How an integrated RockStep and Dotmatics Solution optimizes
in vivo R&D from initial study design to client reporting
As a world-renowned CRO boldly challenging scientific possibility, Charles River Laboratories is an expert at evolving, whether that be adopting cutting-edge scientific technologies or adjusting to clients’ changing needs. To best ensure its ability to provide stellar and flexible contract research services, Charles River has been modernizing its internal systems and processes as part of its “lab of the future” initiative. This has involved shifting from numerous, complex, specialized legacy systems to an integrated, standardized infrastructure of best-of-breed SaaS software. Optimizing the way it operates is helping Charles River not only innovate and collaborate better internally, but also deliver an improved customer experience via more efficient service and improved communication. One of the first changes the company implemented was rolling out Dotmatics ELN to hundreds of early-discovery researchers working across biology, chemistry, and DMPK, who leverage the solution for database searching, compound registration, analytical/purification workflow creation, and remote collaboration. The success of this project prompted the company to continue its work with Dotmatics, this time in the area of in vivo research, where the integration of Dotmatics Platform with RockStep’s Climb in vivo study-management software offers an unrivaled solution for digitalizing in vivo research.
Charles River’s Goals in Digitalizing Its In Vivo Labs
When seeking a solution to digitalize its in vivo early-discovery labs, Charles River needed the best of both worlds: flexibility and standardization.
Flexibility for diverse R&D workflow support: Charles River’s leadership team wanted a solution that could support R&D efforts across different specialty areas, such as oncology, metabolics, and cardiovascular research. The solution needed to enable fast, flexible study design, as is often needed in outsourced early-discovery R&D where proposal and approval timelines are tight. The team also wanted the solution to help them manage subsequent lab workflows, tasks, and resources on both a macro and micro level, as well as ready them to measure efficiency and KPIs.
Rigidity for a cohesive UX and regulation enforcement: Despite the need for flexibility in some areas, the team also wanted some baseline standardization in order to ensure a consistent experience for all researchers using the platform, regardless of their specific areas of research. They also wanted to provide a cohesive experience for external clients who would be viewing their studies from a portal. Additionally, the team needed some degree of rigidity in order to enforce policies and procedures related to in vivo research regulations.
An Integrated RockStep and Dotmatics In Vivo R&D Solution
Working with RockStep and Dotmatics was an easy choice for Charles River Laboratories. RockStep’s Climb Platform is the industry leader for in vivo study management, while the Dotmatics Scientific R&D Platform is renowned for its ability to help researchers more easily access and apply their R&D data, as well as for its ease of integration with other software.
As shown in the figure, Charles River Laboratories’ digitalization solution unites its in vivo early-discovery labs with Dotmatics and RockStep software within one interconnected ecosystem.
Charles River designs and executes early discovery in vivo studies across numerous global sites and diverse disciplines, producing scores of complex data that must be collected, analyzed, reported to clients, and leveraged to inform subsequent R&D efforts.
RockStep’s Climb Platform helps Charles River manage its in vivo studies with rich set of capabilities, including: in vivo study design, execution, and study-summary creation using reusable, customizable, and scalable templates; comprehensive task and resource management; quality control and digitization of diverse study data (e.g., dosing, measurement, sampling data).
Dotmatics Platform unites everything within a complete scientific R&D platform and facilitates steps such as: study pricing and proposal creation/review; automation of drug-therapy formulation; harmonization of study data from RockStep Climb (raw, aggregated, graphical, clinical observations); federated data search as well as graphing, visualization, and reporting for both internal Charles River users and clients (who have protected access to only their studies); seamless export of raw and aggregated data to specialty statistics and analytics tools (e.g., Prism).
Benefits of a RockStep & Dotmatics In Vivo R&D Solution
An integrated RockStep and Dotmatics in vivo R&D solution has helped Charles River Laboratories achieve:
Data-driven labs: Charles River not only has its in vivo study data in digital format, but it can also leverage that data to refine its research. True digitalization involves setting up the necessary systems and processes to harmonize, integrate, and analyze digitized data so that it can directly inform research decisions and processes.
Future-proof labs: Investing in Saas cloud-based solutions has helped Charles River future-proof its labs; the company has reduced its technical debt by choosing service providers who maintain the currentness of technology, and it has freed its internal IT resources to oversee deployment and manage the organization’s security posture.
High ROI: Compared to other commercial or homegrown options, the integrated RockStep and Dotmatics solution has greater potential return on investment, stemming from improved research quality and efficiency, reduced errors, better data-driven decision making, faster turnaround, and higher employee and client satisfaction.
On-Demand Webinar:
The Game Changer in In Vivo Research - Digitalizing the Lab
Want to learn more? Watch the on-demand webinar, The Game Changer in In Vivo Research: Digitalizing the Lab. In this webinar, our panel of experts explore:
Charles River’s In Vivo R&D Platform - See how Charles River’s migration to RockStep’s Climb in vivo study management software and Dotmatics’ scientific R&D Platform has delivered the standardization, adaptability, and flexibility necessary to rapidly design, execute, and report on diverse types of in vivo studies.
Study Optimization - Explore ways to optimize in vivo studies, from improving set-up and execution to more seamlessly scaling research, regardless of study type or complexity.
Data Challenges - Learn best practices for overcoming lab-data-management challenges, such as data silos and interoperability.
Change Management - Hear expert advice on the phased steps needed to successfully implement a digital transformation, such as needs analysis, stakeholder buy-in, objective alignment, onboarding and training, and metrics- and ROI-based assessment.
Panelists include experts from:
Charles River Laboratories - Jason Davis, Director and Product Owner
RockStep Solutions - Chuck Donnelly, CEO and Co-founder
Dotmatics - Pamela Seida, Principal Application Scientist, and Michael Moss, Regional Vice President of North America Services
