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Top 10 Tips for Selecting a RIMS
1. Analyze your needs
Begin with some of your own research. Why are you interested in implementing a data management system? Do you want to:
- Increase scientific productivity & insight?
- Organize data and samples in central repositories?
- Enable real-time research collaboration?
- Institute data access controls/comply with HIPAA?
- Maintain a record of past research?
Once you have defined your needs, you will be able to more effectively assess whether or not a particular application suffices. There is no point in comparing applications based on their functionality if it is not functionality that meets the needs of your pre-defined goals. Begin your needs assessment by starting a list of questions and use this to capture your goals in implementing a RIMS application.
2. Survey interest
Are you the only lab drowning in data management, sample tracking and clinical/experimental data integration problems, or is this a widespread phenomenon in your organization? Ask around to determine the level of interest in implementing IT solutions for scientific data management challenges. Formulate a committee for this project and identify one or more champions who will help push the agenda for this project before decision-makers in your organization.
3. Obtain consensus agreement
Who else will be using the RIMS? Do you work with multi-disciplinary groups, core facilities, data managers, biostatisticians, lab personnel and others who will each need different levels of data access? In each case, anyone requiring access to the system should be brought in early in the process to gain an understanding of their workflow, data management and data access needs so that common goals can be reached and agreed upon.
4. Manage project implementation
Set measurable goals, including realistic implementation dates, for the project. List individual steps that need to be achieved, and elect an owner of each step. Schedule regular progress reviews. If the project entails Institute-wide implementation, decide which departments or studies will be managed first. Set criteria for prioritizing customizations. Get IT department involvement to find out the ability to support different software & hardware systems and expectations for server installation and support.
5. Gain internal support and traction
Identifying champions who will take the project forward is a great first step, but by seeking input from other departments and research teams, you build support that is necessary to carry through a successful RIMS implementation. Gather testimony and statements of support from colleagues on both the clinical and basic research sides who are eager to solve data management challenges and enlist them to help market the vision. Find out who are potential “naysayers” in your organization and begin the dialogue early so as to avoid later roadblocks.
6. Research product features
At the point of beginning a search for product vendors, take the time to do additional research. Search for RIMS providers on the internet, by asking colleagues, noting publication citations, and ascertaining proven solutions. Look for applications that meet current needs but are easily configurable for the foreseeable future. Is the system flexible enough to meet the needs of multi-disciplinary groups or is it content-specific? Find out the breadth of functionality supported, how supporting data and external files are handled, which parts are user-configurable, how much lead time is required for user training, who provides the training and IT support. Investigate if the product integrates into existing, legacy systems, or is a stand-alone application. Finally, research costs! RIMS providers have different pricing structures and packages including licensing, services and support depending on the type, size and scope of installation, project management, customized integration services. Refer back to your needs assessment and project goals in tips #1-3 as you consider different options.
7. Product demos and the test drive
Once you have identified a number of applications that seem to meet your needs, schedule product demonstrations, ensuring that both key committee members and end-users alike have the opportunity to see the product and ask questions. Get input and feedback after each session before the details become distant recollections.
Schedule a second demonstration, test session, or pilot trial to test drive the product. This is usually a short-term test period to allow for assessment of the product functionality. Enlist a core group of end users who are representative of each laboratory or department to test the application, enter and manipulate data, import and export records and generally test both their workflows and real data in the system. Have different types of users test restrictions on viewing clinical data, importing experimental data, and accessing data from the collaborator’s location.
8. Follow through with an evaluation process
Schedule test sessions as close as possible to compare solutions more effectively. Have each participant test more than one application so that a side-by-side comparison of both the functionality and ease-of-use can be made. Decide on metrics for evaluating different products and measurement of each solution. Compare similar functions in different applications and have test participants indicate reasons for preferring one over the other. Have test participants provide an evaluation of the intuitiveness of each product as well as the breadth of data manageable in each. How easily will the system accommodate the different types of data generated throughout the study lifecycle? Feedback obtained in these sessions is crucial in the decision-making process, cycling back to documentation of your data management needs in Tip #1.
9. Get vendor participation
Ensure that the product representative is on-hand to answer questions and is easily accessible for all test participants and committee members. Talk to more than the salesperson. Find out their customer service and technical support track records. Does the vendor understand your organization and your business? Do they ask the right questions and engage in discussions regarding your needs? Challenge the vendors to explain limitations of the system, alternatives, and test their understanding of your needs. Select a vendor whose members are both knowledgeable, experienced and approachable and who display true concern for your project’s success.
10. Talk to references
Ask for references from both project managers and end users of the product in an industry similar to yours. Find out the scope of their RIMS implementation, the number of studies, or IRB protocols in the system, the number of patients, samples, data points. Ask for references from both heavy users who are very familiar with the system and occasional users. What was the product learning curve? What is the customer support and technical service lead time? How are enhancement requests handled? Find out if their scientific productivity, collaboration capability, HIPAA compliance, data security, sample management (to name just a few potential goals) were enhanced after implementing the RIMS. If the overall impressions are positive and support the vendors’ assertions, you can be confident that your selection and ultimate implementation of the RIMS will be successful.
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