In life sciences, where data drives discovery, SAS software products have long been the gold standard for statistical computing environments. SAS’s robust capabilities have powered countless breakthroughs, from early discovery research to robust clinical trials. However, like any cornerstone technology, your SAS system isn’t a “set it and forget it” solution—it’s a living investment that must evolve to keep pace with your rapidly changing research realities.
As your organization grows and the complexity of your data scales, ensuring that your SAS environment is optimized and up to date is essential for maintaining its role as a powerful enabler of your research. Upgrading isn’t about fixing what’s broken—it’s about future-proofing your capabilities, unlocking new features, and ensuring your tools are as cutting-edge as the science you pursue.
In this blog, we’ll identify four signs that your out-of-date software may be impacting your research and discuss the importance of properly implementing the next evolution of your SAS program. These insights are informed by our real interactions with life sciences innovators who are looking to modernize and evolve their SAS investment over time to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their research.
By recognizing these indicators and discussing our ‘questions to consider’ with your team, you can ensure that your SAS environment continues to support your mission, accelerate your research, and position your life sciences organization for long-term success.
The Signs
Sign 1: Limits on Scalability
Upgrading your SAS system isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity to ensure your research can keep pace with growing data demands. Failing to upgrade directly impacts your ability to scale, as older systems are unable to handle the expanding volume of data efficiently. Without an upgrade, your organization will struggle to process larger datasets, slowing down the research cycle and hindering your ability to take on more complex or data-intensive projects.
Questions to Consider:
- How are current data limitations impacting the speed and scalability of your research? Are they affecting project timelines or outcomes?
- Is your existing infrastructure equipped to support future growth and data complexity without sacrificing performance or reliability?
- How much time and productivity are being lost due to outdated systems struggling with data volume? What would faster processing mean for your team’s research output?
Sign 2: Slower Performance
Performance degradation is inevitable with outdated software, and not upgrading in time to ensure full support limits the software’s overall efficiency. Legacy systems aren’t built to handle the advanced data architectures and processing demands of modern clinical research. Without an upgrade, slow processing times, inefficient memory usage, and system lags will continue to delay critical analysis. This affects everything from daily operations to the ability to deliver timely results in your research.
Questions to Consider:
- How frequently are system slowdowns affecting your research timelines, and what are the consequences for project completion?
- Are large data processing tasks creating bottlenecks that could be alleviated with an upgrade to the latest SAS version?
- How much faster could your team deliver results by leveraging the enhanced performance features of the latest SAS version?
Sign 3: Heightened Security Risks
Every day you delay upgrading your SAS environment, your organization’s exposure to security vulnerabilities grows. Older SAS versions will not receive the latest security patches, leaving your clinical data open to breaches and cyber threats. Clinical research data is highly sensitive, and failing to protect it could lead to significant legal and reputational damage. Upgrading isn’t just about convenience—it’s about safeguarding your data against evolving threats.
Questions to Consider:
- Are your current security protocols up-to-date and fully equipped to protect against today’s evolving cyber threats?
- How vulnerable is your organization to potential data breaches or cyber attacks due to outdated software?
- What are the risks and potential impacts of missing essential security updates on your organization’s data integrity and compliance?
Sign 4: Compliance Issues
Staying compliant with ever-evolving industry regulations is a top priority in clinical research, and outdated software simply can’t keep up. Without an upgrade, your organization risks non-compliance with crucial regulatory standards, which could lead to fines, legal issues, and the erosion of brand trust. An outdated SAS environment makes it harder to meet audit requirements, leaving you vulnerable during regulatory reviews. Upgrading ensures you meet current compliance expectations and simplifies the audit process.
Questions to Consider:
- How challenging are compliance audits with your current, outdated system? Are there areas where it falls short of regulatory requirements?
- What are the potential regulatory penalties your organization could face due to non-compliance with updated standards?
- How confident are you that your current software consistently meets the latest regulatory standards and can stand up to a rigorous audit?
Neglecting critical areas like scalability, performance, security, and compliance inevitably puts your research at risk. An upgrade can ensure your SAS software products are optimized to excel in these four areas, but the process can be complex and even daunting. Choosing the right partner is the perfect place to start.
Partner With Experts to Evolve Your SAS System, Today and Tomorrow
At Strong Tower, we empower life sciences organizations to maximize their SAS program investment and manage the software lifecycle with a strategic, scientifically informed approach. From initial implementation and validation to ongoing release management and timely SAS updates, we ensure every phase is handled with precision and tightly aligned with your scientific requirements. We understand the unique challenges you face, and we’re here to alleviate the burden of software updates, allowing your IT teams to focus on driving innovation and advancing discovery.
Our Strong Protocol makes SAS implementation easy and seamless, but our commitment doesn’t end when your upgrade goes live. With over 200 SAS engagements, we have deep experience in providing continuous, proactive support to maintain secure, compliant, and efficient environments. As a certified SAS reseller for more than 15 years, Strong Tower specializes in navigating the complexities of SAS software products, offering the expert guidance you need to maintain your environment on an ongoing basis and ensure every technology decision aligns with your strategic goals. Together, we’ll ensure your organization’s statistical computing environment is ready to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
If you are looking to upgrade your SAS software and know you need assistance or aren’t sure where to start, Strong Tower can be your long-term partner to help you choose the right project workflow and customizations for your unique needs. We have a thorough understanding of the latest SAS version, SAS 9.4 M8, and the new functionalities and tools that can be added to your system with this update. Contact us today to learn more about this SAS upgrade and what it could mean for your organization.
