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CREO works with several high-profile Contract Research Organizations (CROs) throughout the Triangle region of North Carolina. A recent client was a digital CRO that pioneered an innovative service model to transform drug and medical device development. The company delivers technology-amplified services to improve performance, collaboration, and visibility across all its stakeholders. While some would classify it as a “niche CRO,” because of its digital approach, the company maintains North American, South American, European, and Asian hubs to serve customers.

Despite its global footprint, the company’s salesforce lacked training and focus. CREO diagnosed an ailing sales strategy that lacked the people, planning, and process needed to drive performance. CREO Contract Partner Rick Wnuk has deep experience addressing sales challenges similar to the one facing the CRO client: “It is not uncommon to see companies that have experienced exponential growth get a little lost with their sales process. They may not have the team in place or the expertise necessary to determine the right plan of action, hire the right people, and implement the right processes.”

Once CREO understood the unique challenges of this CRO company, Rick got to work designing a sales plan and a 3-year growth strategy. CREO identified the right sales model for the company, focusing on field sales reps and inside sales teams, and targeting their activities to a more manageable roster of customers. Rick and the CREO team also trained the sales business leaders to build a vision of the sales process, and then CREO helped screen new sales talent and ensured that the proper metrics were installed and tracked. “Once we had the processes in place and had demonstrated to the company what kind of talent they needed for their particular sales approach, it was amazing to see how things really took off,” said Rick.

After CREO’s involvement, this “niche CRO” has grown its near-term opportunity pipeline from $6 million to $95 million.

Many of CREO’s clients are managing sensitive projects that call for the most secure methods of data management. Such was the case with an Atlanta-based government contractor responsible for the disbursement of payments to 9/11 First Responders. This contractor’s projects usually involve transmission of government data and to secure the contract the company must comply with rigorous federal standards.

CREO was engaged to ensure the contractor was compliant with federal data management regulations and to establish an “insider threat” program. According to CREO Managing Partner, Mike Townley, “In the current environment, many of the most serious security threats are coming from sources internal to a company, whether through hostile actors or careless employees. An insider threat program is vital for any company hoping to thoroughly safeguard its data and, by extension, its ability to do business.”

CREO addressed the contractor’s challenges by creating a custom Crosswalk Map to determine compliance with NISPOM and FISMA regulations. “A Crosswalk Map helps us understand the security processes a company has in place and what more needs to be done to be compliant with regulations. Through this mapping exercise we can look across the company’s security infrastructure and efficiently assess where there may be gaps or areas of deficiency. It saves us a lot of time and ultimately saves our clients money.”

CREO also established an “insider threat” assessment process and produced a custom threat manual for the contractor. To implement the recommendations, Mike worked side-by-side with the client team to install new security protocols to meet the compliance standards. They then worked together to deploy the insider threat processes and test them for effectiveness.

As a result of CREO’s work and guidance, the contractor achieved full compliance with federal data management regulations in less than 6 months. The recommended improved processes have led to cost savings of $2 million to date.