Viewpoints: Remaining ahead of the curve as the world’s largest provider of BioPharma testing solutions
by Timothy S. Oostdyk, Ph.D., President, Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories, Sr. Vice President, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing Group
At Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories we are passionate about continually looking ahead to discover the latest technological advances and enhancing the customer service experience.
As the largest global biopharma product testing organization, one might ask what our strategy is to maintain our growth momentum and continually enhance and deliver the most comprehensive services in the industry? Our conviction to be the premier provider of global solutions for GMP testing is resolute. Here’s how we are working to stay ahead of the curve.
Drive regional and international market share by continually expanding our capacities, capabilities, and geographic footprint.
Our goal is to provide strong regional coverage throughout Europe and the U.S., while also delivering a compelling global offering to our international customers. In this way we can maximize our service to our global R&D customers, while also offering excellent service to our local manufacturing customers. To support these complementary objectives, we are actively engaged in pursuing M&A, as well as expansion of our existing laboratories. Early this year we acquired CTP Laboratories in the Tuscany region of Italy. The acquisition of this group expands our geographic footprint and clearly positions us as the largest GMP contract lab in Italy. This year we are completing a 78,000-sq. ft. addition to our Lancaster campus which will greatly increase our capacity for both biologics and small molecules, and will add state-of-the-art cell banking suites. We have expanded our Munich, Germany facilities, and are currently installing virus clearance and testing capabilities there. And we have either completed, or are planning, expansions of our operations in Ireland, Paris, Copenhagen, and Milan. Currently we have 14 GMP sites globally to serve our customers.
Continue further integration and harmonization of services and systems across the network.
In order to provide a truly global service, our laboratories must be harmonized. Our goal is to provide our clients with a consistent experience and quality no matter where the testing is performed. Major initiatives to support this goal include the development of a Global Quality Policy Manual, the deployment of a single Exceptions/ CAPA system, and a uniform document control and training records system. Our quality leaders throughout the world are working together to drive consistency and excellence in our quality program. A major key to harmonization is IT systems. We have committed significant resources to developing a global IT migration strategy that will phase our laboratories on to a common platform while minimizing any disruption to our operations. Importantly, this project will implement LabAccess (our market leading online data access product which provides features and benefits not matched by the competition) in all laboratories by early 2014.
Deliver flexibility and options for our clients as they seek to optimize their outsourcing strategies.
We recognize that our clients face many challenges, and constantly adapting our services to meet their ever changing needs is critical to developing strategic relationships. For this reason more than ten years ago we developed our very successful multiple tier service delivery model:
- Fee for Service
- FTEs (full time equivalents) at Lancaster working exclusively for one client
- PSS (Professional Scientific Staffing)—our insourcing model where Lancaster staff work within the client’s facility
Within each service model we tailor programs to maximize cost effectiveness and meet project needs, and we find that for many of our clients it is very effective to utilize multiple tiers. This has enabled us to develop many excellent strategic relationships which continue to drive value for our customers.
Deliver the most comprehensive BioPharma Product Testing service offering in the industry with a continued global expansion in small molecule and biologics capabilities.
Our objective is to provide our customers with the most comprehensive range of laboratory services available in the industry. We are a team of laboratory professionals, and providing lab services is our 100% focus. We have worked and invested diligently to become your proverbial “one stop shop” for GMP testing services. We have the technical expertise, equipment, and experience to test everything from your starting materials, to your process intermediates, to your drug substance/unprocessed bulk, and your finished product. If your product is a synthetic small molecule, protein, peptide, conjugate, vaccine, enzyme or cell/gene therapy you will find at Eurofins the experienced chemists, biochemists, molecular & cell biologists, virologists, and microbiologist to cover all testing aspects of your molecule.
At Eurofins we know that to effectively leverage spend volume and maximize costs savings, customers achieve real benefits and savings from a service provider with a global footprint, the widest breadth of services, and extensive capacity. And in our industry today, as in almost every global industry, companies are actively consolidating vendors and developing a limited number of strategic relationships. This saves transactional costs in audits and agreements, and can generate big savings by leveraging spend volume. For this reason we are working hard every day to be your laboratory of choice.
Thank you for the confidence that you have placed in us. We very much appreciate your business, and the opportunity to serve you. At the heart of all of our business strategies, high-tech instrumentation, and vast global capabilities lies a basic desire to delight our clients. When we are at our best, we help clients be at their best, and we all stay ahead of the curve.
