Over the last 25 years, contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) have played an increasingly important role in the pharmaceutical industry. The need to decrease time to market, improve process efficiency, and reduce costs are all crucial reasons why pharma companies have an increasing use for CMOs – and they’re the same key factors that have propelled the growth of the outsourcing market and will continue to propel its growth over the coming years. A November 2016 study from Industry Standard Research Reports reveals that life sciences companies now outsource two-thirds of their manufacturing activities for CMOs. For small to mid-sized companies – where outsourcing manufacturing isn’t just a convenience, it’s a necessity – that figure is even higher: up to 80% in 2015. These partnerships often last many years and have the potential to either constrict or add considerable value to a company’es growth. Success relies, of course, on choosing the right manufacturer. But once the contract is signed, what are the responsibilities of the client to ensure effective collaboration and maximum productivity? Recognizing how the relationship can break down on the client’s side is a crucial step in reducing risks.
Read More →The Effects of Customer Service and Effective Supplier Communication on the CMO-Client Relationship
Q&A with Aphena Pharma Solutions The future of outsourcing is brighter than ever as pharmaceutical companies continue to rely on contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) for their manufacturing needs. This move allows pharma companies to focus on their core business, especially marketing and R&D, which can reduce costs, cut down time-to-market, and increase bottom line, while relying on external manufacturing experts to provide fast and cost-effective drug development. But in a time when two-thirds of pharmaceutical manufacturing is outsourced, price, quality and capability rarely separate the players in the market. Instead, what differentiates the competition is service. Pharmaceutical companies and CMOs are increasingly evolving their relationship from one-dimensional product outsourcing into comprehensive partnerships that center around one major theme: customer service. Following the American Pharma Outsourcing Summit 2018, we spoke with Eric Allen, Executive VP of Sales & Marketing; Bob Scott, President of Operations; and Paul Glintenkamp, Director of Business Development at Aphena Pharma Solutions to address the effects of good customer service and effective supplier communication on operations and outcomes, and to help pharmaceutical companies and CMOs get the most out of their manufacturing relationship.
Read More →5 Rules of Engagement for Breakout Performance
Whether you work at a small tech startup or a large, established manufacturer, there is an implicit understanding that business success can be easily quantified. Whether you are a CEO or a sales representative, the common wisdom is that there are identifiable numbers that can objectively determine if you are a success or a failure. In a world full of endless layers of nuance and opinion, tangible metrics of business performance are irresistibly attractive. However, there are serious limitations to taking such a binary approach to measuring success. This black and white approach to measuring business success is actually counterproductive, particularly if the goal is to achieve transformative performance improvement.
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