Five Benefits of a Dedicated Operations Lead for FSP Engagements

Our customer-focused operations delivery lead keeps projects on time and on budget — no, it’s not too good to be true. Here’s how we do it.

Nearly two-thirds of drug developers’ outsourcing budgets are now allocated to functional service provider (FSP) models or FSP hybrid models, according to research conducted by the PPD clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific.

By outsourcing individual functional services, companies gain flexibility and financial efficiencies that complement their internal expertise and resources to proactively drive on-time, on-budget performance for their projects.

Drug developers that tap an FSP model should ensure they select a partner that provides access to a deep bench of clinical development experts and services, as well as dedicated problem-solving for their issues.

Rather than have one role that shoulders onboarding, project oversight and customer success, a more productive FSP model divides these duties into two key roles.

By splitting onboarding and implementation with day-to-day project accountability and communication, an FSP provider offers a more responsive and proactive partnership for customers.

For example, customers leveraging PPD® FSP solutions work closely with:

• The implementation lead, who rapidly launches FSP engagements and coordinates internal workstreams, such as team structure and systems onboarding, so customers hit the ground running.
• The operations delivery lead (ODL), who serves as the single point of contact post-implementation and aligns with customers on timelines, strategies and delivery. For an ODL, regular contact with their customer is key, and customers come to rely on the ODL’s proactive, regular communication surrounding program oversight, optimization, budget and key performance indicators (KPIs).

An operations delivery lead is a must-have in FSP engagements.

As the single point of contact with each customer, the ODL hangs their hat on the quality of the partnership. By nature, the ODL role furthers on-time and on-budget delivery of projects. Here are five key benefits to consider:

1. Proactive planning via full program oversight. The ODL’s regular communication ensures alignment of expectations, strategy and planning, as well as scalability based on the peaks and valleys of a customer’s trial requirements. By keeping both daily progress and the finish line in sight, the ODL can easily coordinate on-demand staff and services, when needed, resulting in greater continuity, less churn and more satisfaction.
2. Regular review and management of KPIs and budget. Frequent information sharing and communication are critical to ensure alignment around a customer’s metrics and progress to date. The ODL’s responsive communications, in turn, drive stability and productivity across the project life cycle.
3. Escalations and risk mitigation. Because the ODL keeps their customers informed with timely project communications, potential hazards are flagged proactively so that they can be mitigated. This includes the review and implementation of corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), when necessary.
4. Process optimization. Tapping into PPD’s track record with FSPs, the ODL brings best practices to the table throughout the engagement, enabling customers to continually benefit from principles and transformative techniques developed over our 25 years of experience. Our experts’ depth and breadth of therapeutic and functional knowledge further enables an ODL to bring in the right skillsets and expertise to append customers’ clinical development projects.
5. Performance management. When bringing resources into a project, the ODL turns to our reliable deep bench of PPD experts, known to be passionate problem-solvers. As a result of investment in staff, including regular upskilling and reskilling, our turnover rates stay low, offering continuity and consistency to our customers’ projects.

FSP engagements stay on budget when driven by customer-first problem-solvers.

In a strong FSP model, the FSP provider recognizes that customer satisfaction is at the core of project success. For our customers, the ODL is their reliable partner who keeps them informed with timely project communications and prompt responses to problems, questions or requests.

PPD’s duality between the implementation lead and ODL enables us to meet customers where they are and drive project delivery excellence, time and again.

We do this through:

• Accelerated startup
• Dedicated oversight and responsive communications
• Greater stability
• On-time, on-budget delivery

Check out four key considerations to fuel more efficient drug development.