Ramya Sriram, digital content manager of online freelance platform for scientists Kolabtree, describes how freelancers can help medical device companies reduce time to market.
The pandemic has caused many medical device companies (MDCs) to start working remotely, but it can be challenging to effectively bring a remote team’s experiences, expertise and alternative viewpoints together effectively.
Outsourcing allows medical device companies to reduce their workloads, so they can focus on the most important jobs — functions that help grow the business or help the product reach the market faster. Virtual workers can be used throughout the process of bringing a device to market, for example, performing literature searches, applying for grants or regulatory writing.
According to PwC, in 2018, the global healthcare industry spent around $169.5 billion on R&D, and it is projected to become the largest spending sector in the near future. Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) with smaller budgets may find it difficult to launch products in a market where competitors have such deep pockets. One way to make the most of a limited budget is to work with freelancers, contracting specialists for individual tasks for a defined project length.
This can form part of a smart approach to the allocation of resources during the early stages of product development. When the project becomes more viable, medical device manufacturers can then invest in specialist freelancers or full-time employees, as well as any required equipment or facilities.
Culture and communication
A business looking for a freelancer to perform, for example, specific data analysis or clinical trial design, can benefit from access to a highly experienced talent pool — they can even recruit from other cities or time zones. The company can recruit for specific tasks, dependent on where they are in their project, their strategy and the expertise of the team.
For example, an experienced freelancer can help an MDC find opportunities for collaboration with additional experts in the field, such as doctors or scientists, who can act as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and advocate for their product. A KOL can also provide useful industry insights and highlight sector specific issues that may extend the research stage, such as particular end user requirements.
Or if the SME does not have a particular design in mind, it could engage a product development freelancer to help identify gaps in the market that spark unique product ideas. This stage could include searching for pre-approved equivalent devices on the market to gain a better insight into existing solutions. An MDC can also work with clinical trial consulting freelancers for help with designing and optimising research studies.
If the MDC requires funding to get a project off the ground, accessing the skills of someone that has already successfully applied for the grant can be a real asset. Freelance grant writers bring experience from past projects, so securing funding becomes a smoother process. Grant writers can manage literature and documentation and also gather the evidence and information needed to support the application. This funding knowledge could reduce the number of times grants are submitted or rejected, smoothing out the process.
During product development, prototypes establish the most appropriate material, manufacturing method and provide testing opportunities, stopping multiple, time consuming redesigns. Freelancers can advise on industry standards, such as ISO 13485 and ISO 10993 and establish the robust quality assurance procedures required to make sure the business’ processes are compliant.
Location independent workers, like freelancers, can sometimes feel removed from an organisation because of the physical barrier of a screen. However, the bottom line benefits they can deliver are very real. Medical device companies can successfully integrate freelancers into their product development process to provide knowledge and experience and ultimately reduce a product’s time to market.
