The firm, run by a team of 40 experienced consultants, claims it can bring cost-effective customised solutions to clients across the sector, helping with matters related to study strategies, planning and due diligence.
Furthermore, Alacrita offers a “reality check” service, where an individual or tailor-made team gets directly involved in the execution of a project to solve any problems a client faces without the need for lengthy prior consulting.
Anthony Walker, founding partner of Alacrita Consulting, told Outsourcing-Pharma that the company hopes to fill a real need in the life science consulting sector.
“There is intense financial pressure in the sector, and this appears set to continue for some time,” he said.
Walker explained that many companies choose to focus on operational efficiency and find that outsourcing is more financially economical, but investors and corporate management understand that virtual (where the bulk of the activities are outsourced) and semi-virtual styles offer other advantages.
They allow “flexible access to high levels of experience without the burdens of an employment contract,” said Walker, “So while the life science industry is feeling the pressure from the general economic climate, this is providing increasing opportunities for specialist consultancies such as Alacrita.”
Pressure in the life science sector
Describing how clients are presented with a choice between hiring a major established consultancy or individual solo consultants, Alacrita said large consultancies with extensive infrastructure and resources are generally set up to serve large corporate clients. This, however, results in high overheads which often exclude life science organisations, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Hiring a solo consultant, to the contrary, is less expensive, but also less accessible, which is precisely why Alacrita aims to “combine the low overhead style of solo practitioners with the ability to create multidisciplinary teams to undertake more complex projects that have been the preserve of the majors,” said Walker.
The London, UK-based firm, with associates in France, Germany, Switzerland, the US and China, promises to provide its consulting services to the highest standard, but at fees that are accessible to all in the industry.