Over the past 20 years, I have learned that long-term business partnerships thrive on mutual trust, shared vision, and consistent, transparent communication. However, they require intense listening and being focused on learning first, and relationships can be destroyed quickly when we take sponsors for granted. I also learned and validated a long time ago to prioritize cultural alignment at the very beginning of my discussions and work with sponsors who have similar values. The reason I say this - not all sponsors can be “preferred”, even though many CROs say they can. At Linical, we target, align and build alongside our sponsors.
There are several best practices to achieve long-lasting partnerships, but some include defining shared goals, fostering a culture of mutual growth, proactively managing conflicts, and adapting to changing circumstances. All of my successful sponsor partnerships prioritized relationship integrity over immediate financial gain. By listening and learning, delivery and financial models are created to achieve mutual success. While the industry has changed and evolved, relationships and trust remain constant priorities.
A well-designed outsourcing model can represent a collaborative, outcome-based model, where companies and service providers work together to share risks and rewards, without a one-sided view. This shifts from a transactional mindset to mutual, long-term successful relationship.
Whether it is functional (dedicated teams), single service, full service, program/therapeutic based, or a risk/reward-based model with milestones, these outsourcing models can help build a winning framework for all parties. If all a sponsor wants is low cost, low value can follow. We all learned “you get what you pay for” or if it seems too good to be true, it likely is. Focusing on the total cost of ownership rather than just price, companies often achieve significant cost reductions with dedicated teams that roll over study to study - ask our sponsors. Logistics and contracting models are one of the first conversations that should be discussed, because many times, that is where partnerships can come apart.
Here is what I have learned and implemented “WITH” sponsors over the years.
1) From the beginning, set clear expectations, define roles and responsibilities with contingency planning, establish conflict escalation, and ensure there are regular executive calls for engagement - these items take a commitment from both sides.
2) Align on KPIs – a critical discussion for successful delivery.
3) Know that disagreements and misunderstandings will happen but come with a solution-oriented mindset rather than looking for blame.
4) Additionally, understand that mistakes will happen, OWN THEM, FIX THEM, and LEARN FROM THEM
5) Trust is paramount and is built through consistency - showing up and delivering on promises.
6) Agility and adaptability both make a difference for long-term success, as flexibility is critical to being able to pivot quickly alongside sponsor changes.
7) And finally, acknowledge and celebrate joint achievements and milestones to reinforce camaraderie. We are an extension of our sponsor teams
Author:
Clareece West
President, Americas & Europe & CCO