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6 BioPharm International May 2022 eBook www.biopharminternational.com outsourcing strategy and identifying the correct partners. Determine if a vendor can grow with you. Make sure to properly evaluate vendors and understand their exper- t ise a nd how t hey ca n g row w it h you as you evolve your outsourcing s t r ate g y. You m i ght lo ok at one ser v ice today, but [you w ill] likely expand the scope in the future; so, it's important that the provider can grow with you. Ribault (Life Science business of Me rc k KG a A , Da r m s t a d t , Germany): Determine the end goal and assess the team. It is important for companies look ing to outsource to def ine their end goal and determine their key ex per ts and resources to reach that goal. D e v elo p a ste p - b y -ste p st ra teg y . By def ining a step-by-step strateg y early in the development process in alignment with qualit y and regula- tor y requirements, companies look- ing to outsource can foresee potential risks and challenges before they arise and help determine the best course of action to help mitigate these risks. Heiger (Agilent): Think 'core vs. context.' If what you require is abso- lutely core to your business, be cau- tious about outsourcing. But don't build what you can buy. It's import- ant to distinguish between the 'core' and the 'context' from the outset. If something is core to your business, then it might be more cost-effective, eff icient, and reliable to think about sourcing this yourself. Part of deciding whether to outsource will be inf luenced by your timeframe—are you looking for a short-, medium-, or long-term solution? This way you can determine whether it 's worth mak ing a large investment up front to handle the oper- ation in-house. If it's something that is readily available and other suppliers have years of skill in that area, then outsourcing is the right option. Think through your business objectives to ensure you are selecting an appropri- ate partner or vendor for the long term. Take the time to remind yourself of what you are trying to achieve in the f irst place and how these relate to your core business objectives. Having transparent conversations to ensure your vendor understands your objec- tives can give you a good head start. The last thing you want is to be tied into a contract if it's wrong for your core business objectives. These objec- tives can be aligned with a broader vision for your business and brand. For example, you may want to partner with a vendor with similar commit- ments to sustainability to make your business greener. If you are commit- ted to offering your customers highly innovative solutions, you' ll need to ensure your vendor is continuing to invest in the latest technologies the market has to offer. Deorkar (Avantor): Companies need to look beyond just unit cost. To provide total value, a service provid- er's capabilities should be understood. Like choosing a contractor, companies shouldn't make a decision based on the cost alone. They need to make sure that the service provider can meet their needs to complete the project. Expectations should be clearly commu- nicated to the service providers as early as possible. The project requirements change over the progression of the project. Open dialogue with your ser- vice provider on any changes sooner than later would help to overcome potential delays. Zehe (Sartorius): Choose a pro- vide r with proven pe r formance and expertise … The capabilities and expe- rience should be proven by a track record, which gives insight into the number of successful projects, expe- riences with different product types (antibodies, complex molecules, etc.), and regulator y acceptance (projects that have reached cl inica l phases, market approval, etc.). Choose a provider offering a compre- hensive service and product portfolio. It is impor tant to keep t he whole dr ug development process in v iew. A g o o d p a r t ne r shou ld not on l y offer individual isolated services but prov ide more hol ist ic supp or t … S u c h c o m p l e t e s o l u t i o n s e n s u r e higher success rates, shorter time- lines, and simplif ied project man- agement and communication. WHAT COMPANIES OUTSOURCING SHOULD KNOW BioPharm: What are your top rec- ommendations for companies seeking outsourcing partners? Heiger (Agilent): Do what you do best. Stay close to your core competen- cies and ensure a best-in-case experi- ence for your clients. Consider reviewing where your team is spread too thin and not able to support what is key to your business. Look at outsourcing as a way of taking care of operations. This is important because business can be a stressful, high-paced environment, and handing over oper- ations to a service provider can really help to focus the team. Ribault (Life Science business o f M e r c k KG a A , Da r m s t a d t , Germany): Be transparent. The cus- tomer's molecule is often 'the life of their company'; so, they place a sig- nif icant amount of trust when hand- ing it off to a contract development a nd m a nu f a c t u r i n g or g a n i z at ion (CDMO). T hey want more t rans- parency in their molecule's complex d e v e lopme nt a nd m a nu f a c t u r i n g process. A key element in creating t r a n s p a r e n c y i s c o m m u n i c a t i o n , and excel lent pa r tners shou ld a lso be e xcel lent commun icators. T h is includes access to its experts when urgent matters come up, as they will. B e c o m e t e c h n i c a l l y e x c e l l e n t . A k e y e l e m e nt i n t h e o ut s o u r c i n g relationship is relying on your partner to possess distinct scientif ic insight a nd e x per t ise for you r molec u le's unique journey. Partnerships for Outsourcing Outsourcing