STRATEGY
Another step taken by SUT manufacturers has been to try to expand their footprint beyond their core markets, establishing new sites within their customers’ geographies. Given that countries such as the US and India have been incentivising their domestic pharmaceutical sectors to localise or “onshore” their supply chains, establishing local sites can help SUT manufacturers address customers’ concerns about relying on imports. SUT manufacturers have also begun reconsidering their own supply chains to optimise their resilience, and to support customers in achieving the same goal. Diversifying their network
of suppliers beyond individual companies or single regions is an important way of preventing the creation of single points of failure, so they can continue to supply customers. Dual- or multi-sourcing is also another key measure taken by a growing number of SUT and other consumables manufacturers. Multi-sourcing describes a supply planning system that can intelligently choose between alternate sources of supply. While not without its own complexities and challenges, this approach has the potential to allow SUT manufacturers to respond in real time to disruption, enabling them to switch from an affected supplier to one that is able to continue to deliver.
needed. Multi- or dual-sourcing can also help to enhance the flexibility of supply, helping businesses to respond more rapidly to issues with individual partners.
est standard materials and components to help you ensure you can operate consistently. In addition, it is important to seek out suppliers that you can be confident will continue to operate for the long term. Exploring suppliers’ financial health before making any agreement can help give you the peace of mind that they can be relied on for the long haul.
resilience further down the supply chain, helping to support the wider pharmaceutical industry in creating a more robust, secure and certain future. More for information, please visit Product Filtering | Powder Transfer Systems | ChargePoint (thechargepoint.com).
Partner with reliable suppliers Finally, it is crucial to seek out and work with partners that are reliable and have the capacity to support manufacturers in achieving their supply chain security goals. It is advisable to work with consumables suppliers that have, themselves, taken steps to enhance the robustness of their supply chains, whether through diversification, the introduction of multisourcing or the building up of stock. Asking potential partners about their own supply chains, and about their global operating footprint, can help manufacturers understand whether they will be able to complement and boost their own efforts. Working with suppliers that have a global operating footprint, with sites and operations in multiple countries, can also optimise the robustness of supply chains, as they will be less vulnerable to localised or regional supply challenges. It is important to work with partners that have a reputation for reliability and quality. They must be able to offer you a consistent service and deliver the high-
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P H A RM A F O C U S A S I A
ISSUE 48 - 2022
Time to shield yourself from economic uncertainty While the economic turmoil from COVID19 looks to be settling down in many parts of the world, there are other developments that have the potential to pose challenges for the global economy, and for the pharmaceutical industry in 2022 and beyond. It is important for pharmaceutical companies to prepare now to ensure their essential supplies, not just of raw materials, but of SUTs and other key components, are secure and sourced from reliable partners so that they can continue to operate. Pharma companies don’t need to take responsibility for this preparation entirely on their own shoulders — they should work with suppliers that are doing the same and securing their own networks. Such suppliers create
AUTHOR BIO
A rapid response With these frailties in mind, rapid action has been needed on the part of SUT suppliers to safeguard their customers. During the first wave of COVID-19 in particular, many suppliers of SUTs took steps to minimise their exposure to potential points of failure, such as just-in-time (JIT) deliveries. Maintaining adequate levels of essential raw materials, and building stocks of finished components within key overseas markets, have been important ways of addressing this issue. It ensured that manufacturers could continue to manufacture their components and deliver them to customers without disruption.
BEN WYLIE is the Senior Product Manager at ChargePoint. He joined ChargePoint in 2005 and is responsible for the day-to-day and strategic management of the product portfolio, including the development of the ChargePoint single-use solutions. Ben has 14 years of experience in Pharma with a focus on marketing and product management of powder processing and containment handling.