Problem
Scientific Ambition Meets Operational Bottlenecks
A trailblazer in next-generation drug discovery is redefining how therapeutics are developed by integrating ultra high-throughput experimentation, machine learning, automation, and nanotechnology. Their proprietary platform enables the screening of millions of compounds against protein targets in minutes—empowering the team to identify novel small molecule therapeutics faster and more precisely than ever before. With cross-disciplinary collaboration at its core, this company brings together AI scientists, chemists, biologists, and engineers to tackle drug development from every angle.
But with such innovation comes significant operational complexity. As the team grew beyond 70 employees, managing a fast-paced pipeline of 150+ concurrent projects across 91 unique teams became increasingly difficult. Their original ecosystem of Slack messages, slide decks, spreadsheets, and email chains couldn’t keep up with the scale or speed of the science. Visibility into project status, ownership, and dependencies was limited; collaboration was often reactive; and resource allocation lacked coordination—all threatening to slow the momentum of a company pushing the boundaries of biotechnology.
Q1
Solution
Choosing a System as Flexible as Their Science
As the company scaled, they explored a number of tools to manage the growing complexity of their cross-functional operations. While options like Asana and Monday.com were already in use, they quickly proved too rigid for the depth and diversity of their needs. The team required more than a task tracker—they needed a customizable, scalable platform that could serve as the operational backbone of a cutting-edge biotech organization.
“The reason we went with SmartSuite was because everything else was too prescriptive... being able to customize field types and build out this whole infrastructure was why we went with SmartSuite.”— Senior Project Manager
This company deployed SmartSuite intentionally in phases: first with department leads, then to the full production group, and later expanding to include finance, facilities, automation, and more. This staged rollout allowed Desiree and her team to test, refine, and tailor the system to each group’s specific workflows.
Their implementation focused on high-impact areas:
- Project Portfolio Management to centralize visibility and reduce duplication
- Change Management & SOP Approvals to bring structure and automation to compliance
- Lifecycle Asset Management to unify capital tracking across teams
- PO and Service Request Workflows to streamline vendor coordination and cost control
What made the rollout successful wasn’t just the technical implementation—it was the mindset. The team designed dashboards, forms, and automations that met users where they were, ensuring the system enhanced how people worked rather than disrupting it.
Q2
Results
From Fragmented Tools to a Unified Operational Hub
SmartSuite gave the company the visibility it needed to operate cross-functionally and efficiently:
- 150+ projects across 91 teams tracked in real-time
- Dashboards eliminated bi-weekly slide creation—saving over 75 hours/year
- Change management adoption increased 15x with a user-friendly portal
- Full asset visibility replaced siloed spreadsheets across finance and ops
- PO and service workflows automated, enabling proactive support and reduced administrative overhead
“I was able to successfully get rid of a PowerPoint presentation that I had to prepare every other week for our executive team by replacing it with a SmartSuite dashboard.”— Senior Project Manager
Most critically, SmartSuite became the company's single source of truth, enabling faster decision-making, less duplication, and greater alignment between lab, automation, and leadership.
Q3
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