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CRA Productivity Improvement

Maximizing productivity in frontline clinical operations

The why

Efficient frontline clinical operations directly influence a company’s ability to accelerate time-to-market for new assets. Future competitiveness may well hinge on having the right operating model and robust clinical performance management.

The challenge

Our client targeted a significant improvement in clinical trial performance for some of their best performing clinical development centers. Their priority was to strengthen Clinical Research Associate (CRA) productivity, aiming for a step-change improvement in frontline operational efficiency.

How we helped

We identified a set of targeted efficiency levers including:

  • Improved clinical performance management at the center level with productivity-based metrics, targets and mindset cascaded from HQ to the individual monitors.

  • Front-office (CRA) and back-office (CTA) optimisation: Implementing a best-practice clinical operating model with clear task responsibilities.

  • Technology enablement: Simplifying and automating key tools and user interfaces.

  • Competence development: Strengthening CRA onboarding, training, and mentoring programs to embed best practices.

  • Effective planning: Enhancing site and visit planning through improved activity transparency.

Outcome

Defining concrete actions to address the challenges revealed a substantial improvement potential. Improvement benefits are multiple including:

40–50% overall productivity improvement
40+% increase in sites per CRA
~15% capacity increase leveraging performance management

“Very concrete actions for people to understand.”
Client project manager
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What moved the needle

Built on proven clinical operating model frameworks Our best practice frameworks for clinical operating models and performance management served as a strong foundation for the opportunity assessment.
Refined with input from high-performing teams Involving high-performing CRAs, managers and leadership further help specify what was needed to make the recommendations actionable.
Partner

Jonas T. Karlsen, Ph.D.

Jonas is a life science strategist supporting executives drive progress across the value chain. He is an expert in bridging strategy and execution via global operating model design and transformation rooted in strategic objectives. He engages with structured top-down thinking and a pragmatic and collaborative approach to mobilise organizations and make things happen.

Jonas holds a Ph.D. in biophysics from the Technical University of Denmark, DTU, and further studied at California Institute of Technology. Recipient of the Ministry of Sciences Elite Research Award.

Selected experience

  • Ecosystem integration and external innovation pipeline
  • Lab of the future capability building and operating model design
  • Global clinical operating model design and transformation
  • Pre-launch strategy for cardiometabolic TA development

 
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