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Yearly Archives: 2022
The Value of Established Processes
There are a range of business models in contract manufacturing. Some contract manufacturers have well-established manufacturing processes but depend on customers to define the process for sharing information, launching production or initiating continuous improvement efforts. Others have well-defined processes for these areas that can be adapted to customer requirements in addition to well-defined manufacturing processes. This latter business model is often more efficient because it streamlines the parts of the business relationship that can otherwise drive significant hidden cost.
Forefront Medical Technology utilizes repeatable processes to ensure efficient product development, launch and continuous improvement. This whitepaper looks at these areas and discusses the benefits of this approach. Read the full whitepaper here.
Q4 2022 Newsletter
Forefront Medical’s On the Forefront newsletter explores the added value selecting the right contract manufacturer can deliver. The benefits of repeatable processes are also discussed. Read the full issue here.
Is Your Contract Manufacturing Partner Adding Enough Value to the Relationship?
Outsourcing manufacturing is a good way to reduce production costs by accessing shared manufacturing resources. That said, when the benefits a contract manufacturer can bring to the product commercialization process are fully analyzed, there is often significant value beyond access to shared manufacturing resources. This value equation can also include:
- Reduction in product development cycle time
- Improved design for manufacturability
- A continuous improvement focus over the life of the product
- Supply chain and logistics expertise.
The combination of these elements can help improve competitive advantage, control costs and ensure that quality goals are consistently achieved. Supplier selection should evaluate not only assembly capability, but also the ability of each contract manufacturer to provide a solution that encompasses these additional points of value.
In this whitepaper, Forefront Medical Technology provides examples of ways these points of value have benefited its customers. Read the full whitepaper here.
Q3 2022 Newsletter
Forefront Medical’s On the Forefront newsletter explores best practices in contract manufacturer selection and looks the role of new ISO certifications in creating more sustainable organizations. Read it here.
Key Areas to Audit in Supplier Selection
Achieving total lowest cost in outsourcing is rarely achieved by selecting the contract manufacturer with the lowest unit price. Instead, it often is the result of selecting the contract manufacturer with the best focus on eliminating non value-added cost through well-defined processes and efficient commercialization strategies. This latter type of contract manufacturer is often identified during the plant tour phase where audit teams can see how the contract manufacturer has managed programs of similar manufacturing technology, size and scope.
Areas where contract manufacturer efficiency or expertise improves outcomes include:
- Product development
- Product launch
- Manufacturing capabilities
- Logistics support
- Continuous improvement
- IP Protection.
This whitepaper discusses these areas and suggests questions to ask in the audit process. Read the full whitepaper here.
The Benefits of Broadening Use of ISO Standards
Much of the focus on outsourcing is on contract manufacturer capabilities, on-time delivery track record and ability to provider a competitive, superior quality solution over the life of the project. As outsourcing has grown as a mainstream supply chain solution, the role of the contract manufacturer in its customers’ reputations has also drawn more scrutiny. Supplier selection and monitoring audits look not only at processes, but also workplace safety, environmental stewardship and elements of operational efficiency. Just as pre-ISO 9001 and ISO 13485, every customer developed their own quality management system (QMS) audit checklist, much of the focus on audits beyond QMS have been unique to the auditing sourcing team or simply relied on the statement that operations were in compliance with local regulations. While this type of audit helps reassure the auditing entity that the potential supplier meets minimum standards, it doesn’t necessarily ensure that the contract manufacturer has put all the needed building blocks in place to create a resilient organization.
ISO 14001 – Environmental Management System has been gaining in popularity as a roadmap for developing sustainable, environmentally friendly practices. ISO 45001- Occupational Health & Safety Management System and ISO 50001 – Energy Management System are two additional standards designed to help companies establish comprehensive compliance programs in these areas. This whitepaper looks at the benefits associated with each of these standards.
Read the full whitepaper here.
Contract Manufacturing Has Several Business Models
Contract manufacturing can deliver significant benefits to a medical product commercialization strategy. However, there are variations in contract manufacturing business models and that can impact the value a contract manufacturer is able to provide. In this whitepaper, Forefront Medical Technology looks the range of services possible, the potential issues that should be discussed during the selection process and the best practices to look for during the audit.
Read the full whitepaper here.
Q2 2022 Newletter
Forefront Medical’s On the Forefront newsletter announces new leadership at our UK-based Arrow Medical operation and additional ISO certifications at our Singapore facility. Variations in contract manufacturing business models and questions to ask during supply selection audits are also discussed. Read the full issue here.
Q1 2022 Newsletter
Forefront Medical’s On the Forefront newsletter focuses on ways a contract manufacturer can mitigate current manufacturing challenges plus looks at issues that drive cost and quality in tooling. Read the full issue here.
Contract Manufacturing and Market Challenges
The imbalance between supply and demand continues to challenge medical device manufacturers. Rising costs, materials constraints and logistics delays have become “givens” in today’s manufacturing environment. In the outsourcing realm, contract manufacturers are being tested as never before. However, there is one major difference. Most OEMs’ business models revolve around product innovation and an ability to dominate their market niches. Conversely, the contract manufacturing business model revolves around manufacturing expertise and ability to rapidly transform customer orders to delivered products. As a result, there is greater incentive in the contract manufacturing model to find ways to mitigate current challenges. Contract manufacturers who are vertically integrated and expert at addressing logistics challenges may fare better than companies dependent on a broader supply chain to produce and deliver a finished product. Contract manufacturers with a focus on continuous improvement may be better positioned to offset higher costs or increases in shipping lead-time with improvements that shorten manufacturing cycle time.
Forefront Medical Technology feels there are four areas where a contract manufacturer’s capabilities may be able to improve outcomes in the current market:
- Product launch
- Vertical integration
- Continuous improvement
- Logistics management.
This whitepaper looks at each of these areas and discusses ways Forefront’s team applies their expertise. Read the full whitepaper here.
Forefront Medical Technology 