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.