Clinical Study Database Design
Definition of Clinical Study Metadata to be collected
Creation of Data Management System to clean and reconcile patient data
Creation of Electronic Data Entry Screens
Ability to create both simple and complex validation edit checks and data derivations
Batch Data Loading and Extracting Capabilities
Thesaurus Management for Medical Coding of Verbatim Terms as reported by Investigators for Adverse Events, Medical History, and/or Concomitant Medications
Robust and Comprehensive Management of Laboratory Results against dynamic and demographic driven Reference Ranges Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
Even the most ardent salesperson would have to concede the obvious advantages of a manual inventory control system. The list may be short, but as Acctivate notes, it packs a punch. A manual system:
Involves little cost. Your ledger, stock book and pen (or pencil) are all you need to get started.
Requires minimal training. Even if you took an inventory control training class, you probably had many affordable options at your disposal, and your investment paid off many times over.
Represents a model of simplicity. Some people may say that manual systems are overly simplistic – static in nature – but unless they're lost or misplaced, they are reliable. Also, they're usually easy to read and interpret.
The disadvantages of a manual system usually form the “hook” of any salesperson’s approach. At this point, it may help to remember that basic spreadsheets are considered manual, too. So stay alert to the cues; you probably are being pitched about basic or advanced inventory software, both of which are considered automated. Either way, it’s true that a manual inventory control system is:
Susceptible to theft or loss – a terrifying and time-consuming prospect for any small business, which must then backtrack and rebuild
Prone to human error, which can trigger a domino effect, from inaccurate inventory counts to botched customer orders
Incapable of tracking losses and thefts
Probably not a long-term option for a small business that is steadily growing, adding new suppliers and products every year
The fundamental goals of any inventory control system are to control costs and reduce them where you can while improving profitability. Your present system may be succeeding in this regard, but if a big change in the way you do business is on the horizon – particularly if your business model will move you online – an automated system that can scale to incorporate more complex analytics may be a prudent move.
Whatever you ultimately decide, your gut determination to abide by the basics should serve you well. As Oracle says: “Your software is only as good as your processes. Software cannot solve bad processes, just automate them.” Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.