I have had an opportunity to see a selection of my projects I have led become
case studies for Microsoft and those are outlined here. Also to come, will be
selected studies of various other projects I have led over the years.
Pharmaceutical Company Streamlines Processes with Mobile, Versatile Tablet PC
Merck, a global leader in pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, faces the challenge of conducting clinical trials rapidly in order to create the next generation of pharmaceuticals. To meet this challenge, Merck deployed Tablet PCs running Microsoft® Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition. Now users are enjoying the benefits of a versatile, mobile, and powerful solution that lets them work how they want and wherever they need to. With employees saving time and working more efficiently, Merck is predicting a solid return on investment within the first year.
Merck Uses Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework to Integrate with Leading-Edge Vendors and Legacy Systems
Once a product is on the market, Merck continues to study its use. The challenge lies in ensuring accuracy and compliance with standards while reducing overall cycle time. The solution had to embrace legacy systems as well as new technologies and reporting tools. Equipped with Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, the Clinical Research and Development Group produced a flexible architecture that allows Merck to integrate the old, the new, and whatever might come in the future. Now the clinical trial system has been streamlined through automation, and the company can look forward to rapid development of additional solutions as it responds to the needs of a changing industry.
“The big win that we’ve had from .NET is the ability not only to reduce cycle time, but also to maintain quality. Our core business at Merck isn’t technology; our core business is, bringing the best product we can to market. Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework make this possible.”
Jim King, Manager of Technology Research and Development, Merck & Co.
Merck Optimizes a Reporting System for Clinical Trials
Technologists at Merck & Co. Inc. have developed a pilot solution with Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003 to optimize the creation, transmission, and collection of information associated with late stage clinical trials. InfoPath is helping expedite the creation and completion of these reports and helping improve the quality of data captured in the critical databases—both of which improve Merck's ability to compile and analyze critical data and its ability to increase operational efficiencies. As Merck technologists put the information gathering program's use of XML, Web services, business rules, and powerful validation tools to the test, they are also determining how other processes at Merck can be optimized by an InfoPath-based solution.
"Everybody is used to dealing with paper and forms," says Jim King, Group Manager of the Technology Management Group. "InfoPath lets business users set up forms in the way that they're already used to doing it. The major difference to the investigator or physician is that they can now prepopulate improvements in the way applications are developed at Merck.
"There's a potential here," King continues, "to drive benefits all the way across the board, well beyond the pilot application. It might be possible to use InfoPath for financial requests, for report generation, for managing report requests using internal executive information portals—things like that. We've talked about many different kinds of scenarios. As our Web service and business rule infrastructures mature and as we standardize implementation of InfoPath forms, we could conceivably push form generation out to the businesses and make it almost a self-service operation."
Jim King, Group Manager, Technology Management Group, Merck & Co.
Merck Determines Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services Improves Confidentiality of Clinical Trial Information
Information confidentiality is of critical importance to pharmaceutical firms. During clinical trials, Merck & Co., Inc., a leading world-wide pharmaceutical products and services company, exchanges sensitive information with participating partner physicians. This poses a security challenge because Merck must make every effort to protect the confidentiality of the information during transmission as well as after it is in the physicians' possession.
Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 offers the perfect solution to meet Merck's challenge. Without RMS, Merck delivers only hardcopy documents via express couriers to physicians. Even then, it is difficult for Merck to ensure that the information remains confidential after it has been received by the physician. With RMS, documents continue to be protected even after delivery.
The Windows Rights Management Services (RMS)infrastructure built on Windows Server 2003 provides Merck a means to control the distribution of our mission critical information with persistent usage policies. Furthermore, it also provides an infrastructure to expire Microsoft Office System documents while managing distribution, thereby ensuring that we maintain information relevance as well as appropriate access.
Jim King, Manager of Technology Research and Development, Merck & Co.
Microsoft / Merck Video Case Study: Office System and Clinical Trials Integration