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Higher
Education
BR&C Inc. is now working with the
Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications, a
Colorado-based non-profit which promotes the effective use
of technology in higher education.
In early 2006 BR&C research and analysis
allowed WCET to expand its “EduTools” service
offering -- independent product reviews, side-by-side comparisons
and consulting services to help colleges and universities
make smarter purchasing decisions for e-learning technology.
Specifically, we introduced financial profiles
of the technology vendors, many of them entrepreneurial start-ups. These
reviews enabled prospective customers to better assess their
likely longevity. Our data, developed from the target
organizations themselves, covered the following issues.
- Number of customers & installations
- Current major or showcase customers
- Customer growth curve
- Distribution model
- Implementation, support & maintenance services, if
any
- Financial health
BR&C was initially retained to profile
suppliers of e-portfolios, collaborative workspaces that
allow students to store their work, create documents, work
with advisors and demonstrate competencies. See eportfolio.edutools.info We
are now working with WCET to develop a subscription-based
offering that would provide a rolling series of product and
provider assessments.
BR&C’s growing education practice
is designed to help schools challenge assumptions and reach
conclusions on what is successful, efficient and effective. The
aim is to help our educational clients succeed in an era
in which satellite campuses and new-technology initiatives – especially
web-based programs – are making formal education cheaper
as well as more accessible and competitive. We provide
information and insight in the following areas:
- Enabling technologies that make e-learning possible
- Quality of competing online curriculums
- Ease of program delivery
- Development of ancillary services to support students & faculty
“Colleges and universities have to
spend more time building and differentiating their brands,
while students need help identifying educational options
that a few years ago didn’t exist,” said Dave
Giguere, BR&C’s managing director. “The best
strategies for doing both will depend on solid research and
analysis.”
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Pharmaceuticals
BR&C continues to grow its two-year-old
pharmaceuticals practice. Over that time the company
has successfully executed projects in the realms of multiple
sclerosis, psoriasis, Alzheimer’s, organ transplants,
hemophilia and oncology. Issues explored have included:
- Target indications for new drugs & treatments
in clinical trials
- Clinical program goals & staffing
requirements
- Status of existing clinical trials, including
enrollment challenges & interim results
- Efficacy, side effects & drug interactions
- Comparisons with other drugs & likely
positioning
- Formulation & administration
- Timing for next phases of development
We have also studied the changing nature
of pharmaceutical sales forces given an operating climate
that has grown much less friendly. The work included
how sales reps are judged for efficiency and effectiveness
in the face of challenges posed by such developments as the
AMA’s call for more distance between doctors and sales
reps, medical institutions ratcheting back on access, the
shift to managed care etc. The research yielded keen
insights on the evolution of metrics and incentives used
to boost performance in this challenging new environment.
We helped execute a comparative analysis
of current care and disease-management programs, including
program structures and performance guarantees, ROI, pricing
for different constituencies, predictive modeling, nurse
staffing ratios and consumer-directed features.
In addition, BR&C was engaged to study
the impact of the Medicare Modernization Act a full year
before the law took effect, giving our client ample lead
time to address new mandates and provide seamless service
to retirees and employees about to retire.
BR&C foresees continued growth in pharma
and biotech. Managing Director Dave Giguere noted that
the company specializes in partnering with its clients. “BR&C’s
function is to help clients in early identification of developments
and patterns that may present exceptional opportunities or
pose unacceptable risks,” he said. In a world
swamped with studies and claimed expertise, BR&C seeks
to identify and isolate key data. Added Giguere: “The
No. 1 thing that organizations want is early warning. The
biggest thing we hear from clients is: ‘I don’t
want to be surprised.’”
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