A True Partnership: An Introduction to Contract Manufacturing (Part 2)

Provide Quality Systems: A contract manufacturer specializes in manufacturing products. Therefore, a good manufacturer has several quality systems in place to ensure products are manufactured consistently to the customer’s exacting specifications. The manufacturers’ Quality Assurance and Quality Control teams must ensure that raw materials are tested properly, that finished products pass assay and that good documentation practices are a priority.

Provide Best Possible Supply Chain Costs: A first-rate contract manufacturer may have raw material cost advantages. In today’s operating environment, raw material costs are rising significantly.  Leveraging volume buying can make a big difference in product costing. Also, a thorough understanding of where to source can offer cost advantages while maintaining quality standards.

Be a Regulatory Resource: A good contract manufacturing partner can augment other quality teams by sharing the very latest regulatory information. This is especially crucial because the current GMP/FDA regulatory environment is constantly changing.

Assist with Research and Product Development: An experienced contract manufacturer understands delivery systems, raw materials and the latest manufacturing advances. They can provide invaluable feedback in developing and formulating new product ideas, along with product differentiation ideas that will set the product apart in a retail environment.

Offer Marketing Support: Experienced contract manufacturers have seen many different types of products and have worked with a wide range of customers. Manufacturers can be a great resource for the very latest in raw materials, product ideas, dosage trends, etc. And they can provide invaluable insight on unique product selling points, which can ultimately help to market a product. Be sure to always take customer confidentiality agreements very seriously.