When sites are run by a site management organisation (SMO) or belong to a site network, one visit can mean payments to several parties under one network agreement: the SMO's fee, the institution's share, and sometimes the investigator. Cloudbyz CTFM handles this with network-level agreements, payee splits per site and clear payment status for every party, for large pharma, global multinationals, biotechs, CROs and device companies working with SMOs.
How it works today
- One network agreement covers many sites, but each site's budget is tracked in its own spreadsheet.
- Payments go to the SMO as a lump sum, which then splits them by hand.
- Sites and investigators ask the sponsor what was paid for their work.
- Rate differences between network sites are hard to see.
Why it matters
- Agreements and responsibilities. ICH E6(R3) expects agreements to document financial aspects and who is responsible for what when activities are delegated (ICH E6(R3), EMA Step 5). With an SMO involved, there are more parties to document.
- Accurate payee records. In the US, research payments to physicians and teaching hospitals are reportable under Open Payments, so knowing exactly who received what matters.
- Relationships. SMOs and their sites compare sponsors on payment clarity and speed.
Today versus Cloudbyz CTFM
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Area
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Today
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Cloudbyz CTFM
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Network agreement
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One PDF, many spreadsheets
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Agreement linked to every network site
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Rates across sites
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Copied by hand
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Line items duplicated across network sites
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SMO fee and site share
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Split after payment
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Split by rule at payment
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Status for each party
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Asked by email
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Visible per payee
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Tax invoices
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Chased by email
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Automatic reminders
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What changes by department
- Finance: splits happen in the system, with a record of every share.
- Clinical operations: one view of all network sites' payments and status.
- Contracts: network terms apply to every site under the agreement.
- SMOs and sites: each party sees what it is owed and what has been paid.
How Cloudbyz CTFM does it
Cloudbyz CTFM, built natively on Salesforce with Cloudbyz CTMS, tracks network and site agreements, duplicates budget line items across network sites, splits payments between SMOs, institutions, investigators and other payees, sends tax invoice reminders, and shows status to each payee through portals. Book a demo or visit cloudbyz.com.
