Client Profile

Associates Of Cape Cod (ACC) is the global leader in endotoxin and glucan detection products and services for over 45 years. ACC is a rapidly growing, regulated biotechnology organization seeking to modernize laboratory operations through the selection and implementation of a new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

Business Challenge

• Identify and select a LIMS platform that met strict regulatory, operational, and IT requirements.

• Navigate a crowded vendor landscape with limited internal experience in LIMS selection.

• Ensure the chosen solution would scale with business growth and integrate with other core systems (QMS, ERP, CRM).

Our Role

Focused Consulting was engaged as the Program Lead for the LIMS selection and RFP process, leveraging deep experience in GxP application selection and vendor management.

Strategic Approach

• Comprehensive Market Analysis: Identified 30+ potential LIMS vendors, capturing key differentiators and initial fit.

• Requirements Definition: Collaborated with ACC stakeholders to develop a detailed requirements document (300+ items), prioritized by business criticality and categorized for clarity. We also ensured the customer developed detailed laboratory process flows and a comprehensive instrument list for LIMS integration. These documents were included in the RFP, with the technical work completed by customer SMEs and our team managing the effort.

• Vendor Shortlisting: Used both objective research and ACC input (including IT architecture preferences and prior experiences) to narrow the field to a manageable shortlist.

• RFP Development & Distribution: Created a formal RFP package, including process timelines and the requirements matrix, and distributed to shortlisted vendors under NDA. The RFP package also incorporated ACC’s current state laboratory process flows, a comprehensive list of instruments to be integrated with the LIMS, and a set of targeted vendor questions to ensure thorough evaluation and alignment with business needs.

• RFP Response: Vendors were required to self-assess their solutions against each requirement, indicating the level of support and providing weighted scores based on priority. Alongside this, vendors submitted responses to targeted questions, relevant product literature, and detailed cost breakdowns, including comparisons of on-premises versus hosted models, implementation estimates based on user needs and workflows, and pricing for customized services such as report development and system integrations.

• Demo & Due Diligence: Coordinated in-depth vendor demos, followed by immediate stakeholder roundtables to capture feedback.

• Objective Scorecarding: Developed a customized scoring system for ACC that ensures that all vendor responses can be directly compared in a “like for like” manner. Often, vendor RFP responses are customized per vendor, and cannot be easily compared to each other to allow for a true capability or cost assessment by the customer. Using standardized scoring and normalizing responses, comparative tables are built to allow the customer teams to easily compare vendors to assess pros and cons, as well as how each vendor stacks up against requirements.

• Cost & Value Analysis: Compiled side-by-side cost comparisons and qualitative assessments to support decision-making.

• Executive Summary & Board Approval: Produced a capstone document summarizing the selection process, rationale, and final recommendation for board approval.

Key Deliverables

1. Market Analysis & Vendor List

2. Requirements Matrix with Weighted Scoring

3. RFP Document & Process Timeline

4. Vendor Demo Scorecards

5. Cost Comparison Analysis

6. Executive Summary for Board Approval

Proven Results

• Efficient, Transparent Selection: ACC moved from 30+ vendors to a final selection through a structured, objective process.

• Stakeholder Alignment: The collaborative approach ensured buy-in from IT, business, and executive leadership.

• Board-Ready Documentation: Delivered clear, actionable materials for board decision-making and regulatory compliance.

• Smooth Transition to Implementation: Focused Consulting provided program-level governance through SOW finalization and vendor coordination, setting ACC up for a successful LIMS deployment.

Why Focused Consulting?

• Proven Methodology: Repeatable, objective, and tailored to each client’s needs.

• End-to-End Support: From requirements through vendor selection, SOW negotiation, and implementation oversight.

• GxP Expertise: Deep understanding of regulated environments and critical success factors for system selection.