Delivering a more responsive clinical sample storage service
We have been partnering with Oxford Molecular Diagnostic Centre (OMDC) for two years, providing cell line characterisation services.
During one of our regular customer service meetings, it became evident there was an opportunity to strengthen our partnership by offering a more responsive archival clinical sample storage service than their incumbent provider was able to offer.
The Opportunity
OMDC were outsourcing the storage of archival clinical samples to a well-established contract research organisation with temperature-controlled storage capabilities. Whilst that facility met the technical requirements for secure and compliant sample storage, several operational issues undermined service delivery.
The opportunities for improvement were:
- Responsiveness: Improving the response to email enquiries, removing current communication and operational bottlenecks
- Turnaround times: Setting and consistently delivering to faster turnaround times would remove current delays in processing requests for the receipt and despatch of samples, making it easier to maintain project momentum
- Engagement: Working with an organisation that understands the impact of their service on customers’ projects, has shared values around improving health and wellbeing, generates confidence and allows individuals and teams to focus on the delivery of their projects.
When evaluating any new partner, OMDC always ensure they make a carefully considered decision which will result in demonstratable improvement, so we introduced them to our Controlled Environment Storage Business Development Manager, who ensured she had a full understanding of their requirements.
During that due diligence process it became clear how the two core principles of our biorepository services could meet those requirements:
- ensuring the safety and integrity of samples throughout their lifecycle under our governance, and
- delivering responsive, expert customer service to support researchers and clinicians in accelerating the development of new therapies
Through this transparent and technically informed dialogue we were able to provide OMDC the assurance that we understood the role our service plays in their ability to deliver projects that improve patient outcomes, and that we could meet all their operational and scientific requirements.
We also introduced them to our full range of storage services so they had a detailed understanding of all our capabilities should their needs evolve. We provide specialist, highly regulated temperature-controlled storage solutions for pre-clinical and clinical samples, operating in accordance with GxP principles to ensure sample integrity. Our biorepository services support sample storage requirements across a comprehensive range of temperature conditions, including:
- Vapour-phase liquid nitrogen (-196 °C)
- Ultra-low temperature (-80 °C)
- Frozen (-20 °C)
- Refrigerated (+2 to +8 °C)
- Controlled ambient (+15 to +25 °C)
Our Approach: Seamless Onboarding and Flexible Support
We delivered a swift onboarding process, working flexibly around their timelines and inventory volumes as they undertook a consolidation exercise involving clinical samples stored both on- and off-site at –80 °C and in vapour phase liquid nitrogen. As standard practice, Biofortuna assigned a dedicated Customer Engagement Manager and Operations Manager to the account, providing consistent, expert support throughout the process.
Both teams worked in close partnership to coordinate every stage of the transition – from planning and physical transfer to receipt, logging, and secure storage. Samples are stored in 24/7 monitored, temperature-mapped units with automated alerting and detailed reporting systems, all supported by a stress-tested and actively maintained business continuity plan to ensure resilience and uninterrupted service. Trained and competent technical and operational staff provide around-the-clock oversight, ensuring the integrity and safety of the samples at all times.
As part of our extensive Quality Management System, every sample was manually checked and cross-referenced against the consignment manifest to eliminate the risk of human error. Each vial was also assigned a unique identifier code linked to its precise vial-level location within our cloud-based, HIPAA-, FDA 21 CFR Part 11- and cGLP/cGMP-compliant laboratory inventory management system – enabling rapid, next-day retrieval of samples when required, with full chain-of-custody paperwork completed and shared with OMDC.
Outcomes
With the successful delivery of the initial sample transfer and storage requirements, we have demonstrated our commitment to delivering on the standards promised during initial discussions. Key performance highlights include:
- 100% same-day response to all email enquiries directed to the operations team
- 100% same-day confirmation of sample receipt and secure storage
- Proactive communication throughout the logging and receipting process, including regular reporting and clear documentation of any unexpected samples received within cohorts
- Enhanced service delivery, going beyond the original scope: although the initial request specified box-level inventories, the team, upon request, carried out a detailed sample-level stock take after project initiation.
This level of responsiveness and attention to detail has reinforced OMDC’s confidence in our ability to deliver both operational efficiency and scientific integrity, and the team are currently in discussion with our Customer Engagement Manager to transfer further cohorts of samples requiring storage across additional temperature ranges.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Gagandeep Batth, Operations Manager at Oxford Molecular Diagnostics Centre, commented:
“Thank you for making it so easy to work with you, it truly has been a pleasure.”
Sonia Houghton, Business Development Manager for Controlled Environment Storage at Biofortuna added:
“This is a sentiment shared across the Biofortuna team. OMDC is a highly valued partner with whom we have a strong and collaborative working relationship.”
To learn more about our clinical sample storage solution, talk to one of our experts today.
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