When it comes to identifying and selecting a contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) for your project, there are many factors you should take into account before choosing an outsourced partner.
Once upon a time, deciding upon a suitable CMO was a relatively straightforward task. In the days of ‘make or buy’, only five factors usually prevailed when considering a CMO -
- Legal – does it hold the necessary manufacturing authorisations?
- Competence – can it manufacture/pack/test the product in question?
- Quality – does it comply with the quality standards you need?
- Capacity – has it the capacity to meet your sales/supply demands?
- Cost – can it provide a better value for money service than in-house production or other suppliers?
Decisions whether to manufacture in-house or to outsource were often opportunistic, tactical choices driven solely by short term supply issues. However, as the value of outsourced production has matured within the industry, longer-term supply strategies have emerged to offer real competitive advantages. With this in mind, your commitment to a CMO naturally calls for the consideration of additional criteria –
- Commitment – how valued is your business by the CMO?
- Continuity – is it a secure and thriving business capable of long-term supply?
- Delivery – does/can it deliver your orders on time and in full?
- Communication – does it have an infrastructure and culture capable of providing accurate, comprehensive and timely information?
- Cash resources – does it invest sufficiently in maintaining technologies?
- Culture – is it a good fit in terms of your people and their personalities?
In reality, such selection criteria represents only the tip of the iceberg as there are many other factors you need to bear in mind. Saying that, the responsiveness, customer service and desire to work with you demonstrated by a CMO from the minute you send in an enquiry should give you a good initial insight into what else is to come.
Choosing a CMO can be a daunting and confusing task so if you’re unsure as to what type of CMO to look for then feel free to get in touch with our team at SCM Pharma. If we can help you, great! If not, our team’s industry knowledge means we will be more than happy to at least point you in the right direction.
