Performance Enhancement
Posted on April 16, 2012
A friend of mine recently brought to my attention the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in the workplace, especially in Silicon Valley. I suspect this is not limited to the software field and probably either has or soon will bleed over into other “knowledge worker” fields. Caffeine is now a gateway drug.

The sports world has something to teach us here. Back in the 70′s, bodybuilders and power lifters started experimenting with steroids and 40 years later it’s hard to imagine a sport that hasn’t had a PED scandal. It’s not hard to see why athletes were (and continue to be) so easily tempted:

1. Their careers are relatively short.
2. Their earning potential after their athletic career is often limited, so they want to maximize their earnings while they can.
3. Their short career can be cut even shorter at any time by injuries, which can be either prevented, ignored, or recovered from faster through the use of PEDs.
4. At the highest levels, incremental increases in performance are rewarded with exponential increases in compensation.

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In February, Wingspan attended the Villanova Spring Career Fair and Drexel’s Engineering Week Career Fair.  At each fair, Wingspan representatives greeted students interested in software development careers.  As a Villanova alumna, I felt at home in the Villanova room, and I casually chatted with students sharing what I liked about Wingspan and its culture.  At Drexel, Ian Au, an alumnus could share his experiences of completing co-ops, and the benefits of working for a smaller company.  It seemed helpful for the students to be able to talk to Wingspan employees who were recently in the same position: searching for jobs while facing impending graduation.

Both events were very successful.  We received many resumes and applications and have even scheduled a few interviews.  We’re continuing to build relationships with local universities and our brand recognition is growing on college campuses.  We’re becoming known as the local place to learn about the industry through an internship, and as the company to apply to if you want to make a real contribution, even as a newbie.

If you’re a student looking for internships or full time opportunities, check out our careers page or send Meghan an email: mmckeown@wingspan.com.

Historically, TMFs were organized with a folder hierarchy structure. Study owners could not tell what was missing without spending hours cross-referencing the documents to a stack of spreadsheets. Finding specific documents took too much time clicking through folders and the spreadsheets were often incomplete.

The creators of Wingspan TMF recognized this problem and remedied it by building the system with folderless navigation (the same technology used in DocWay UI). Now, study owners can find specific documents in just one or two clicks, saving time and aggravation.

DIA members have recently recognized this need, formed a SIAC, and set out to create the TMF Reference Model, a manifest of the most common and widely used documents in a Trial Master File. Introduced in February 2011, the Reference Model aims to “provide a single, unified interpretation of the regulations via a document listing which is accepted across the industry.” (Rammell, Eldin, “Rationale for the Model.” Retrieved September 9, 2011 from tmfrefmodel.blogspot.com). While the TMF Reference Model provides organizations with a solid starting point, actual TMF document lists must be modified to fit the individual company’s needs to insure completeness.

Wingspan Technology recently developed a software solution to address the needs of the TMF; moreover, its unique features offer a completely new approach to the Trial Master File. Stay tuned to this blog for more details and information on how Wingspan’s eTMF can make your Trial Master File complete, consistent, and compliant.

We’ll be using this space in a variety of ways: to share our thoughts on industry trends, to explain a bit about our products, and to give you an inside look about what’s going on in our offices. Be sure to check the blog for a first look at the details of Wingspan eTMF, for information and opinions about the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry, and for the transition into the cloud.

In 2011, Wingspan adopted three young families. Our staff members and their families gathered gifts including clothing, gift cards, baby and toddler toys, a pack-and-play, and other essentials to give at Christmas.

For more information about The Center Foundation, visit http://www.thecenterfoundation.org/