Supply Chain Management 

Our business continuity policy and assurance of supply strategy are key enablers to ensure we consistently maintain the ability to manufacture and deliver medical devices to customers through our distribution channels. This ensures that patients have an uninterrupted supply of life-enhancing drugs and treatments.

Our strategy is based on risk mitigation to minimise the impact of business disruption caused by supplier, network, logistics, distribution and customer events. We review, risk assess and plan to diminish potential disruptions from natural disasters, information security and traceability failures. Our focus on supplier excellence allows us to meet our high quality and operational standards, while decreasing the risk of failure to supply.

Our thorough risk assessment procedure ensures that we consider both our tier one and sub-tier suppliers. Additional assessment of our supplier base includes quality performance and commercial health. We also assess any specific supplier feature that is critical to the process and supplier capacity, plus their capability and commitment to engage and deploy effective supplier agreements and partnerships.

We implement inventory policies for the most vulnerable parts of our process and consider second or dual source options dependent on the market availability of key raw materials and components.

We mitigate the risks in our supply chain through typical programme management techniques such as risk avoidance; risk prevention; risk mitigation; risk sharing or risk acceptance. These extend throughout our manufacturing plants across the world. Maintaining risk control and effectiveness requires us to use monitored and scheduled forums to continually assess: are our strategies still fit for purpose in the current environment? Have risk parameters changed? Are new risk mitigation strategies required?