Corporate Magazine 2012 - Boehringer Ingelheim

In order to ensure patient safety, it is crucial thatBoehringer Ingelheim knows and controls allproducts that pass through its supply chains.SECURE SUPPLY CHAINSGUARANTEEDOne of the greatest challenges for the healthcare system is ensuringthe supply of secure or counterfeit-proof medicines. For this reason,Boehringer Ingelheim has integrated the initiative Supply ChainIntegrity (SCI) as an important cornerstone in its operational supplychain strategy.MINIMISING RISKTransparent, end-to-end supplychains – from feedstock to medicinesupply to patients – providea better understanding of therisks, as well as their minimisation,and enable rapid, determinedintervention. Current industrystandards for inspectingproduct authenticity are based onmass serialisation combined withoriginal seal technology.Third Party Management GroupTo be successful as a company, all participantsin the supply chain have towork together – from sourcing to sales.Boehringer Ingelheim takes extensiveprecautions to analyse and secure itssupply chain, irrespective of whether itconcerns contract manufacturers, externallyor internally produced products(see box, right).A good example is Boehringer Ingelheim’sThird Party Management Group(3PM). This monitors a network ofcontract manufacturing organisations(CMOs) and for patients worldwide ensuresa reliable and competitive supplyof prescription medicines and over-thecountermedications for patients worldwide.The 3PM network currently includesmore than one hundred CMOson different continents.Continuous development of the 3PMnetwork supports operational strategiesat many levels. It eliminates unrewardedcomplexity, optimises the risk profileand improves the overall competitivenessand robustness of the supplychain. It develops tailor-made solutionsfor production and supply activities forovercoming barriers to market accessand identifies new geopolitical developmentsand takes them into consideration.It seeks flexible openings for newbusiness opportunities, either withinthe existing 3PM network or by deliberatelyincluding new CMOs.The regional operational 3PM unitsensure that Boehringer Ingelheimstandards for supply chain integrity areimplemented for every CMO in the network.This is achieved by means of a114 Boehringer Ingelheim annual report 2012