Top 10 Mistakes when considering RIMS

1. Shortsighted thinking: Implementing a system that suffices for today but will not flexibly grow with your research studies’ data management needs

2. Failing to get input from multidisciplinary users and others requiring access to the data

3. Not considering how cross-referential scientific and operational questions can be answered

4. Comparing apples to oranges when comparing “similar” functionality

5. Selecting a product that is incompatible with offerings from other vendors

6. Ignoring existing systems, legacy data

7. Not asking about features that enable HIPAA compliance, collaboration, data security

8. Budgeting naivete both for the product and for customizations and IT integration services

9. The “Bandage Mentality:” Cutting costs by opting for several different applications, each of which meets only a part of the total need, with no cross-talk

10. Choosing not to adopt a RIMS at all!