Latest news with #RahulSaluja
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Clinical Trials: The Future Hinges On Orchestration, Not More Tools
Rahul Saluja, Managing Partner & Board Advisor at Cognizant, driving growth in Life Sciences, Digital Transformation & Smart Manufacturing. Over the past few years, we've seen a wave of digital innovation in clinical trials: decentralized models, eConsent, real-time monitoring and direct-to-patient logistics. We've digitized nearly every touchpoint. But here's the problem: Digitization doesn't equal transformation. In many cases, we've simply layered new tools onto an outdated operating model. The structure beneath—the way clinical trials are orchestrated across functions—has barely evolved. We're running modern trials with legacy assumptions, and it's showing. Sponsors are still dealing with mid-trial surprises, delayed shipments, inconsistent patient engagement and misaligned teams. And patients, who now live in a world of real-time apps and same-day delivery, are losing patience with trial timelines and broken communication loops. We don't have a technology gap; we have a coordination gap. The Illusion Of Progress There's a difference between having digital capabilities and knowing how to use them to drive outcomes. Today, different teams manage different parts of the trial: • Clinical ops oversee protocol execution. • Supply manages depots and packaging. • Commercial stays focused on engagement and growth. • Digital leads the platform strategy. Each function is doing its job, but in isolation. The challenge is no longer about building new platforms. It's about aligning those platforms around a common operational framework. That's where most organizations are falling short—and where real transformation needs to happen. Borrowing From Industries That Got It Right In complex industries like aviation and logistics, orchestration isn't optional. It's built in. These industries rely on control towers—centralized command centers that bring data, systems and decision making together in real time. Life sciences needs something similar—a clinical control tower. Think of it as a strategic layer that connects your decentralized trial ecosystem, where supply chain, protocol changes, site performance and patient data all speak to each other. This isn't a dashboard. It's an orchestration engine—one that allows your teams to anticipate disruptions, coordinate faster and act with clarity. What It Looks Like In Practice A clinical control tower connects: • Randomization and trial supply management (RTSM) and supply planning tools. • Real-time site feedback and patient insights. • Protocol changes with operational impact modeling. • AI and analytics to identify risk signals before they escalate. The impact? • Fewer surprises • Smoother amendments • Faster delivery • Better sponsor experience • Higher patient retention And perhaps most importantly, it builds trust—with internal teams, external partners and the patients we're ultimately serving. The Leadership Shift That's Needed Transformation at this level doesn't happen from the bottom up. It requires leadership that understands how strategy, operations and execution intersect. Life sciences leaders—especially across clinical, digital and commercial domains—need to ask tougher questions: • Are our systems integrated, or are they simply adjacent? • Do our teams operate from the same data and timelines? • Can we course-correct mid-trial in real time? • Are we building toward speed and scale or stuck in reaction mode? The organizations that can confidently answer these questions will be the ones that define the next era of clinical development. What's At Stake It's not just about efficiency. It's about resilience and the ability to adapt quickly, maintain compliance, protect timelines and ensure quality—all while keeping the patient at the center. In the next five years, life sciences companies will be judged not just by innovation, but by execution. Those most successful won't necessarily have the most tools, but those that know how to connect them. Final Thought The future of clinical trials won't be defined by technology alone. It will be defined by how well we orchestrate that technology across teams, systems and time zones. Patients are living in 2025. They expect seamless, smart and responsive experiences. It's time our trial infrastructure caught up. To get there, we don't need more dashboards. We need alignment. We need orchestration. And most of all, we need leadership bold enough to rethink how trials are truly run. Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
Forbes
12-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Tariffs, Tech And Transformation: Why Life Sciences Can't Wait
Rahul Saluja , Managing Partner & Board Advisor at Cognizant, driving growth in Life Sciences, Digital Transformation & Smart Manufacturing. getty The life sciences industry is standing at a pivotal crossroads. What was once a slow-moving, highly regulated ecosystem is now under pressure—from geopolitical shifts, rising tariffs, digital disruption and quickly evolving patient needs. Life sciences companies must consider building or adopting a new model to stay ahead. For decades, life sciences organizations have operated in well-defined silos—R&D, clinical, manufacturing, regulatory and commercial. These functions were built for compliance, not speed. But today's environment demands more than incremental improvement. It requires operational reinvention. Tariffs on raw materials, lab equipment and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are forcing executives to reevaluate sourcing strategies, regional dependencies and supply chain risk. Meanwhile, digital-native competitors and platform-driven players are accelerating past traditional bottlenecks with smarter systems, faster data and tighter integration across the value chain. In short, the external world is moving faster than internal structures can keep up—and that's a risk no company can afford. Tech alone isn't the answer. Digital transformation has become a buzzword, but the real issue isn't lack of technology; it's lack of alignment. Many life sciences companies have implemented tools without rethinking the processes they're meant to support. As a result, they've digitized dysfunction rather than solved for it. True transformation requires redesigning how people, platforms and processes connect. That means shifting from rigid handoffs to real-time collaboration. It means embedding intelligence into every step—from protocol design to regulatory submissions to commercial supply. Most importantly, it means letting go of legacy thinking. The organizations winning today are treating operations not as a support function, but as a strategic growth driver. Compliance is table stakes; agility is the advantage. In regulated industries, compliance will always be essential—but it's no longer a competitive differentiator. What sets industry leaders apart is their ability to move fast with precision. This is where advanced quality systems, predictive analytics and AI-enabled manufacturing are making a measurable impact. Forward-looking companies are turning regulatory and quality functions into engines of speed and scale. By integrating these teams earlier in the product lifecycle and equipping them with intelligent tools, they're not just reducing cycle times—they're building agility into the core of their business. Leadership must go first. Transformation doesn't start with a tool or a dashboard—it starts with leadership. In my experience advising and working alongside executive teams, I've seen one constant: Change requires a mindset shift at the top. Leaders must champion cross-functional thinking, invest in capabilities that serve long-term growth and be willing to challenge the status quo—even when it's uncomfortable. Especially when it's uncomfortable. This is not just about cost reduction or digital dashboards. It's about building companies that are ready for what comes next—whatever that may be. The future won't wait. Global volatility. Evolving regulations. Patient-centered innovation. Tariff pressures. The forces reshaping life sciences are not slowing down. Companies that wait to act will find themselves reacting to disruption rather than leading through it. The future of life sciences will be shaped by those bold enough to ask: What if we built it differently this time? Those are the leaders—and organizations—worth watching. Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
