What a great place to meet hands on data managers from different companies. As the various presentations sparked conversation on the floor, it was really lovely to hear the support, advice and comradery between the attendees. The sessions were informative and stimulated some great conversation.
From the sessions and table discussions it became clear that it is critically important that as an industry we prepare for the up and coming imminent changes, some of which are already upon us. A big part of the preparation is talking through some of the challenges with various colleagues across companies. Interesting solutions to data and study proliferation were discussed at ACDM and it is clear that not all challenges have a quick fix solution. New technologies being actively used to collect data were discussed and strategies around study design/planning were highlighted as critical steps to ensuring data is not just being collected as a “nice to have”. It was also demonstrated that “new” data collection methods such as connected devices and eSource (from various sources) are no longer methods of the future, they have been tried and tested and are in the process of being refined. Companies who do not have a plan in place to accommodate/collect this data may find themselves in a tight spot very soon.
Discussions were held about how aligning with new technologies is requiring dedicated thinking and strategies in order to be well prepared. Ideas were shared and plans were made. It is clear that data management is on the move and it is great to be at forefront of these discussions.