Based on insights from the Xtalks hosted webinar: Site Selection Strategies in 2025.
Clinical trial site selection has never been more competitive, or more critical. Protocols are more complex. Timelines are tighter. And sponsors can no longer afford the delays, deviations, or dropout rates that come from choosing the wrong sites.
That was the focus of our recent Xtalks webinar, Site Selection Strategies in 2025: Leveraging Data-Driven Metrics for Success, hosted by RealTime eClinical Solutions. The panel brought together leaders with unmatched real-world experience on both the site and CRO sides of the industry, including E.B. McLindon, Co-Founder of Helios Clinical Research, and Paul Evans, PhD, President and CEO of Velocity Clinical Research. Together, they now lead two of the largest site networks in the world, but their roots run deep in CRO leadership, giving them a unique dual perspective into what sponsors truly value.
In this discussion, our industry heavyweights shared how technology and performance metrics, combined with access to the right kind of data, could give sites a competitive edge and transform how trials are awarded. Read on for the recap and watch the Xtalks webinar replay here.
Industry Experts Who Joined Us:
- Michael Bonavilla, Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships, RealTime-Devana
- Paul Evans, President & CEO, Velocity Clinical Research
- Barry Lake, Co-founder, RealTime-Devana
- EB McLindon, Co-Founder & CEO, Helios Clinical Research
What’s Broken in Traditional Site Selection?
Sponsors and CROs have long relied on feasibility surveys, spreadsheets, and site familiarity. But those tools only tell part of the story and often, they’re built on outdated or incomplete inputs.
“For decades, clinical trial sponsors have wrestled with the same challenge: Relying heavily on longstanding relationships with Physician Investigators and clinical research sites they’ve used on past trials. However, these PIs and sites are not necessarily the right sites to select on today’s trials.”
Barry Lake emphasized that the real gap in site selection isn’t about more data. It’s about access to the right data – trusted, performance-verified metrics, none of which live in traditional feasibility forms.
What Sponsors Really Want
Speed matters. But it’s not just about picking sites quickly. It’s about picking sites that consistently deliver.
Sponsors want confidence in their site partners. That means proven capabilities, not just projected ones. Performance benchmarking helps sponsors make more informed site selections and shortens study timelines. The consensus across the panel was clear: performance transparency is fast becoming the new currency of site selection.
Why Data Is the New Competitive Advantage
The panelists emphasized that modern site selection must be driven by real-world performance metrics, not just self-reported capabilities. By pulling data from multiple systems, stakeholders can measure:
- Speed to start-up. How quickly sites move from award to activation.
- Contract fulfillment. How reliably sites meet their commitments.
- Operational performance. How consistently sites hit recruitment targets and complete milestones.
This “front-end to back-end” visibility provides a complete picture of site capabilities, altogether, a major shift from traditional selection methods.
From Measuring to Matching
Standardized metrics create a common language with sponsors, making it easier to demonstrate capabilities and build trust. Benchmarking across site networks not only improves internal performance but also gives sponsors the visibility they need. Altogether, this helps sites compete and stand out locally, nationally, and globally.
One of the recurring themes in the webinar was matching the right sites to the right trials based on therapeutic focus and historical success rates. RealTime-Devana’s latest tech innovation, TrialAlign, an advanced site selection, feasibility and performance analytics platform, will enable:
- Opportunity matching. Aligning new studies with sites proven in specific indications.
- Performance benchmarking. Measuring sites against peers on a national or even global scale.
- Common language with sponsors. Using standardized metrics that sponsors understand and value.
Why This Matters for 2025 and Beyond
In 2025, site selection success will hinge on transparency and proof. Those who can demonstrate performance, with metrics to back it up, will stand out as preferred partners.
And the competitive advantage isn’t just external. Benchmarking data also drives internal motivation for sites, sparking healthy competition between teams and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
As the speakers discussed, these capabilities are most powerful when embedded in daily workflows. For many successful site networks like Helios and Velocity, a business operations platform such as RealTime-Devana have become “a daily click-into program,” essential for tracking performance and positioning themselves competitively.
TrialAlign: Built for the Modern Site Selection Era
One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation was the role of technology, specifically TrialAlign. TrialAlign aggregates real-time site metrics, giving sponsors the kind of verified insights that drive faster, more confident decisions.
What you can see in TrialAlign:
- Patient Screening & Enrollment Data
- Site Performance Metrics
- Feasibility Turnaround Time
- Contract Turnaround Time
- SIV Turnaround
- IRB Submission Turnaround Time
- Time to 1st Patient Screened
- Time to 1st Patient Randomized
The Bottom Line
Trial selection is no longer about who says they can perform, it’s about who can prove it.
Sponsors want transparency. Sites want to stand out. Platforms like TrialAlign are making both possible by delivering real, measurable visibility into study performance and operational efficiency.
This recap only scratches the surface of the strategies and examples shared by our panel. If you’re looking to enhance your site selection approach, whether you’re a site, network, or sponsor/CRO this conversation is a must-watch.
Missed the live webinar? Watch the replay here.
About RealTime-Devana
RealTime-Devana is a holistic business operations platform designed specifically for research site organizations, driving transparency and accountability across all functional groups. From pipeline management and streamlined study start-up through to historical trial metrics, Devana provides one source of truth for all your clinical trial data and processes. Improve turnaround times and stand out to CROs and sponsors with Devana’s powerful workflow improvements and data analytics.
Read More: Decoding How Sponsors Evaluate Clinical Research Sites for Selection in Clinical Trials
Read More: Reduce Clinical Trial Cycle Times: How Standardize Study Start-Up and Capture Timing Metrics