Apr 8, 2024
Accelerating Trial Start-ups:
Lilly’s 50% Increase in Vendor Qualification Capacity
The Challenge
- Eli Lilly faced increasing pressure to qualify a growing number of vendors for critical clinical trials. With a global network of vendors, managing the qualification process within a consistent timeline was complex.
- Additionally, Lilly needed to qualify vendors across various categories within the Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) spaces. Each vendor type required specialized internal expertise to ensure a proper evaluation. However, their internal team was stretched thin, leading to capacity constraints and an inability to manage the growing workload.
- This posed a risk: delays in vendor qualification could push back trial startups, affecting critical project timelines.
The Solution: Diligent Pharma
By utilizing the Diligent Pharma Platform, Lilly gained immediate access to audit reports and qualification data from vendors already qualified by Diligent’s auditors, who have deep expertise in 32 GCP/GCLP vendor categories.
- Fast Onboarding: Lilly was able to qualify and onboard vendors in days rather than months, significantly reducing the time spent on qualification.
- Global Coordination: For vendors not yet listed on the platform, Lilly used Diligent’s global network of auditors to conduct simultaneous qualification audits worldwide, ensuring quick vendor onboarding.
With Diligent, Lilly’s internal resources were freed from the burden of managing the qualification process for every vendor.
The Results
- 50% Increase in Qualification Capacity: Lilly expanded its ability to qualify vendors by 50%, overcoming internal resource limitations.
- Qualification Time Reduced from 3 Months to Days: Vendor qualification timelines were drastically reduced from 3 months to just days, increasing efficiency.
- Global Reach: The ability to manage and qualify vendors globally, simultaneously, saved time and effort, optimizing vendor management processes.
- Increased Agility: Lilly became more agile in adapting to fluctuating trial demands, avoiding delays and ensuring critical trials were on track.
Key Benefits
- Fast Vendor Qualification: Access to audit reports and qualification data within days.
- Increased Capacity: 50% more vendors qualified, with no additional internal resource burden.
- Global Vendor Management: Seamless coordination of global vendor qualification.
- Faster Time-to-Market: Reduced qualification time, leading to faster trial startups.
“Eli Lilly & Co. (Lilly) is a proponent of Diligent Pharma’s centralized model and the organization’s efforts to drive efficiency in the qualifications of vendors.
Lilly has leveraged Diligent’s platform capabilities to quickly access completed qualification questionnaires and Vendor Qualification Assessment reports for vendors of interest.”
Lilly is encouraged about the future of Diligent, as more companies, including large CROs and technology providers, begin to participate in Diligent’s centralized model to reduce the collective resource burden of vendor qualification across the industry.”
Ready to Streamline your Vendor Qualification?
Discover how the Diligent Pharma Platform can help you qualify vendors faster, reduce internal resource burden, and accelerate your project timelines.