Cloudbyz CTFM: Split Site Payments Between SMOs, Sites, Investigators and Other Payees

A Society for Clinical Research Sites landscape survey found that 80% of sites had six or fewer months of operating cash on hand (Applied Clinical Trials). For those sites, a payment that goes to the wrong party, or arrives in one lump that someone then has to divide by hand, is a real problem.

One site is often paid through more than one payee. A site managed by an SMO may need the SMO's fee paid separately from the institution's share. An investigator may be paid directly for some activities. A hospital pharmacy, radiology department or research foundation may invoice for its own part of the work. When the payment system treats each site as one payee, finance teams split the money outside the system, and the record of who was paid what is lost.

Common payee arrangements

1. Payees set up once, against the site

Each payee is recorded against the site with its details and its share of payments. Changes to payees go through an approval step and are kept in the audit trail.

2. Splits defined by contract

The split can be a percentage of each payment, or specific line items assigned to specific payees, for example imaging to the radiology department and pharmacy fees to the pharmacy. The rules come from the site agreement.

3. One earned amount, several payments

When a visit is completed, the earned amount is calculated once and then divided between payees according to the rules. Each payee receives its own payment, and the total still matches what the site earned.

4. Different payees across different sites

In a multi-site study, payee arrangements differ from site to site. One site may be paid through an SMO, another directly, a third through a foundation. Each site carries its own payee rules, so finance does not have to remember which is which.

5. Each payee sees its own status

SMOs, sites and investigators can see what has been earned, invoiced and paid to them, which cuts down on payment queries to the study team.

Split payment checklist

• Every payee recorded against its site, with approval for changes
• Split rules taken from the site agreement
• Line items assigned to the right payee where needed
• Totals across payees match the site's earned amount
• Payee arrangements set per site in multi-site studies
• Each payee able to see its own payment status

What this means by role

• Study finance leads: splits happen in the system, with a full record, not in spreadsheets after the fact.
• SMOs and site networks: your fee and your sites' shares are paid as agreed, and visible.
• CTMs and clinical operations managers: fewer escalations about payments going to the wrong party.
• Site finance teams and investigators: payments arrive with the right payee, and status is clear.

How Cloudbyz CTFM does this

Cloudbyz Clinical Trial Financial Management (CTFM), built natively on Salesforce with Cloudbyz CTMS and EDC, supports splitting site payments between SMOs, sites, investigators and other payees, with different payee arrangements across the sites in a study. Completed visits generate earned amounts against the site budget, which are then divided according to each site's payee rules, and payees can see their status through portals. How splits and approvals are configured depends on each study's agreements.

See split payments in CTFM

The Cloudbyz team can walk through a site paid through an SMO and a second payee in CTFM. Book a demo or visit cloudbyz.com.