A federal testing platform for COVID-19 brings together labs to process samples from triage and residential care centers on a large scale. Together, these analyze tens of thousands of tests daily. Cerba handles sample logistics for three of the eight lab partners in Belgium. "Medical labs and logistics are our biotope," says Peter Vermeylen. "To support those services, Cerba has many IT competencies in-house. Outside our comfort zone, we deploy external specialist expertise. With a preference for well-aligned teams, driven by people who understand our business needs well."
"In March 2020, Cerba joined the task force around the federal testing platform," says Peter Vermeylen, Head of IT at Cerba Research. "That news was welcomed by our employees with great enthusiasm. With our laboratory technologists and clinical biologists in the lead. We are really making a difference today with our entire team. We are super proud of that." Medical labs Cerba is a French group with two main activities. Cerba Healthcare is the largest branch, with 150 medical labs and more than 30 technical platforms in France. It has sites in Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg. They analyze samples for 300 common medical parameters. In Belgium, Cerba collects the samples from doctors. It analyzes them and sends back an examination report. The two Belgian labs each handle up to 1,500 patient files a day. The Specialty Testing business unit goes one step further: it tests samples for 3,000 parameters. These are expensive tests or tests for which "ordinary" labs are not equipped. The Specialty Testing lab in Paris processes 25 to 30,000 patient files a day.
Clinical studies
The group's second main activity is at Cerba Research and has its origins in Belgium. "Cerba Research supports clinical studies. These investigate the effectiveness and safety of new treatments in healthy volunteers and patients. Its clients are biotech companies, pharmaceutical companies and developers of diagnostic techniques.
In a clinical trial, doctors take samples. Cerba Research provides them with the materials to do that correctly. They put together complete kits, distribute them, later collect the samples and process them at one of the labs in our global network. We collect all analysis results and report on them to the physicians so they can treat patients appropriately. And we provide consolidated reports to the study sponsor. Health data is sensitive information. Cerba Research does not know the identity of the patients," Peter emphasizes. "The samples are labeled with an identifier and a number of parameters such as age and gender. The customers need these for a correct interpretation of the results. Around information security and privacy, we offer our customers the highest guarantees."
Consistent approach and quality
To support the medical labs, clinical trials and data transfers, Cerba has a lot of IT expertise under its own roof. Yet for specific expertise, it also works with third parties. For software testing, for example. "Cerba Research developed its own application for managing our processes," says Peter, "but software testing is really a profession in its own right. Working with freelancers was a limitation. You need a consistent approach: in communication between developers and testers, for formatting test scenarios, around test automation. Quality takes precedence. With one testing partner, that becomes more easily achievable. All consultants have the same approach and the same quality standard. You have one point of contact with whom you draw the lines. We chose Brightest."
Infrastructure specialists
For the IT infrastructure, Cerba is also getting guidance from specialists. "In an international organization, standards are important," Peter explains. "That simplifies overview, management and maintenance. New consultants work their way in faster. For that, you need people who think beyond servers and switches. People who understand your organization, ask the right questions and challenge your team from their knowledge and experience. They help determine the architecture you implement and they help monitor the infrastructure investments. We entrusted that task to Rank1.""This collaboration has another advantage. You can strengthen your own team with specialist knowledge outside your own comfort zone. An example? When setting up Azure Foundation, one of the external consultants immediately involved a colleague with Azure expertise. Cerba Research has different standards around security and data privacy than Cerba Healthcare. The set-up of Azure is fundamentally different. The Azure expert ensured good agreements between Microsoft, Cerba Healthcare and Cerba Research, without compromising our group terms. Hats off."
Analytics in-house
"We also use an external party around reporting. Data are the core of our business. The insight has to be with our own people: what data do we have, how are the data models put together, what can we do with them? When we invested in Power BI for analytics, we looked for a partner to train us as specialists. Bmatix did that with verve. We have regular soundboard meetings with them around approaches, methodologies and technology. We keep the management of the systems in our own hands, supported by a partner with expertise."
Going to war together
Is the collaboration with three Gumption companies a coincidence? "No," says Peter. "It's about the cultural fit. Down-to-earth. Brightest, Rank1, Bmatix - you can go to war with all three. They are committed, listen and think in terms of solutions. They also find each other. We discuss things openly. We both want only one thing: to succeed. I believe in their cocreative vision for the future: together for the common goal."
Summary
The Cerba HealthCare group provides its services primarily to physicians and their patients, from sampling to specialized testing determinations.
Cerba HealthCare is a multidisciplinary organization that groups the diagnostic expertise of several laboratories and their staffs skilled in clinical biology, pathological anatomy and cytogenetics, ranging from prevention to targeted therapy and therapeutic monitoring.
In addition, the group assists the pharmaceutical industry in the development of new and advanced drugs. The group has a medical and scientific committee that provides support for publication, research and development of new analytical methods.