Can't hire on speculation? The false economy of keeping product development in-house

Life science and PharmaTech companies have long struggled with the timing of sale closures and talent hires. The typical scenario is this: Pharma product vendors can’t increase headcount until their sales team closes on a sale, meaning they must scramble to find the right designers and engineers needed to deliver on the promise.

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The product team, who typically were not involved in the details of the sale, are then tasked with making the magic happen. They are asked to figure out how to design and build the product within the given (often unrealistic) timeframe and budget. This often leads to frustration on all sides, as well as subpar products that don't meet the customer's expectations. By the time they realise that the promise cannot be delivered, it's too late—time and money have already been spent.

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“I would say the biggest challenge I face is timeliness of vendor delivery and poor quality of solutions. Vendors seem to be very overstretched and over committing at the moment”

‍Director Digital Implementation, Clinical Research Organisation 

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It's a long-held and often misguided belief within many businesses that they need to keep product development in-house to be successful. This is especially true within the pharma and life science industries where the stakes are high and navigating regulatory guidance is essential. The thinking goes that if a company outsources this critical function, they'll lose control and won't be able to maintain the high standards they set for their products. However, this isn't always the best course of action for companies, and can often lead to issues with recruiting, budgeting, and time management.

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The reality is that outsourcing product development can bring many benefits for companies, especially when done correctly, including gaining access to a wider pool of talent, saving money, and increasing efficiency.

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“Through the collaboration between nuom, our internal experts, and the technical teams we were able to provide an end-to-end service for our client within very tight deadlines.”

‍Gavin Birchnall, BD Solutions Consultant, Exco InTouch 

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So, what's the best course of action for your company? It really depends on your specific needs and goals.

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nuom has over a decade of experience helping businesses with their product development needs, and we believe that outsourcing this work can be a much better option for many companies. Let's explore some of the reasons.

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Workshopping for alignment

There are multiple stakeholders involved in the product development process, each with their own goals and objectives. Companies frequently underestimate how misaligned each individual’s vision of the final product can be, even within an in-house team. Workshops can help to ensure that everyone is on the same page from the outset. 

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For example, at nuom we have developed a bespoke design innovation product ‘Pace’ to facilitate client workshops for product ideation. We get everyone in the room; sales, product, clients and stakeholders from all parts of the company, and work through the product development process together. This ensures that everyone’s expectations are aligned and they are working towards the same goal.

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Relieving the pressure

In-house product development teams face immense pressure to deliver on their promises. Oftentimes, product development teams are made up of employees who are already stretched thin. This can lead to burnout, high staff turnover, and even mental health issues.

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When you outsource product development, you can take advantage of a team of experienced professionals who are used to working at an accelerated rate, who dedicate their time to one project at a time.

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“The way nuom embedded into our team was crucial.” ‍

Gather Product Owner, Exco InTouch

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Nuom's approach: dedicated squads

It's important to carefully curate teams, so they consist of a valuable range of expertise that can work on your prototype project from start to finish. Having a dedicated team, or squad, bringing the right range of expertise and experience, can make or break a product development process.

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An outsourced team should be an embedded resource that sits within your company, working as an extension of your team. This allows for an exceptional product development process that produces the highest quality products.

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Encouraging repeat customers

It should go without saying that one of the most important goals of any product development team is to give their clients a better experience. What often happens when companies attempt to hire in-house after a project has been won, is that they are working to a squeezed timeline, leading to corners being cut, and a subpar product, delivered late. This is not the ideal situation for clients, and decreases the likelihood of them becoming repeat customers.

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It is possible to streamline the development process and give clients a better experience, even when working on a tight timeline. This can be done by outsourcing product development to a team of experienced professionals who are dedicated to this work. An emphasis on workshops and creating prototypes through a team-for-hire offers many benefits. It allows you to fully understand the client's wants and needs, then create a product that meets their expectations, and on the promised timeline. This gives them a better experience and ensures the final product meets, or even exceeds, their expectations.

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Get in touch with us to find out more about our embedded services and product team for hires.

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