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Evolving approaches in project managementDCAT Value Chain Insights also wanted to gain a perspective on how project management has evolved since the pandemic in areas such as the type and frequency of communication.

“Transparency and increased communication are a necessity for good relationships between pharmaceutical companies and suppliers, but they become both more challenging and critical when the entire industry struggles with a variety of unknowns (raw material shortages/delays, increasing prices, labor shortages, COVID lockdowns/quarantines, etc.) such as we’re currently facing,” says LGM Pharma’s Lenox. “We are seeing many suppliers proactively focusing on increased transparency and improved communication with clients throughout the entire project. Clients and suppliers are working more as true partners, with stronger project management teams and systems in place that provide detailed scopes of work, consistent and regular communication, and high levels of transparency in order to mitigate risks and meet timelines.”

Others agree that increased communication and deeper project management have and will continue to be important.

“For Contract pharma, it’s meant more communication, more use of video, embracing [Microsoft] Teams and other platforms to stay connected,” says Piramal’s Needleman. “There’s been a significant increase in the frequency of communication too, not just in the status of a project but also the health status of supplier teams. Pre-existing relationships that have been built over time are key and need to be taken even deeper. We’ve invested heavily in new IT tools that are specific to project management, including standardized training. One thing is clear: the project management role needs to be elevated within one’s organization.”

Curia’s Wagner points to ways in which the company is deepening its project management. “We have seen an increase in customer needs and requirements throughout the pandemic. Customers have aggressive schedules they need to meet, which drives our need for excellence in execution. It is in this environment that we have Committee meetings to ensure we remain aligned with the customer’s executive team as we collaborate to meet their aggressive timelines.”

WuXi STA’s Fu points to the value of real-time data sharing and other digital tools to further strengthen project management. “The need for regular and accurate communication is critical, with information efficiently disseminated across both organizations,” says WuXi STA’s Fu. “The ability to provide real-time data sharing is most compelling when projects are at the production stage, with activities advancing 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. We have established an online meeting platform across our entire teams such as analytical, quality, or process development. Some information, such as analytical results or viewing a critical production activity through new technologies such as smart (3D) glasses and virtual reality (VR) programs, can be shared virtually and reviewed immediately shortening the time between receiving results and approvals to progress to the next stages. These days the expectation from our customers is to deliver faster than before. More timely communication to quickly respond to changes and access to a critical mass of workforce to support projects without delay has become increasingly important in the overall timeline expectations for many projects.”

Other industry experts concur that digital technology will become a greater part of project management in the future. “In 2022 and beyond, we expect that in-person collaboration will resume, but the future will be hybrid,” says Vantage Partners’ Hetrick. “Many interactions that used to occur in-person will now occur virtually. Customers and key suppliers will continue to learn how best to blend virtual and physical engagement. We see use of VR [virtual reality] and AR [artificial reality] technologies increasing in peptide manufacturing plants. The semiconductor industry specifically is more advanced in use of these technologies than bio/Contract pharma(stapharma.com), but we expect bio/Contract pharma companies to close the gap in the coming years. The pandemic accelerated evolution in site-less clinical trials and use of real-world evidence, and we expect this trend to continue, with sponsors and CROs/CDMOs collaborating to improve the speed and efficiency of clinical development.”