Software package and information systems

Tender description

The Crick is seeking to identify, configure and implement a tool that will enable effective information recording, storage, management and retrieval. Such a tool will save time and improve efficiency, thereby making best use of the capabilities of current team members. Additionally and importantly, it will improve business continuity via long-term retention of data and records. If the solution proves to facilitate translation we will be ready to provide insight to our stakeholders and colleagues on best practice in translation. The information that will be recorded within the tool will relate to a number of processes across the teams and will help effective management of: — Idea Disclosures: The tool would enable the capture of key information and supporting documentation relating to all new ideas from Crick scientists. Key information would include the disclosure date, contributors, anticipated publishing date. Documentation would include the completed Idea Capture Form, publications and manuscripts. — Internal translation funds such as Idea to Innovation (i2i): The tool would store information at the outline application phase, the full application phase and the review phases. Information relating to reviewer feedback and next steps will be recorded. If the funding is awarded, information relating to progress against milestones and deliverables will be recorded. If funding is not awarded the project can be supported and tracked. Once complete, project outcomes will be recorded, to enable efficient reporting. Notifications to interested parties could be set up to send automatically along the time-line. Key dates in the process will be recorded and reminders generated. — Contracts: Information will be recorded that relates to research and commercial contracts that impact translation. Key dates and information relating to post-execution contract management would be included, such as reporting obligations (e.g. on activity where Crick leads on translation), evaluation periods and termination dates. Key dates would be managed via an automated reminder system. — Contracts and income from translation activity: From contracts with revenue obligations (e.g. licences), key dates and information relating to payment due to the Crick, or revenue share out of the Crick would be recorded — for example invoicing for payments relating to commercial licences (which will in turn trigger the Rewards to Innovators process). These key dates would be managed via an automated reminder system. This may assist in monitoring potential impact on VAT and auditing exercises. — Patents and patent applications: Record information, store documents and generate reminders to efficiently and accurately manage the Crick patent portfolio. This would include storage and linking of correspondence and/or key actions relating to office actions, recording patent numbers and filing dates and generating reminders for patent actions and payments. Monitoring patent spend and approximate forecasting of patent expenditure will enable effective management of a patent budget. — Reports to stakeholders: To capture essential metrics to support both internal and external reports relating to the activities of the Translation and Legal and Contracts teams. Such reports would be generated from information held within the solution. Reporting would be both scheduled and ad-hoc, to various Crick stakeholders including founders, funding organisations and the government. Note that there will be a need to track outcomes of successful projects potentially after a scientist has left the Crick. — Contacts: To record and manage individual contacts in industry, academia, funding bodies and others. — Email: Generate emails from within the tool.