Life Science Tech Trends SupplementBack to Survey IndexWhat tasks do you outsource?Why do you outsource tasks?How are outsource organizations performing?Types of Services Being Outsourced
Two-thirds of the respondents (67%) indicated that they outsource research activities. Over the next year or two, respondents expect to outsource these activities. Antibody development, animal studies, and clinical trials are the most-frequently outsourced tasks.
Issues That Drive the Decision to Outsource Lab Activities
The forces driving the decision to outsource research services are the lack of in-house technology, the desire to accomplish the project more quickly, and the lack of in-house staff. A lack of in-house technology and expertise, along with the need to accomplish research quickly spurs the decision to outsource projects.
|
% Respondents
|
|
Extremely
Important
|
Important
|
Somewhat
Important
|
Not Very
Important
|
| Lack of in-house technology |
44.3
|
36.1
|
12.6
|
7.1
|
| The desire to accomplish the project more quickly |
40.7
|
37.9
|
9.9
|
11.5
|
| Lack of in-house staff |
36.3
|
39.6
|
16.5
|
7.7
|
| Lack of in-house expertise |
30.4
|
42.9
|
11.4
|
15.2
|
| The desire to accomplish the project less expensively |
29.9
|
37.0
|
14.1
|
19.0
|
| The desire to accomplish the project with greater quality/accuracy |
29.4
|
36.7
|
18.9
|
15.0
|
| The need to generate results from an unbiased resource |
16.7
|
22.8
|
15.0
|
45.6
|
| Lack of regulatory expertise |
16.2
|
20.7
|
19.0
|
44.1
|
| Partnership with another organization required use of an independent, third party |
8.3
|
23.3
|
21.1
|
47.2
|
Quality of Work Delivered by Outsource Organizations
Most researchers find the outsourced work to be acceptable, with only a small minority having had a disagreeable experience.
About This Survey
This survey was prepared and conducted by Martin Akel & Associates, Chester, N.J. for the Advantage Business Media Science Group’s publications, Bioscience Technology and Drug Discovery & Development magazines. The survey was sent to a random sample of readers in November, 2007.
