Contract Negotiation

The timely execution of the clinical trial agreement is on the critical path during the study start-up phase. Quite frankly, investigator sites are unable to begin enrolling patients unless the contract is executed. CFS recognizes the importance of this activity and has developed proprietary tools that significantly reduce contract cycle times. These tools augment the work being done by the CFS Contract Specialist and help automate a largely manual, paper based process.

At the heart of the CFS Contract Negotiation service is the Negotiation Tracking System (NTS), a proprietary approval flow system that manages the lifecycle of a contract from inception to negotiation completion, including any potential amendments that may occur throughout the life of the project. Within the NTS, the CFS Contract Specialists are able to track many aspects of the negotiation including project and vendor information, key negotiated items stratified by budget and contract, red-lined agreements with version control, and negotiation status. The NTS offers an organized method to track negotiations within the purview of CFS and then also enables escalation to the sponsor’s representatives for additional levels of approval and review. Lastly, the NTS is a real-time system that serves as the primary work space for the CFS Contract Specialists, thereby enabling full transparency and reporting to the sponsor.