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Biotechnology Survey Reveals Gaps In Project Management Robbins-Gioia Discovers Importance of Project Management to Biotechnology Companies, but Incomplete Adoption of Best Practices August 26, 2002, Alexandria, Virginia—Robbins-Gioia LLC, the leading provider of program management consulting solutions, today announced the results of a survey conducted at the annual meeting of the Biotechnology Industry Association in late June. The survey was intended to determine the level of project management maturity of the industry and the perceived importance of project management competencies among biotechnology executives. Among the key findings was a consensus that project management is essential to the biotechnology business, with 71 percent of respondents identifying it as "critical" and an additional 20 percent calling it "somewhat important." Implementation of project management best practices, however, seems to lag behind this perception. For instance, only 25 percent of respondents said that their companies have a project management office, or PMO. Additionally, only 50 percent said that their companies had individuals with project management titles and career paths. The result of this discrepancy is not surprising. Fifty-two percent of respondents said that their project performance was uneven, noting that their projects were managed "sometimes well, sometimes not." Gene Bounds, Robbins-Gioia's chief operating officer, is not surprised. "The key to managing projects consistently is establishing repeatable processes and building a level of competency and confidence. Without a PMO-or at least some highly placed individuals with project management expertise-it's unlikely that the rigor and discipline to deliver consistently will emerge." The survey also considered the importance of various factors for the biotechnology industry. The top factor noted in the survey was "complying effectively with regulations," with 60 percent identifying this as "very important" and an additional 21 percent calling it "more important." This factor was followed closely by "getting to market first," identified by 59 percent as "very important" and an additional 15 percent as "more important." When asked which factors had become more important this year than last, 63 percent answered "containing costs," followed closely by "getting to market first" with 59 percent, "complying effectively with regulations" with 56 percent, and "giving investors confidence in plans" with 53 percent. Bounds notes, "Biotechnology companies have a significant challenge ahead of them. As you can see from the results, they are very concerned about cost containment and investor confidence, but at the same time they have to comply with regulations and aggressively pursue quick market entry. Without a solid project management infrastructure, it's unlikely that many companies will be able to address these concerns effectively." The survey consisted of 106 executives in the biotechnology industry and the sample was drawn from participants in the 2002 Biotechnology Industry Organization annual convention in June 2002. About Robbins-Gioia, LLC
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