If you want to banish the “Frankensystems” in your environment, there are three key things you need to do:

1. Select the right tool
2. Create efficient business processes
3. Develop a robust change management plan

A better mousetrap 

Most tools do not address the entire lifecycle. In the figure shown, the outer ring represents the lifecycle from finding the right content to publishing and distributing the final product, and the inner circles illustrate the tools or systems that are used typically.

To manage information today, various systems are used at each step, and often (in the case of email) information or documents are handled outside the system.

Fortunately, there is now a single, end-to-end, system that includes the necessary functionality and integration for managing information in the lifecycle.

Docuvera, a cloud-based software offered by Author-It, is a unique solution that supports creation, review, approval, localization, storage and distribution of your key regulated and controlled information and documents within a single integrated system.  A component-based authoring solution, Docuvera enables information reuse and ensures consistency and accuracy across documents.  Content is created once and can be re-used across document types or global regions.  Changes are made once and are automatically replicated throughout the document library.  Provided with a clear audit trail, version control issues are eliminated.  The ability to reuse content across departmental silos improves visibility and transparency while  increasing efficiency and reducing costs.  Some clients have avoided or reduced cost by 29-44% for document creation, and 74% for reusing information. It helps you work faster too: reducing cycle time by as much as 40-45%.

Setting up for success 

Too often companies assume that a new technology or tool will fix their pain points. But without efficient business processes and effective change management, most (70%) technology implementations fail.  Docuvera—or any solution—alone will not banish the monster. It needs to be supported by efficient business processes and effective change management and communication.

TransAccel Group is uniquely positioned to help design, execute and realize the benefits of an integrated, enterprise-level information management strategy. Our approach focuses on crafting solutions unique to your situation, designing business processes and recommending technology solutions that enhance integration and improve communication, collaboration and consistency, both functionally and globally, and then developing the change management and communications that will make it useful and sustainable in your environment.

Email Mark Lane or Bruce Lotier to continue the conversation or discuss how TAG can help you develop an information strategy that works for you

How did we get here?

Like many sectors, the pharmaceutical industry is known for functional siloes, which make it difficult to communicate and collaborate across the enterprise. The challenges are magnified when multiple systems are involved, and further compounded when information needs to be shared, or when larger documents, such as submissions, need to be created collaboratively across business functions.

It starts with scattered information and broken processes. 


When you’re creating a document that cuts across functional areas, such as a regulatory submission, medical writers, subject matter experts and/or authors must spend time identifying and retrieving content, by searching across multiple systems (drives, folders, other storage systems) and emailing various contributors to find the most up-to-date content. When more than one author is involved, people must either work independently on their sections, or documents must be checked in and out, making collaboration more complex.

The evolution of Frankensystems

Identifying content, creating documents, reviewing and localizing documents is challenging enough without complicating matters further by using multiple systems. But this approach started because an integrated solution wasn’t there to support the end-to-end process, so companies addressed each sub-process as technology became available. Today, “Frankensystems” persist and multiply in the absence of an integrated strategy that brings together business and IT goals, and manages information, documents and the supporting processes.

Can you banish the monster—or at least teach it to dance?

Yes! The first step is to examine your information and document management approach and pain points, with an eye towards developing enterprise solutions. When you look at your information requirements from a higher level, and address specific business unit and IT needs, a comprehensive approach to information and document management will save time and money, improve compliance and free up key talent to work on higher value activities.

When considering your information management strategy, it is important to remember that software and other technology tools are merely enablers of the overall solution. No tool can fix business processes that don’t work well or engage people to use them. Assessing and improving your business processes and practices and developing a change management and communication plan will also help you “tame the monster.” In the next post we will discuss technology options that provide an end-to-end solution for creating, reviewing, approving, localizing, storing and managing regulated and controlled information.

How can you can address your own “Frankensystem” nightmare, engage leadership, manage change, and start on the path to a better way? Contact TransAccel Group by reaching out to Mark Lane or Bruce Lotier.

1. In the mid-60’s TV show Get Smart, Don Adams’ fellow female agent was Agent number what?

a. 79

b. 89

c. 99

d. 229

2. True or False

Unstructured data is human-generated, existing on Windows and Linux/Unix File servers, SharePoint and Exchange Platforms.

3. Who were Get Smarts’ creators?

a. Steve Allen

b. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry

c. Buck Henry and Cesar Romero

d. Mel Brooks

4. True or False

Unstructured data on average represents 80% of your organization’s data and is multiplying at 30-50% a year.

5. What device did “Control” utilize in order to keep information confidential?

a. A tricked-out umbrella

b. A private closet

c. The Cone of Silence

d. Invisible Ink

6. Which of the following questions regarding the management of unstructured data is difficult for most organizations to answer?

a. Who owns what data?

b. Who has permission to the data?

c. What data is highly sensitive and over-exposed?

d. How can exposed data be remedied without disturbing the business?

e. What data is being deleted? By whom?

f. What data is walking out of the company and with whom?

g. All the above.

7. Which was not one of Maxwell Smart’s catchphrases?

a. Maxwell Smart will not fail.

b. I asked you not to tell me that.

c. Would you believe…

d. Missed it by that much.

e. And…loving it.

8. True or False

TransAccel Group has partnered with Varonis Systems to offer solutions that address the concerns regarding the proliferation of unstructured data by offering audit trail analysis, permissions hierarchies and transparency, alerts, and data transfer solutions, among other benefits.

9. Which of the following characters was not featured in Get Smart?

a. The Chief

b. Dr. Iron

c. Hymie the Robot

d. Ludwig Von Siegfried

e. Mr. Big

10. Varonis software reduces risks to data in which of the following ways:

a. Data mistakenly exposed is identified and locked down safely, including sensitive and regulated content

b. Access controls are much more restricted; employees have access to only what they need

c. Data owners with knowledge of their data assets are in control; the right people review data access and group memberships

d. Every file and email touch is captured and analyzed

e. All use is monitored

f. Automatic baselines are created for every user allowing deviations to be detected

g. Abuse is detected and real-time alerts are triggered

h. By digitizing all past Get Smart Episodes

i. All the above, except (h)

If you answered questions 1 (c), 3 (b), 5 (c), 7 (a), and 9 (b),you probably watched too much TV as I child, as I did. If you got them all wrong you’re probably a lot younger than I am.

If you answered questions 2 (True), 4 (True), 6 (g), 8 (True), 10 (i), you realize how critically important it is to get a handle on your human-generated unstructured data.

Did you know that if Maxwell Smart and Control did not confront and defeat KAOS, the entire world would have been in disarray? Did you also know that by 2020, a typical company will have to manage and protect 14 times more data than it has today? Moreover, they’ll have to make sure the right data is available to the right people, wherever they are, and on whatever devices they use. The relentless growth of data carries big opportunities and serious risks for organizations of all sizes. The intersection of opportunity and risk, and enabling the safe collaboration needed to drive business forward was described on Forbes.com as “the defining challenge of the age of big data.” Sounds like potential CHAOS to us.

Please allow TransAccel to assist you in evaluating your current needs relative to the management, remediation and governance of your growing unstructured data. We would be pleased to schedule a discussion or a brief demonstration of Varonis’ powerful software solution as well as the added value that TransAccel brings to the challenge.

As Agent 86 would say, Would you believe the management and protection of unstructured data is a significant and troubling concern that needs attention today rather than waiting until it is too far out of control? In this case, the answer is absolutely YES.

The other day, I ran across a great piece by Gartner about improving project success. Its premise was that if you focus on three things—Partnership, Requirements and Resources—you can really increase the probability of a successful project outcome. Wow! . . .something different from The Big Three!! I was easily able to relate requirements and resources back to the big three, but what about partnership? The formal definition of “partnership” (courtesy of my dictionary) was of little use, but when I looked at its synonyms, I found words like alliance, collaboration, connection, relation, and union. And that’s when it hit me. Partnership doesn’t relate to the big three but rather comprises the foundation that enables us to deliver on them. Without true partnership, project realization or the ability to deliver the expected value from the project is unlikely.

This should have been obvious considering the successful projects I’ve participated in and led. It was partnership at all levels that helped drive realization. From various IT organizations to external partners to the client organizations themselves, the most successful (and fun) projects were always built around partnership. In fact, one might argue that partnership was more important than The Big Three because these successful projects weren’t always on-time, on budget or delivered as initially envisioned. Instead, the customers were heavily engaged along the way, were part of the decision making process, were active participants in validating and re-validating the scope, and were integral parts of testing and acceptance. And so, while I very much agree with the Gartner’s assertion, I would add that management of the big three is table stakes in today’s world—the true differentiator on projects is partnership.

Lennon and McCartney wrote the lyric “I’ll get by with a little help from my friends,” and I would propose that they got it right: with a little help from each other (in partnership throughout all aspects of a project) we can greatly improve the chance of success.

What do you think? Do you have any examples of how partnership drove success?