From: Joshua E. Richardson (jer@anshen.com)
Date: Fri Mar 25 2005 - 11:02:15 PST
Subject: RE: SLA-SF: Comp Intel / Biomed-pharma-health info resources / developing metrics Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 11:02:15 -0800 Message-ID: <B66707A0F820854283FFA2AEDAB9D94ABF090F@ex-01.anshen.com> From: "Joshua E. Richardson" <jer@anshen.com>
Welcome Lorna,
Good luck with the new position, it sounds like you're off to a great
start!
Your second question has hit upon something that's been on my mind and
maybe the group could provide some more input. At one time I tried
collecting more data than basic project number info (time for searches,
phone calls, meetings, etc.) in the hopes demonstrating to others the
amount of time it takes to effectively conduct all aspects of research.
Eventually I found myself spending almost as much time entering data &
administering the db than doing the acutal work. I ultimately decided
that rather than keeping such granular info it's better to just be up
front with people and give them realistic expectations. If they want
research done in an hour, then I let them know it's going to be a VERY
quick & dirty web search and suggest they give me at least a MINIMUM of
3 hours. Another thing is I just do some basic calculating. If someone
wants me to scrape "50 sites", I average 10 mins a site and tell them up
front that'll be AT MINIMUM 8.33 hours. That enables the requestor the
option of revising their request or asking for additional options, it
also allows me to posit some alternative search strategies i.e. "Why 50
sites? What information are you trying to gather?" I think they value
the realistic expectations, have more appreciation for the end results,
AND I then don't have to manage another database.
If others have opinions on this subject I'd be interested in reading
them. Some questions: Is it best to keep metrics on more specific
aspects of work (searches, phone calls, etc.)? If so, how do you create,
collect and manage that data? When's too much, and conversely, how do
you know the extra effort is being justified?
-Joshua
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SLA-SF@exploratorium.edu
> [mailto:SLA-SF@exploratorium.edu] On Behalf Of Sandy Malloy
> Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 10:09 AM
> To: SLA-SF@exploratorium.edu
> Subject: Re: SLA-SF: Comp Intel / Biomed-pharma-health info
> resources / developing metrics
>
> Hi, Lorna; welcome!
>
> When you are doing your metrics, don't forget about results.
> The # of candidates added, the amount of time you spend, etc.
> doesn't matter to the folks you are working for as much as
> how much what you are doing is helping their bottom line.
>
> I don't know exactly what kind of stats you are going to need
> to keep, but can you find out what is already being tracked?
> For instance, # of months to fill a position--if the
> extensive database you are building can shorten this time,
> you are contributing in a tangible way.
>
> As far as sources, if you afford Nexis or Dialog they have
> excellent company directories and biographical information.
> I'm lucky; I don't have to rely on the Web for all my
> information. Since I work with press releases, I can tell
> you that they are a very good source for finding out
> personnel changes and where these candidates have been
> before--often in more detail than the directories provide,
> and often to a lower level of hierarchy (for example, a
> marketing VP.) You will need to search all the press release
> wires to find the releases you need--Business Wire and PR
> Newswire and, to a lesser extent, Primezone and Market Wire.
>
> And don't forget non-U.S. information, since so many of the
> dominant companies in your industry are owned by British,
> Swedish, German, French, Japanese & etc. parent companies.
>
>
> Sandy Malloy
> Senior Information Specialist, Business Wire
> 800/227-0845 (415/986-4422) ext. 512
> sandy.malloy@businesswire.com
>
>
>
> >>> mabunda@bioquestinc.com 03/24/05 5:45 PM >>>
> After years of working on the fringes of or in nontraditional areas of
>
> profession, I have finally had the opportunity to join the
> SLA. I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you and
> hopefully being able
>
> to share some of my knowledge just as I hope to learn from
> you, my peers.
>
> That said, I wonder if anyone can offer some suggestions for
> me as I grow into a newly created position at BioQuest, a
> retained executive search firm serving emerging and
> established medical device, healthcare/life sciences I.T.,
> healthcare services and biopharmaceutical companies. I am new
> to the firm, the search firm industry, and the industries we
> serve, but I have a great deal of experience in library and
> information services, particularly research.
>
> My role is integral to the company, and I am the only person
> with tasked with my particular accountabilities. In other
> words, I am the Research Department. Meanwhile, the firm has
> never had a Information Professional in its midst, so I am
> doubly eager to show the advantage of having a librarian on site.
>
> I have two broad questions.
>
> 1) Before I came on board, the primary sources used to
> identify potential candidates were Zoom Info (formerly
> Eliyon), Hoovers, RAPS.org, the FDA databases, and
> Google/Google Alerts (to find trade shows, exhibitor lists,
> company web sites, press releases etc.) These are therefore
> the resources that I have been using; however, I feel like
> there must be more arrows we can add to our quiver. I use
> these sources either to identify companies in a particular
> space and then to
>
> identify those who hold specific roles within said companies.
> Sometimes
>
> I am also asked to locate someone whom we may know once held
> a position
>
> at a given company but who has moved on. Eventually I would
> also like to build our physical collection, but for now my
> primary concern is identifying the right/best online tools to
> help me with people searches.
>
> 2) My second question is in regards to metrics and systems
> organization. My first step has been to implement a formal
> search request process, which they've never had. My goal is
> to create a mechanism that will both help me track my work
> through a project by creating a research history and also to
> build a "portfolio" that I can
>
> use come time for my performance evaluation. I've also
> struggled with a
>
> way to provide metrics, i.e. what numbers to track and how to do so.
> Because I haven't been asked to do so, I have decided to keep it
> simple: # of candidates added to the db, # of companies
> added; # of records updated (eventually I will also be the
> our proprietary Database
>
> Admin). The # of hours devoted to a particular project is
> captured on my time sheet, but I feel I should also track the
> time spent on a specific searches within a project so that
> the eight consultants with whom I work can get a better
> understand of why what seems like a simple
>
> request to them, may, in reality take a couple of days.
>
> I do want to add that I have the full support of my new colleagues.
> They're happy to have me, and I believe that more often than not, they
>
> will work with me as I create structures where none have
> been. I know that having that sort of buy-in ahead of time
> puts me ahead of the game, so if anybody has tips or
> suggestions on how to help me help the
>
> profession shine, please let me know!
>
> I look forward to your suggestions.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> lmm
>
> Lorna Mpho Mabunda
> Research Associate
> BioQuest, LLC
> 100 Spear Street, Suite 1125
> San Francisco, CA 94105
> ph. 415-777-2422 xt 23
> mabunda@bioquestinc.com
>
> BioQuest is a retained executive search firm that serves
> emerging and established medical device, healthcare/life
> sciences I.T., healthcare services and biopharmaceutical
> companies. Please visit our web site
> (http://www.bioquestinc.com/) for more details.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------
>
> To unsubscribe from SLA-SF, send an email to
> requests@exploratorium.edu with the words 'unsubscribe
> SLA-SF' (without the quotes) in the SUBJECT of the email.
>
> To subscribe to the digest and only get 1 combined message a
> day, send an email to requests@exploratorium.edu with the
> words 'subscribe digest SLA-SF' (without the quotes) in the
> SUBJECT of the email.
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------
>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Wed Mar 22 2006 - 16:59:00 PST