>> Welcome to this IBM Watson Health Client Conversation. Here, we are probing the dynamics of the relationship between IBM and its key clients. We're looking back and we're also exploring the present situation. And we're going to talk about the future state of healthcare as well. My name is Dave Vellante from theCUBE and with me are Ryad Rondo who's the Associate director of Data Management at Veristat and Tim Watson, IBM Watson Health. Welcome gents. Tim, any relation? >> (chuckles) If I had a nickel for every time I was asked that question I'd be a wealthy man. >> Well, relationships and trust. I mean, they're pretty fundamental to any partnership and the pandemic certainly has tested us, and we've had to rely on those personal and professional relationships to get us through COVID. So let me start Ryad by asking you, how did the partnership with IBM support you last year? >> Last year as you know was particular year for our industry. So the relationship with our provider was key of the success of any studies we had last year with the new world we had. So we were working very close with IBM Clinical, and I think collaboration was key for successful (indistinct). >> So Tim, I wonder if you could talk about some of the things that you've done with Ryad and his team, maybe some of the things that you accomplished in 2020 anything that stands out. And then maybe take it from there and query Ryad on some of the more important topics that are top of mind for you. >> Yeah, absolutely. I think in 2020, we all know it was a challenging year but IBM actually put together a really good program to support our clients as as it relates to COVID-19 trials. And Veristat did a great job of taking advantage of that with a number of their clients that offered a free promotion for 18 months of a subscription to support individual sponsors in their efforts and trying to find a vaccine that supports the whole world out there. So I think we put together a program that Veristat and their clients were able to take advantage of as it relates to COVID. But in addition to that the platform supported their efforts to maintain the clinical trials that were ongoing. And that was actually probably even bigger challenge for the Veristat team. >> Yeah, so maybe do a little mock session here. Tim you're used to role-playing so let's do a little role-playing. So we're in 2021 you guys are sitting down, unfortunately you're not face-to-face, but imagine you were and Ryad, talk about the objectives that you have in 2021, as you think about your relationship with Watson Health and Tim I'd love for you to respond in real time as to how you're going to help Ryad. Ryad kick it off, what are you trying to get done in 2021? What's the priority? >> Let me take a step back from 2020 and I go to 2021. I think one of the biggest challenge we have in 2021 with studies we had, is the extreme rapid startup of several projects we had. So we needed to start, design and push studies live in the record time. We were able to design a study in a week, another study in two weeks from the protocol to the goal of the study. And all that was with the collaboration of IBM, of course. And 2020 actually brought a change of the approach the client have to the study. So now they are more willing to use more electronic solutions than before. 2020 forced our client and the industry in general to look at the solutions offered electronically by the ADC provider by IBM Clinical. So right now in 2021, we will be leveraging those solutions, I'm thinking about monitoring module, I'm thinking about ePRO, I'm thinking about eConsent which is coming soon and I'm thinking about visualization as well. So these solutions provided by the system are now more acceptable than before and we will be used in 2021. Visualization is in the top list of these solutions eConsent comes with it as well. >> Alright so Tim, how are you going to help? How's Watson Health going to be a great partner in 2021 and beyond? >> Well, I think IBM is continuing to focus on what do these solutions mean going forward and how can we extend the functionality of our platform out there? So with the release of eConsent that's something that I believe Veristat can take advantage of. And the near term is just a matter of getting the Veristat team educated on our eConsent functionality to be able to offer that out to their clients. And visualization is another area that we've had a number of discussions with Veristat on over the past 12 months and leveraging the tool set that we are able to bring to the table with smart reports and how that can provide additional value and then finding that balance where we can get them off the ground quickly maybe with some pre-packaged reports but also educating their team so that they're able to take that tool set and be able to extend that functionality to their clients. >> So Ryad what's the situation like? I wonder if you could think pre pandemic, post pandemic. A lot of clients that I talked to, they would talk the digital game, but in reality it's not that simple. You know things are done a certain way and then I've often called it the forced march to become digital. And that's kind of what happened to us. And so I'm curious as to your sense as to what the climate was like pre and post? How much if at all, I have to believe that everybody's digital strategies were compressed, but was it months? Was it years? And it was sort of overnight we had to make the changes. So it was like a Petri dish. You really didn't have time to plan, you just did. So by how much was that digital transformation compressed and what were the learnings and how do you see taking that forward? >> We historically would go to clients with solutions and you know human nature resists to change. So when we go offering electronic solutions before the pandemic, we always had to define, to use a lot of argument actually to explain to the client that this is the way to go. This is the time to do use more electronic solutions. With the pandemic, the fear forced the client to use these solutions. And they realized that it's working. They realize that we can do it. We can do it very well. Even for complex study, solutions are available and can be used. We also was forced somehow to shorten our timeline to find best way to push studies live in as short as possible timelines without jeopardizing the quality, finding solutions. Splitter is one of the solutions IBM can offer so this is one of the solution we used. The release of the ECRS done later in the edit. IBM offered the capability to do that without jeopardizing the quality. >> So Tim, maybe you could chime in here. I mean, that's really important point. We had sort of no choice but to rush into digital and electronic last year how do you help clients maintain that quality? Maybe you guys could talk amongst yourselves as to the kinds of things you did to maintain that both, when things were going crazy and they somewhat still are. And then how do you preserve that going forward maybe turn the dial maybe a little bit based on your learnings. >> I think one of the advantages that our platform brings to the table is the flexibility. And that flexibility is what Veristat was able to take advantage of in different situations, in different parts of the platform. So whether that was the ability to design trials very quickly and be very flexible with the rollout of that trial to address specific timelines or just the different areas of the platform like ePRO to be able to extend things out to their clients as well so that patients are entering data into the clinical trial so that they're not having to go visit sites necessarily out there. So there's a lot of things that we have within the platform that our clients are able to take advantage of that really came into full focus in the year of 2020. >> Does that resonate with you Ryad? Do you trust what Tim just said? Does it give you a good feeling based on your experience? How confident are you that IBM can deliver on that objective? >> Yeah, actually the pressure we received from the industry in general, in the last year and still this year is to always shorten with high quality deliverables. So we were able to use the flexibility IBM system offers to achieve that goal. Splitting release performing a complex MSU successfully. So all these features and the flexibility we have with the status and flexibility we have with the user roles all these features and flexibilities was key performing that high quality MSU complex updates and in the record time. >> I wonder if you could each talk about sort of personally and bring it professional if you like, but how have you changed as a result of the pandemic and how has it helped you position for what's coming ahead? Ryad maybe you you could start. >> One of the things I'd like to say about what happened last year is that, it has never been easier for me to explain what I do. Historically, when I asked what do they exactly? I had to spend hours explaining what I do. Now I tell them, do you know what's the phase three phase two we are all waiting for the vaccine? That's what we do. So that's I think the number one success of the year for me. Honestly, it's just proud to work in an industry like that. Proud to work in a company like Veristat who cares about the quality who cares about providing the safety of the patient using the best system in the market working with IBM Clinical in this case. We're working to achieve that goal. I think 2020 gave me that just another level of proud maybe, if I may say. Partnership with client, partnership with IBM offered free for COVID studies for an 18-month program. So all of these just confirm that we are, I am personally in the right place, right company, having the right partnership to help humanity actually get better. >> Thank you for that, that's great. And Tim, you too you're obviously part of that, but I wonder if you could comment. >> Well, I'd like to kind of echo just what Ryad had said that professionally I feel we play a very small part. The Veristat team, the Sponsors team they do all the hard work, trying to find new medications, new vaccines to bring to life. But it means a lot to play a small part in that process to offer a technology that helps them do that quicker. And if we can get those drugs and vaccines to market quicker then that's going to have a very positive impact on the world as a whole. So it's a very exciting time to be in this industry. >> Undoubtedly. Ryad what can IBM do to help you near-term, mid-term and long-term? What are some of the most important things that Tim and his company can help with? >> Yeah, as Tim mentioned, we will have eConsent coming soon. I'm sure IBM will have other electronic solution coming soon so partnership, support and training. So education between our two entities between Veristat and IBM to use this new feature now became key for the success of any study. So I expect partnership support on an education from them. We've been successfully doing that and hoping that we'll continue in this case. >> Tim, any comments on that? >> Well, we have a great relationship with Veristat and we try to have that same kind of relationship with all of our clients. We meet regularly with governance meetings. That's a great time to share new information, to revisit old questions that may still be out there. And so, we're going to continue to offer the additional training options to our clients to allow them to leverage that platform so that they can then cater to their clients, the sponsors that are contracting with them for their clinical trials. >> So Ryad, Tim did say lower the price. That's a good sign. What about that though? What about value for investment? How Ryad would you grade IBM's track record in that regard? If you had to put a grade on it, you know, A, B, C, D, E, F. >> I would put a good grade, actually. I think it's the right balance. You know, a client expect always to pay less, but we are the experts, we are doing the job. And we have to guide them, make the right decision. We tell them why they should pick that or that system. And what are they getting for the price they're paying for. Right now we didn't have much trouble selling IBM and there is something common I think so, is to revise the price to be more specific for study, I think will help the client actually. Will help selling the products. >> So if you had to put a letter grade on it what would you give them? >> A grade? (chuckles) >> A grade, come on A, B? >> An A. >> An A, you'd give them an A? >> Yes. Solid A, 4.0 that's great, Tim you got a-- >> A minus to just leave some space for improvement. (Tim chuckles) >> Okay A minus just because, hold the carrot out there right? That's good, it's okay. Tim, how do you feel about that? You don't mind having a little extra incentive, right? >> No, absolutely not. It's always great to work with the Veristat team and we have I think a great relationship and there are certainly opportunities that we can hopefully work together. And If the price needs to be addressed then we can address it and win the business. >> Tim, anything I missed? Anything that you feel like there's a gap there that you want to cover that I didn't touch on? >> No, I think we're good. >> Great, awesome. Well, great conversation guys. I really appreciate it and thanks for the good work that you guys are doing on behalf of everybody who's living through this. It's a critical time and it's amazing how your industry has responded so thank you for that. And thank you for spending some time with us. You're watching Client Conversations with IBM Watson Health.