TECH OUTLOOKMay - 20209important as biopharma manufacturers design their facilities entirely with SUS and expand globally.These supply chain OpEx capabilities should be built around a collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) program that includes:1. Understanding customer requirements, such as important product/order attributes of dating, documentation, order frequency, lot control and storage-material handling requirements.2. Effectively transferring documented requirements to internal systems to "operationalize" things such as customer-care instructions, warehouse instructions, and setup of customer-specific inventory reserves.3. Regularly engaging in customer-planning meetings to obtain updated forecasts.4. Engaging with customers and suppliers to manage changes in key factors such as required components and lead times.Supply chain assurance can also be achieved through a customer-centric approach with flexibility and solutions that decrease complexity around storage and delivery. Integrated sales and operations planning (S&OP) is an integrated business management process that helps ensure the executives or leadership team of an organization is continually focused and aligned a cross all functions. The S&OP process includes an updated forecast that leads to a sales plan, production plan, inventory plan, customer lead time (backlog) plan, new product development plan, strategic initiative plan, and resulting financial plan. Done well, the S&OP process enables effective supply chain management.One of the more challenging supply chain issues is faster lead times for finished goods. Stocking more finished goods has inherent risks related to proper warehousing and storage. Many biopharma manufacturers lack adequate warehousing infrastructure to store large volumes of single-use products. For this reason, it's beneficial to work with single-use equipment and materials suppliers that can provide local storage and quick delivery. Ready to Manage and Mitigate Risk Biopharma manufacturers can help ensure their single-use production operations remain secure by working with single-use suppliers who combine ingenuity and product leadership with powerful channel and supply chain operations. Ultimately, this should include superior single-use expertise with a collaborative approach in designing solutions; access to a broad product portfolio with components sourced from multiple suppliers; unique capabilities, such as expedited system design and delivery of drawings; and, ultimately, supply chain OpEx capabilities that are fully supported by regulatory and quality compliance. Essential steps in risk management generally include risk assessment (identification, analysis, and evaluation); risk control (mitigation, reduction, and acceptance); and risk review
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