Challenge
A high-impact bioinformatics core team within a leading pharmaceutical company,
tasked with supporting multiple drug development programs across a vast R&D
department, found itself grappling with a substantial challenge. The high demand for
their services had stretched resources to their limits, resulting in a burgeoning backlog,
an overwhelmed team, and delays in delivering analysis results to stakeholders. The
team was hesitant to explore outsourcing due to the prevailing perception that
bioinformatics consulting firms often delivered generic, off-the-shelf reports that fail to
address the specific scientific questions at hand.
Action
In response to these mounting challenges, the team overcame their hesitation and
proactively sought recommendations for a trustworthy consulting firm within their
professional network. Through these efforts, they discovered Diamond Age (DA), a firm
distinguished for its reputation in providing customized analyses by seasoned experts.
To test the waters, the team engaged DA in a small project involving single cell, multi-
omics analysis. DA not only met but exceeded all expectations for this initial project,
establishing trust at the outset. Subsequently, DA became an extension of the
bioinformatics core team, interfacing directly with the core teams’ scientific stakeholders
to understand the scientific questions being asked (without requiring management by
the core bioinformatics team) and delivering bespoke tools and reports tailored to meet
their precise needs and expectations.
Result
The strategic partnership with DA, which remains ongoing, brought about transformative
results for the bioinformatics core team. A notable reduction in workload, coupled with
the successful resolution of backlogs and program delays, marked a significant
turnaround for the team without the need for additional headcount. The ability of DA to
collaborate directly with the client’s scientific stakeholders proved invaluable to the core
team—and helped to change their perspective on bioinformatics consultants.
“Diamond Age’s consultants provided us with nuanced, biologically relevant results that
reflected the questions our team asked. ”Bioinformatics Group Lead, Top 10 Pharmaceutical Company