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Customer success story

From hidden bottlenecks to 21 days saved in a month.

An NCI-designated cancer center used TrialConnx to surface delays they never knew existed and dramatically accelerated study activation in just 30 days. Anonymized for confidentiality.

NCI-designated cancer center 120-day activation target 2 process changes
Headline result
21days
Saved per study
Achieved within the first 30 days of TrialConnx visibility.
17.5%
Faster activation
~99 days
New median cycle

The challenge

Delays they never knew existed.

Before TrialConnx, decisions were based on anecdotal observations and gut feelings. Leadership suspected inefficiencies existed but couldn’t pinpoint exactly where time was being lost.

Operating without visibility

Like many research institutions, this AMC was hitting their 120-day activation target inconsistently. They lacked the data to differentiate between process flaws, training issues, or unrealistic timeline constraints.

“When we first entered some data, what we found is there were delays in the process we never really thought of, like obtaining the lab manual in a timely manner from the sponsor.”

Research Administration Leader

The first three studies they mapped revealed a pattern of delays they had never thought to look for, starting with external dependencies completely outside their control.

External dependencyHidden
3+ months
Lab manuals from sponsors arriving late
Internal bottleneckDelayed
29 days
Wait time to get in front of the PI
Process delaySequential
+43 days
Time-estimates completion after PI meeting

The discovery

Where did all the time go?

TrialConnx mapped the real timeline and revealed that 60% of the activation window was consumed before core work could even begin.

Study activation timeline (before optimization)
Day 0
Study initiated
Day 29
PI meeting (Resource Meeting)
Day 72
Budget work can begin
Day 120
Activation target
60%
of the 120-day window was consumed by waiting and sequential handoffs before budget work could even start.
The aha moment

For the staff, it was shocking. They felt they were keeping up with the workload, then saw that in some cases they were the barrier. Now they have an opportunity to see patterns of their work.

Staff can now see if they’re meeting their own deadlines.
They can identify if an upstream task is blocking them.
Conversations shifted from blame to problem-solving.

The solution

Two targeted process changes.

Armed with clear data, the central office focused on “what we are touching” and made strategic adjustments to their workflow.

Front-loading budget creation

BeforeBudget shells built after the Resource Meeting, when all information was finally gathered.
AfterBudget shell creation begins early, decoupled from waiting for complete information.
Budget work now runs in parallel with other activities.

Resource Meeting realignment

Before29-day wait to get in front of the PI; activities ran sequentially after.
AfterRestructured timing; activities now overlap, maintaining internal momentum.
Faster stakeholder alignment regardless of external delays.

“Being a central office, I am only able to focus on what we are touching. By moving our timing of the internal budget creation and changing our timing for the Resource Meeting, we decreased time to activation by 21 days in a month’s time.”

Research Administration Leader

The result

21 days saved per study, in 30 days of work.

One full month after implementing two targeted changes informed by TrialConnx visibility, without adding headcount or rewriting their SOPs.

Headline
21
Days saved per study
Achieved in just one month.
Timeline compression
Before optimization~120 days
After optimization~99 days
17.5% faster Improvement in time to activation
21
Days saved per study
30
Days to see results
2
Process changes made

Stakeholder impact

Benefits across the organization.

TrialConnx delivered tangible improvements for leadership, frontline staff, and the institution as a whole.

For leadership

  • Replaced gut feelings with objective metrics.
  • Differentiate process flaws from training issues.
  • Data-driven presentations on real bottlenecks.
  • Strategic planning grounded in actual cycle-time data.

For frontline staff

  • See patterns in their own work performance.
  • Identify upstream blockers in real time.
  • Proactive escalation as a “safety net” to raise issues earlier.
  • Shift from blame to collaborative problem-solving.

For the institution

  • Two departments + ancillary teams now in one system.
  • Monthly leadership/staff forums to discuss challenges.
  • Test whether institutional timelines still make sense.
  • Departmental silos breaking down.
“

The timelines will start decreasing now that we have visibility on tasks.

The core insight

“The most important thing for your institution right now is to analyze bottlenecks. Are they realistic timelines? Has something changed in the process? Is there a training issue? Once you have visibility, the timelines will start decreasing.”

Research Administration Leader
NCI-designated cancer center

The transformation

Before and after TrialConnx.

Before TrialConnx
After TrialConnx
Overwhelmed by workload, no clear bottleneck.
Clear visibility into where efforts stall.
Gut feelings and assumptions drove process change.
Objective metrics and cycle-time data.
Hidden delays inside manual workflows.
Bottlenecks visible and measurable per study.
Sequential processes by default.
Parallel workflows wherever possible.
Reactive problem-solving after slips.
Proactive escalation before slips happen.
Departmental silos.
Unified system across teams.
Fixed, unquestioned processes.
Agile calibration and quick adjustments.
Blame-focused conversations.
Problem-solving conversations.

You can’t fix what you can’t see.

TrialConnx didn’t change this institution’s processes directly. It gave them the visibility to see where bottlenecks actually existed, measure the true impact of delays, prioritize the changes that would have the greatest effect, act with confidence on data-driven decisions, and verify that those changes produced real results.

“I feel the key is, for the first time with the visibility, we can adjust and make improvements, start earlier for escalations, and decrease the time to activation. Moving beyond keeping up with the workload to actively mastering the timeline.“

Research Administration Leader

Ready to find your hidden bottlenecks?

Bring your current activation timeline and the studies you’re trying to move. We’ll show how TrialConnx can give your team the visibility it needs to act on the right delays, including the ones that are easy to miss.

Request a walkthrough → For AMCs & cancer centers