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| Table 4 Sources of Inefficiency in R & D | | Lack of motivation | | Inconsistency of funding | | Lack of coordination | | Unproductive research | | Unfocused development | | Slow project termination | | Source: Ref. [15]. |
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Effective time management of the development process is an admirable goal, but in order to shorten development time, one must first identify the root causes of inefficiency. Table 4 lists some common sources of inefficiency. |
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Annual R & D costs are now approximately $175,000 per person, based on data from the PMA [10]. If the R & D staff is not motivated to operate at its peak potential, the company is paying for undelivered services, as illustrated in Figure 2. Once a high-quality staff is in place, the value of this R & D investment can be maximized by their efficient utilization. If properly guided, this simple adjustment can markedly increase the likelihood of success without any additions to the R & D budget. For research scientists and physicians, recognition from peers in the scientific community who acknowledge a significant medical contribution is a great motivator. For development scientists, recognition often comes from solving difficult technical problems during development and is usually a team effort. Nobody wants to work on a loser. So management can maximize productivity on commercially promising R & D projects by selectively recognizing and encouraging those who make significant contributions to projects that are strategically important to the company [24]. It is a simple and direct way for management to communicate clearly to the entire organization what it values, and it is an excellent opportunity to reinforce the company's strategic priorities by pointing out how a specific performance contributed to the company's success [20]. |
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Rewarding performance in R & D has some special challenges. First, management is often hesitant to acknowledge good performance until it is clear that a drug is actually a proven winner in the marketplace. However, by the time a product reaches the market, many of the key contributors are gone and for those remaining the luster of their achievement has long since faded, in comparison to their current assignments. |
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Experience has shown that frequent rewards, even if they are small ones, are more important as motivators than a large one at the end. Rewards that |
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