Part Two in a Five-Part Series for Life Sciences Researchers and IT Professionals
As you continue to evaluate your strategy for 2022 and beyond, it’s important to ensure all facets of your compute environment are optimized— including the partners you hire to support it.
Sometimes companies settle for working with partners that are just “good enough,” but in today’s competitive environment, that type of thinking can break you. What you really need to move the needle is a scientific computing partner who understands both Science and IT.
In part two of this five-part blog series on what you should be measuring your current providers against, we’ll examine how to tell if your external IT partner has the chops to meet the high demands of science, while balancing the needs of IT. If you haven’t read our first post, Evaluation Consideration #1: Life Science Specialization and Mastery, you can jump over there, first.
Evaluation Consideration #2: Bridging the Gap Between Science and IT
While there are a vast number of IT partners available, it’s important to find someone that has a deep understanding of the scientific industry and community. It can be invaluable to work with a specialized IT group, considering being an expert in one or the other is not enough. The computing consultant that works with clients in varying industries may not have the best combination of knowledge and experience to drive the results you’re looking for.
Your computing partner should have a vast understanding of how your research drives value for your stakeholders. Their ability to leverage opportunities and implement IT infrastructure that meet scientific goals, is vital. Therefore, as stated in consideration #1: Life Science Specialization and Mastery, it’s vital that your IT partner have significant IT experience.
This is an evaluation metric best captured during strategy meetings with your scientific computing lead. Take a moment to consider the IT infrastructure options that are presented to you. Do they use your existing scientific infrastructure as a foundation? Do they require IT skills that your research team has?
These are important considerations because you may end up spending far more than necessary on IT infrastructure that goes underutilized. This will make it difficult for your life science research firm to work competitively towards new discoveries.
The Opportunity Cost of Working with the Wrong Partner is High
Overspending on underutilized IT infrastructure draws valuable IT resources away from critical research initiatives. Missing opportunities to deploy scientific computing solutions in response to scientific needs negatively impacts research outcomes.
Determining if your scientific computing partner is up to the task requires taking a closer look at the quality of expertise you receive. Utilize your strategy meetings to gain insight into the experience and capabilities of your current partners, and pay close attention to Evaluation Consideration #2: Bridging the Gap Between Science and IT. Come back next week to read more about our next critical consideration in your computing partnership, having a High Level of Adaptability.