Item: MasterControl Quality Excellence
Rating: 10
Author: Kevin Luong

Overall Satisfaction with MasterControl Quality Excellence

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

MasterControl is my one-stop shop for an electronic quality management system. The software can handle all aspects of the life sciences and can tackle just about any situation that arises. We were able to incorporate other MasterControl modules to meet our demands, but the main module used is the Quality Excellence (Qx) module. The Quality Excellence module has been able to adapt to the company's needs and continues to evolve in response to future needs.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Continuous improvement in developing for future pipelines.
Robust system to ensure compliance.
Visually appealing user interface that is easy to understand.

Cons

License model can become very expensive for small startup businesses.
More development with validation and more transparent information on how the improvements and or fixes may impact the current configuration. Currently, everything is listed, but it is not tailored to my system.
More information regarding the transition of previous processes to new processes. i.e., FBS to AQEM. I am currently working on the ADV/FBS forms and will eventually transition to AQEM/ADAPT. Still, I would like more information regarding the transition to inform current stakeholders about the improvements on the horizon.

Return on Investment

MasterControl Quality Excellence has been able to shorten the time needed to complete document reviews as the options to alert users are abundant.
MasterControl becomes the center hub for the business as everything needs to be funneled through the EQMS. Therefore, new users understand the importance of utilizing the system.
The ROI has been difficult to see for stakeholders who do not use the system often or at all. This value is not readily visible to users who do not use the system.

Usability

This is not a perfect score as improvements are always needed. The system currently meets the majority of our needs while maintaining compliance. I also like the ability to recommend improvements, along with being able to vote on proposed improvements. MasterControl does take time to review these suggestions, and being heard is often half the battle.

Alternatives Considered

QAD Adaptive ERP, Oracle Access Management and SAP Access Control

MasterControls' user interface is more visually appealing than others I have seen. It enhances the user experience of utilizing MasterControl Quality Excellence and provides clearer visual cues when certain items require attention. Other systems I have used rely on knowing what will execute the functions without much assistance. MasterControl provides additional cues when hovering over items that require entry to provide additional context.

Key Insights

Do you think MasterControl Quality Excellence delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with MasterControl Quality Excellence's feature set?

Yes

Did MasterControl Quality Excellence live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of MasterControl Quality Excellence go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy MasterControl Quality Excellence again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

Almost all of the out-of-the-box solutions work well for our use case. If a new customer were onboarding, they would have everything they need at their fingertips. I also like the self-learning modules where additional information can be obtained. License cost can be cost-prohibitive for smaller businesses. Many times, decisions are made based on the cost. There needs to be a better way to show the value of what you are getting without having a salesperson pitch everything. I like to browse on my own to tailor bullet points for the stakeholders. If this information is only made available by the salesperson, it would become more difficult to obtain the information.

Using MasterControl Quality Excellence

Usability Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using	None

Easy Tasks

Document Control
pdf publishing
Packet launching with clear understanding who are the default approvers at each step

Difficult Tasks

Packet rejections
Out of the office re-assignments
Setting up a complex lifecycle greater than the default 3 steps

Mobile Interface Availability and Impressions

Yes - The interface will adapt depending on the screen space of the device. What you see on a computer screen can still be performed via a mobile device. Allows me to troubleshoot and work easily while mobile to better suit business needs.

Comments

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Life Sciences Quality Management using MasterControl Quality Excellence.