Scientific Research & Development Services Category Procurement Intelligence Report

The market for Market Research and its sub-segments such as Scientific Research & Development Services are at an interesting intersection. There are only a handful of \"Tier 1\" vendors in the Scientific Research & Development Services market and they have traditionally enjoyed a premium in their pricing. However, Tier 2 suppliers are giving them a tough competition now as they can provide similar services at a lower cost. Many tier 2 suppliers achieve this parity by finding right talent at a relatively lower cost and maintaining lean operations without any frills.

Data security and maintaining the confidentiality of client data and other sensitive information has towered over most of the discussions related to the category. Most geographies now have stringent regulations to protect data, privacy and confidentiality. Although suppliers now have a value proposition that puts data security and confidentiality at the forefront of marketing pitches, adherence to these standards have also increased OPEX of suppliers owing to increased compliance methods and requirement to change critical processes.

Service providers are increasingly investing in the adoption of automation software and advanced technologies to realize process efficiencies, broaden their service offerings and reduce time to market. This is increasing their OPEX, which will be passed on to buyers in the form of slightly higher procurement costs.

Trends like these and many others discussed in this report are necessitating a relook at the way Scientific Research & Development Services is procured and the procurement cost saving opportunities that exist.

Scientific Research & Development Services procurement best practices are moving towards a level of sophistication which is typically seen in traditional procurement categories. Category managers now have an attractive opportunity to adapt the best practices seen within this category as well as those being leveraged in other non-related categories. This report summarizes the best practices picked from across multiple categories that could work well for category managers involved with Scientific Research & Development Services procurement strategy.

For example, Buyers must provide all key requirements in detail and ensure that service providers offer precise details regarding processes, systems, manpower, and expected outcome. Regular and effective communication between buyers and service providers are crucial during the contract formation phase, as well as across different phases of the project.

Contract should outline the expected levels of service with respect to recruitment of panel, data interpretation, relevance of technologies used, outcomes expected and other related processes by the service provider.

Buyers must clearly define clauses related to ownership of subcontracting services that are not part of their preferred partners' portfolios to ensure service consistency and control of sensitive data that are shared with subcontracted firms. The roles and responsibilities of subcontractors should be clearly defined by supplier to provide visibility on the quality of main service provider vs sub-contractors.

Scientific Research & Development Services procurement managers also need to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks that can arise in the supply chain or contracts for Scientific Research & Development Services procurement. Some examples include: