Contributing experts: Jayme Swinson, VP of Operations at PharPoint; Maribeth Owings, Director of Clinical Operations at PharPoint; Nickie Carver, Sr. Clinical Operations Lead at PharPoint; Kerstin Harper, Sr. Director of Product Launch and Readiness at Medrio; Mike Novotny, CEO of Medrio; Maura King, Sr. Product Manager at Medrio
After trying various CTMS products, PharPoint Research was eager to find a better one, as none of the off-the-shelf options met their needs. Headquartered in North Carolina, this CRO has supported over 1,000 clinical trials across sponsors of varying sizes and therapeutic areas.
Over the past 10 years, the team underwent two resource-intensive evaluation and implementation processes with CTMS options. Ultimately, neither option delivered on their promises. So when Medrio invited PharPoint to help shape Medrio CTMS through its Early Adopter Program, the team said yes.
“What was missing was valued input from those who actually use the systems every day,” explains Jayme Swinson. “When Mike [Novotny, Medrio’s CEO] and I started talking about picking up the idea of developing a CTMS solution, I knew Medrio would listen. The Medrio team has always heard their clients.”
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How the collaborative process started
Once PharPoint and Medrio confirmed the partnership was the right fit, the two teams got to work.
Both teams moved quickly from general conversations about needs into the specific details of how each workflow needed to function. They started by mapping out the ideal CTMS. Instead of weighing in on everything at once, the PharPoint team focused on one aspect of their monitoring workflow.
“That really helped to narrow our focus,” says Maribeth Owings, Director of Clinical Operations at PharPoint.
Starting with one shared focus area gave both teams a clear way to sequence the work. It also set the tone for how they would collaborate. Medrio’s product team could then tackle one piece of the workflow at a time.
“The collaboration with PharPoint allowed us to focus and see what was most important,” says Maura King, the Medrio Product Manager supporting the CTMS launch. Instead of guessing at what customers might need, Medrio’s product team built from direct feedback.
What the program looks like
PharPoint’s involvement in the Early Adopter Program meant close, hands-on collaboration between their clinical operations team and Medrio’s product team.
The process combined structured touchpoints with ongoing check-ins, so both sides stayed aligned as the product took shape.
Here’s what that collaboration looked like in practice:
- Regular virtual meetings: Medrio and PharPoint’s clinical operations team met frequently throughout the project, with the cadence flexing based on need.
- A shared action item log: Both teams tracked requests, feedback, and progress in a running log they could check at any time.
- Live, hands-on sessions in the system: Rather than reviewing only finished demos, both teams worked directly inside the system together, building things out in real time. This “show versus tell” approach revealed needs that wouldn’t have come up through conversation alone.
This combination of structure and flexibility kept the project on track at each stage of development.
Benefits of the Early Adopter Program
PharPoint spent a decade evaluating, implementing, and repeatedly finding limiting challenges as they worked with two off-the-shelf CTMS tools. They never found a system built around how their team works. This time, they’re helping build the CTMS.
“We had the opportunity to make the system function exactly the way we needed it to,” says Nickie Carver.
Participation in Medrio’s Early Adopter Program also gives PharPoint’s team a level of understanding they haven’t had with prior systems. Because they’ve helped shape the product question by question, they understand why it works the way it does.
The PharPoint team pointed to three main benefits:
- Greater efficiency with a system that matches existing workflows
- Fewer workarounds because the product reflects how the team works
- A better fit instead of adapting processes to the tool
When asked whether she’d join the Early Adopter Program again, Nickie said, “Absolutely. Who doesn’t want to help build out a system the way you want it to work? I would definitely do it again.”
Join Medrio’s Early Adopter Program
Interested in joining Medrio’s Early Adopter Program? You’ll have the opportunity to shape new products, share what you learn, and see how your input shapes the product.
We keep cohorts small, so every member can work closely with our product team. That means participation is by invitation. If there’s a fit, we’ll confirm your participation level, onboarding, and feedback cadence.
