Making sense of Partnership Management
22nd Apr 2022
The importance of collaboration and transparency in an outsourced pharmaceutical manufacturing partner.
Consistent and clear communication is critical for any pharmaceutical or biotechnology organisation when outsourcing manufacturing processes. In particular, it is essential for a partner to create an open dialogue that fosters understanding of the customer’s specific requirements, maintains close alignment at all times, and works collaboratively to address and overcome potential setbacks. The importance of choosing a partner who is known for their culture of service and collaboration only heightens as a programme progresses from early stage development through to commercialisation.
75% of pharmaceutical manufacturers identified good communication as an attribute that factors into CDMO engagement.
“Partnership is in our name. We are a PDMO®, a Partnership Development and Manufacturing Organisation.
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Elevating customer collaboration through Partnership Management.
At Sterling, our approach to customer collaboration goes beyond traditional account management. By assigning a dedicated Partnership Manager, we truly become an extension of our customers’ business. Our Partnership Managers serve as a bridge between the customer and Sterling, providing the technical expertise and consistent communication needed to ensure internal and external alignment at every stage of the product lifecycle.
How can Partnership Management streamline your project and enhance your success?
The Partnership Manager serves as the customer’s voice as their project scales, assisting with technical requirements, forecasting, process improvement, and much more.
Here are four key advantages of collaborating with an experienced Partnership Manager:
With a dedicated Partnership Manager, customers are kept up-to-date on project status as their product transitions to commercial supply and subsequently throughout its entire lifecycle. The Partnership Manager regularly meets with customer representatives and proactively provides comprehensive reports to identify further requirements, align on status, and keep stakeholders informed. This ensures that the customer maintains complete visibility at all times.
The Partnership Manager removes any potential barriers to collaboration between outsourced manufacturer and customer. Together, the customer and Partnership Manager can work to address obstacles, find ways to resolve any unanticipated challenges and create proactive plans to ensure the smooth running of the project.
An experienced Partnership Manager provides a first hand understanding of API manufacturing requirements at the commercial scale, enabling them to assist with demand forecasting and planning. They also deliver full product lifecycle management and help the customer to consider long-term product implications, empowering more informed decision making.
Extensive knowledge of the customer and product, coupled with technical proficiency, enable the Partnership Manager to serve as an internal champion for the customer. The Partnership Manager is readily available to address questions and actively advocate for the customer’s requirements with the scientific and engineering teams involved in the project.
Fast Facts
72% of pharmaceutical organisations identified understanding the customer’s needs as an important attribute that factors into partner selection.
About 30% of customers identified poor communication as the most prevalent deficiency when working with CDMOs.
88% of pharmaceutical organisations were interested in becoming involved in a strategic partnership with a CDMO in the next 12-18 months.
Proven Partnership Management to maximise your success.
At Sterling, our Partnership Management team has supported a wide variety of customers and projects as they prepare to commercialise their products. By working with customers on contracts, demand forecasting, supply chain management, and much more, our Partnership Managers are dedicated to serving as champions for our customers to support their molecules’ success. As with all of our offerings, our approach to Partnership Management is grounded in the principles of service, passion, and science.
Service
We pride ourselves on being easy to do business with, removing layers of complexity, maximising flexibility and adaptability to your requirements, and doing what we say we will do, again and again.
Passion
We promise to treat your molecule as our own, drive progress by continually exploring new and emerging capabilities, and do the right thing for our people and planet.
Science
We combine our expertise in complex and hazardous chemistry, our world-class facilities and our full-lifecycle capabilities to place scientific excellence at the core of every solution we deliver.