Why Should You Sandbox Test Your Next CTMS?

A well-structured CTMS is a delicate balance: it must be both functional and easy to navigate. Without direct experience, you’ll have a hard time determining if the system’s intuitive enough to integrate into your daily operations. Sandbox training addresses the challenge by giving users the chance to interact with the system in a realistic environment. 

Instead of relying solely on the product demos or tech documentation, it’s a way to assess whether the CTMS is really the right fit.

In short, it’s a practical way to see if the platform checks all your boxes. In a sandbox, the system mirrors the full CTMS functionality. It’s complete with study templates, monitoring tools, and document structures. The vendor can tailor it to meet your organization’s needs, from pharmaceutical to biotech studies. 

If you’re part of a larger organization with specific testing requirements, the vendor should configure the system based on predefined clinical trial use cases. This means that the sandbox will reflect your actual, most up-to-date operational needs. But this isn’t mandatory: if you’re a standard client without specific use-cases you want to test out, you’ll still access a fully functional setup. The goal is to give you the general framework so you can explore the core system features. 

And it’s not for a day or two, either. Sandbox testing is available for an extended period—usually for a week or two, or more for more complex cases. This means that you’ll have enough time to explore the functionalities at your own pace. It should be structured but flexible, so study managers, clinical research associates, and other stakeholders can evaluate the system under realistic conditions. 

Throughout the testing period, there should always be support for you and your team. You should be able to take advantage of scheduled Q&A sessions with the tech team. They’ll walk you through the system’s capabilities and what they’ve found to be workflow best practices.

The Sandbox Training Process goes through four distinct steps, each designed to show you the system’s capabilities and relevance to your team. It’s a time to figure out if the CTMS is the right fit for your organization—and to get a better idea of your needs, too. Sandbox testing doesn’t just help you decide to switch; it builds a lasting foundation for your future partnership.

The training process starts with an introduction to the sandbox environment. You’ll receive an overview of the system’s navigation, including key interface elements and user roles.

As already mentioned, for large customers, the system is customized based on their specific requirements. These might include study structures, milestone templates, and predefined workflows. This approach allows you and your team to work within a setup that closely resembles your real-world operations. 

Standard customers, on the other hand, will be able to access a pre-configured system designed to show general study management tasks within the pharma and biotech industries. 

During this phase, you’ll learn about role-based access, system search functions, and the core organizational structure of the CTMS. You’ll see how different study elements, like trial sites, sponsors, and regulatory bodies, are managed within the system. You’ll also receive a general overview of admin settings, so you’ll know how to best manage system configurations in the future. 

The next stage of the process is the part you’ve been waiting for: you’ll begin working with the system to test its functionality for yourself. It’s really the main point of the process: understanding how the CTMS will support your daily workflow. 

You’ll interact with various components like study setup and categorization, monitoring visit planning and execution, and document management. You’ll be able to work with the site and sponsor portals to see their functionality in action.  It’s also the stage at which you’ll see the system’s contract management tools, issue-trackers, and regulatory approval processes. 

One of the biggest advantages of the sandbox environment is that the vendor can include preloaded test data. This lets your team perform tasks exactly as they would in a live-trial setting. It includes elements like creating and managing study milestones, tracking patient visits, and generating monitoring reports. The ability to search and filter trial-related information should be one of the top usability features of a CTMS. You’ll get to see how data retrieval works across all different system levels. 

As this step proceeds, you’ll simulate actual study processes. This could include verifying how contracts are structured within the system. You might be interested in identifying potential workflow bottlenecks. You’ll be able to see how easy it is to copy an existing study to create a new study, or use the guided template to create a new study. And you’ll test how the system records and manages monitoring issues and protocol deviations. 

While external system integrations, such as electronic data capture (EDC) connections and email notifications aren’t active in the sandbox, all primary tools are fully functional. 

Throughout the sandbox access period, you’ll be able to participate in scheduled Q&A sessions. These discussions provide direct access to specialists who can answer questions and clarify functionality. They’re also the best people to offer suggestions for optimizing system use!

If you’re part of a large organization, your Q&A sessions will often include discussions on how your specific workflows fit within the system. The goal is to make sure that all your team’s required processes are adequately supported. If you have challenges in specific areas, like setting up trials, managing investigator assignments, or report generation, the vendor should provide targeted support.

At the conclusion of the sandbox period, your organization will conduct an internal evaluation to decide if the CTMS meets your expectations. You’ll collect study team feedback, focusing on aspects like usability, workflow integration, and CTMS reporting capabilities. As you’ve had time to engage with the system directly, you can base this on firsthand experience instead of assumptions or demonstrations. 

For many organizations, this evaluation process is a key part of the final decision-making stage. Sandbox testing is a way to ensure that you’re making an informed choice so the system you choose is your perfect fit for years to come.

The BSI CTMS is top of the line and we have the track record to prove it. Our modern CTMS solutions cover all aspects of your clinical trials and we want you to test them for your team!

BSI’s CTMS is the most innovative, function-complete, and easy-to-use clinical trial management software on the market. It provides CTMS, eTMF, Study Startup and Trial Supply Management in one integrated, unified platform.

Standard interfaces (API) assure complete data oversight and easy integration with the external systems (e.g. EDC and eTMF) of your choice. The BSI CTMS is the central hub for all aspects of your clinical trials. It’s available as SaaS for ease of use, continuous improvement, and simplified infrastructure.

We’re modern, sleek, and designed with the user in mind for intuitive end-to-end clinical trial management. And the best part? We offer updates, upgrades, and scalability in-house with a full client support team for your legacy system migration and beyond. 

There’s never been a better time to embrace a better CTMS. Book a call today!