies process.
- Assemble "business facts" (activity volumes, cycle times, etc.)
- Identify candidate new business practices to improve the clinical trial supplies process
- Assess the fit and cost of SAP as a solution
- Prepare and conduct a workshop with Non-clinical Development management and key stakeholders in the entire clinical trial supplies process
Critical Success Factors: The well-designed workshop that engaged non-clinical development management and key stakeholders in the entire clinical trial supplies process: bottlenecks and business improvement goals, process interdependencies among stakeholders, new business practices, and cost and risk.
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SUCCESS: Very Fast Toxicology & Pathology LIMS Vendor Selection
Situation: Paper-based laboratory information systems. CROs were conducting many of the studies. A large increase in toxicity studies was planned.Business Driver: Management wanted to quickly bring early toxicity studies in house to make earlier decisions on compounds and formulations.
Our Service: Accelerated Vendor Selection
Approach:
- Agreement that the "real" user requirements are tasks that users (study directors, pathologists, lab techs) must perform with a system, as described in the business process model.
- User requirements and the RFP were completed and approved in four weeks.
- Vendors delivered quality responses to the "RFP light" in two weeks.
- Vendors made day-long presentations against realistic "day in the life" business process scenarios.
- Study directors, pathologists, and lab techs also explored the systems using the scenarios.
- Toxicology and Pathology heads weighed the assessments of product fit, vendor capabilities, and cost, and made a well-accepted decision.
Critical Success Factors: Convincing evidence from the realistic "day in the life" business process scenarios.
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SUCCESS: Contract Negotiation Support Leads to Big Savings
Situation: The manufacturing planning group of a large global pharma had identified a powerful (and costly) tool for long-range capacity planning without formal requirements or a competitive evaluation process.Business Driver: The IT Vendor Management function requested a "time sensitive" competitive evaluation to assure a good business decision, and negotiate more favorable pricing and terms.
Our Service: Vendor Negotiation & Contract Support
Approach:
- Develop a business process model to quickly understand essential user requirements.
- Identify a short list of credible alternative vendors.
- User requirements and the RFP were completed in three weeks.
- The preferred vendor, and two competitors provided competent responses in two weeks.
- Interrogation of vendors, and customer reference checks by users and consultants took one week.
- Vendor Management negotiated a new, lower software price and more favorable terms.
Critical Success Factors: The pressure of credible competition, and essentials from our accelerated vendor selection process.
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SUCCESS: "Real" User Requirements Save One Million Dollars
Situation: IT executives of a major pharma manufacturer had approved a new enterprise project and portfolio management initiative to support its large, globally distributed IT staff. The business had already implemented a customized solution to support drug project development. However, there was doubt about whether a common solution could support what were perceived as IT's unique requirements.Business Driver: IT management requested our help in capturing IT's requirements as input to a statement of work for a contractor to implement a Microsoft's Enterprise Project Management (EPM) solution for IT.
Our Service: Accelerated User Requirements
Approach:
- Agreement with IT managers that the "real" user requirements are tasks that users (IT project managers and staff) must perform with an enterprise project management system, as described in a business process model.
- Interview IT managers to understand current practices, problems, and opportunities.
- Conduct a requirements workshop to confirm proposed "consensus user requirements"
- Conduct a solutions workshop with live demonstrations for IT managers to judge how well both drug development's customized EPM solution, and an "out of the box" Microsoft solution, met the "real" requirements.
- Prepare the recommendation, as agreed with IT managers, to use drug development's solution rather than follow through with an IT-specific EPM solution.
Critical Success Factor: Well-designed workshops that led proponents of an IT-specific solution to conclude that their "real" requirements would be well satisfied by the solution already in place for business projects.
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Updated Tuesday, July 2, 2013 1630 GMT-5
