By Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief
 
The pandemic revealed critical insufficiencies with the medical device manufacturing supply chain. As regions of the world closed down, vital components and materials were cut off from industries and businesses located elsewhere. Given how important certain medical products were needed to help battle the COVID-19 virus, the inadequacies couldn’t have come at a worse time.
 
Fortunately, much was learned from this time and medical device OEMs are shoring up their supply lines to build redundancy and resiliency into their manufacturing plans. As such, they are looking to their service provider partners for aid in this effort. One key aspect they are seeking from those suppliers is a full-service type of offering. They are also interested in partners with worldwide locations.
 
Fortunately, there are companies that meet both needs. To provide further insight on what this type of partner offers and why it’s so important in today’s medical device manufacturing environment, Tracy Gahagan—Commercial Vice President, Fluid Management & Flexibles, at Spectrum Plastics Group, A DuPont Business—responded to several question on this topic. The following Q&A showcases the factors she deems critical.
 
Sean Fenske: Given the challenges faced since the pandemic, why is a supplier with locations worldwide important?
 
Tracy Gahagan: A supplier with worldwide locations is essential because it enhances supply chain resilience, provides backup options that help mitigate potential risks, leverages regional expertise, supports efficient inventory management (JIT), reduces lead times, and optimizes costs. These benefits have become even more crucial in the face of the challenges and the need for businesses to adapt quickly. A relevant example includes the time the Panama Canal was blocked by a ship lodged sideways, delaying passage of all freight ships, and the prolonged back up at the Port of Long Beach that delayed offloading of ships for months.
 
Fenske: Are you getting more interest from customers because you maintain worldwide locations? Is that a primary selling point today?
 
Gahagan: Yes, worldwide locations are undoubtedly a selling point; however, customers’ reasoning for wanting it may vary. Along with some of the previous statements, some simply want us where they are—if they have locations in Costa Rica, they want their suppliers to have locations in Costa Rica. Others believe having locations worldwide—especially those in lower-cost regions—can bring a competitive advantage to a competitive market.
 
Fenske: Do you have any customers or prospective clients who are interested in only manufacturing in a specific region or moving their manufacturing elsewhere?
 
Gahagan: Yes, but it is crucial to understand their needs thoroughly, assess feasibility, conduct a cost-benefit analysis, consider supply chain implications, and assess risks. The most important thing is maintaining collaboration and communication throughout the process. This will help them make informed decisions that align with their overall objectives.
 
Fenske: As a worldwide supplier, if you have a customer being served at one location, are you able to transfer the job to another if a situation arises that requires it?
 
Gahagan: Yes, we have multiple sites with redundant capabilities, which makes us fully equipped to transfer projects between locations as necessary. We encourage our customers to validate and approve more than one site during the early stages of development, which would ensure minimal disruption if a transfer were required. Customers can rest assured that we have established processes and capabilities across our sites to ensure continuity of service regardless of which site is manufacturing the product. Many customers have benefited from transferring manufacturing within Spectrum to other Spectrum sites that are local to the sites where their products have been transferred.
 
Fenske: Given the attention being directed toward the supply chain in the last few years, how important is it to couple global manufacturing capabilities with being a full-service manufacturer?
 
Gahagan: The attention directed toward the supply chain in recent years underscores the critical role this combination plays in ensuring a company’s competitiveness and resilience. This unique coupling allows for a robust supply chain and the supplier is able to be agile and flexible while remaining cost-effective and focused on customer satisfaction and transparent communication.
 
Fenske: How do you, as a full-service manufacturer, address the topic of resiliency that has grown so rapidly in terms of importance for medical device makers?
 
Gahagan: As a full-service manufacturer in the medical device industry, we address the topic of resiliency by implementing a multifaceted strategy that includes supply chain diversification, inventory management, dual sourcing, redundancy, risk assessment, regulatory compliance, effective communication, continuous improvement, employee training, and comprehensive contingency planning. This approach allows us to maintain a high level of resiliency and ensure the consistent supply of critical medical devices to support patient care.
 
Fenske: Do you have any additional comments you’d like to share based on any of the topics we discussed or something you’d like to tell medical device manufacturers?
 
Gahagan: Spectrum’s combination of technical expertise, comprehensive services, innovation, global reach, scalability, quality assurance, and customer-centric approach makes us an ideal partner to meet the diverse needs of customers. The recent acquisition by DuPont provides access to a wealth of material expertise over diverse industries, synergies around materials and capabilities, and strategic investments where needed.
 
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