Medical Device

Four Critical Questions to Ask Before Choosing an eClinical Platform for Your IDE Trials

Written by Tunir Das | Jun 4, 2025 11:07:32 AM

If you’re running IDE trials, choosing the right eClinical partner can make or break your trial’s efficiency, compliance, and cost-effectiveness. Yet many sponsors and CROs feel stuck between two extremes:

1️⃣ Oversized enterprise systems that bring complexity, high costs, and pharma-centric workflows
2️⃣ Niche point solutions that lack integration, scalability, or validation

At Cloudbyz, we work with medical device sponsors and CROs who’ve experienced this tension first-hand — and we often hear:

"I wish we’d asked better questions before we signed that last eClinical contract."

So here are four key questions to consider as you evaluate your options:

Is the platform truly built for IDE trials — or repurposed from pharma?

Many eClinical vendors started with large pharma trials in mind. But IDE trials have very different needs:

  • Adaptive and iterative designs

  • Device-specific endpoints

  • Combination products

  • Post-market surveillance workflows

Cloudbyz was purpose-built with 25+ years of device trial expertise — and it shows in our platform’s flexibility and fit for today’s IDE workflows.

Before signing, ask:
Will this system flex to the way we run device trials — or will we be forced to work around a pharma-centric design?

Will the platform help us move faster — or slow us down?

Enterprise platforms often come with:

  • Long validation cycles

  • Complex implementation

  • Vendor-controlled configurations

For an IDE trial — where FDA submission timelines matter — you can’t afford delays. Cloudbyz offers:

  • A pre-validated system (21 CFR Part 11, GxP, ISO, GDPR, HIPAA, China PIPL-ready)

  • Low-code, self-service configuration

  • Support for rapid study startup and inspection readiness

Before signing, ask:
How fast can we go live? How easy will it be to adapt mid-study? Will we be in control — or at the mercy of the vendor?

How transparent are the costs — and will we control them?

A common frustration with big enterprise platforms: hidden costs.

  • Licensing tied to large pharma pricing

  • Forced services contracts

  • Change order fees for basic updates

At Cloudbyz, we believe in transparent total cost of ownership:

  • Flexible licensing

  • No mandatory long-term services contracts

  • Self-service tools so your team can manage studies without constant vendor dependency

Before signing, ask:
Will we have true cost transparency? Can we scale up or down as needed — or will we be locked in?

Can the platform work with our broader ecosystem — or will it lock us in?

IDE trials often rely on diverse, evolving ecosystems:

  • Imaging core labs

  • Diagnostic partners

  • Registries

  • Wearables and apps

  • Safety systems

Cloudbyz is an open platform — built on Salesforce — with validated integrations and open APIs.
You’re free to work with the partners and tools you choose.

Before signing, ask:
Will this platform integrate with our ecosystem — or force us into a closed vendor stack?

Final Thought: Fit Matters More Than Size

In today’s device trials, you don’t need the biggest system — you need the right-fit platform:

  • Purpose-built for IDE trials

  • Pre-validated and inspection-ready

  • Flexible and self-service

  • Open and integrative

  • Transparent and cost-effective

That’s what Cloudbyz delivers — and why more device sponsors and CROs are making the switch.