On September 6-7, 2025, SDM’s Clinical Operations and SMO teams come together at the 21st Century Tower in Beijing for an alignment workshop. Focused on “unifying our approach and enhancing collaboration,” the two-day event tackled key integration points between project and talent management. Through focused discussions, we turned consensus into actionable plans, established standardized workflows, and built cross-functional synergy-all strengthening SDM’s foundation to position SDM a higher-quality CRO to better serve clients and patients.
Building Foundations —From Standards to Synergy
The summit opened with remarks from SDM Chairman Mr. Cao Tiejun. Reflecting on two decades of company growth and industry trends, he stressed the strategic need to tightly integrate project management with personnel development. “Seamless collaboration directly impacts project quality and client value,” he noted. “We must break down barriers and synchronize our expertise with efficiency.” This set a practical, action- oriented tone for the days ahead.
◉ Setting Clear Standards: Making Processes Actionable
In a deep-dive session on the Project Management Handbook, PMD leads used a module-by-module approach with live Q&A to connect procedures with real-world scenarios, transforming guidelines into practical collaboration checklists.
CRM leads then walked through the CRM Handbook, creating a support system aimed at role-fit and skill development - ensuring project execution and team capacity work in sync.
Driving Solutions——From Dialogue to Cross-Functional Flow
◉ Walking in Each Other’s Shoes: Smoothing PM-CRM Collaboration
A “two-way dialogue” session enabled open discussions. By sharing needs and expectations, PM and CRM teams identified key areas for complementary support, clearing obstacles for future cooperation.
◉Close-Loop Problem Solving: From Issues to Action Plans
A highlight was the workshop on Bridging Gaps in Project Management and Operations. Facilitated by senior leads, representatives from all departments engaged in root-cause analysis and joint solutioning around common challenges like handoff delays, communication lags, and slow issue escalation-resulting in concrete, actionable alignment strategies.
◉End-to-End Integration: Mapping the Full Collaboration Ecosystem
Discussions expanded to cross-functional support—covering project safeguards from data and finance standpoints, and mapping synergy across CRC collaboration, collaboration with Medical Affairs, and technical support. SDM’s senior leadership, including Chairman Cao Tiejun and Deputy GM Song Hong, participated throughout, emphasizing the need to “break down departmental silos and make every link a point of collaborative strength.”
From Alignment to Action：Charting the Course Ahead
Every session, from standardizing processes to resolving disagreements, and from building team cohesion to enabling cross-functional synergy, reinforced the core principle of “Combine the Strength and Forge Ahead Together.” The workshop did more than align our processes and mindsets; the collaborative efforts demonstrated SDM’s commitment to our staff, our pursuit of working efficiency to better serve clients and patients. This workshop, built upon twenty years of experience, unfolded as a practical step on how SDM would value its workforce and encourage communications, and set up a clear framework and collaborative mechanisms to increase SDM’s service effectiveness. By delivering more efficient, high-quality CRO support, we are better positioned to serve our clients and help bring new therapies to patients faster.
