Supplier and Contractor Qualification and Control for Life Science Industry

After the organization and infrastructure are in place, it must be implemented. So the next topic is a very detailed presentation and discussion of the entire qualification process beginning with the creation of the specification followed by a series of tasks that include testing material samples, researching and analyzing potential candidates, planning and conducting an audit. The audit data must be analyzed and used to form a conclusion concerning the qualification status. These activities must be monitored.

Finally, case studies, warning letters, experiences of the speaker will be presented. Class activities will encourage your participation.

Note: Attendees will receive electronic documentation that includes an SOP for auditing and qualifying suppliers and contractors, supplier rating, audit and qualification tracking form, targeted industry specific questionnaires, samples of specification’s forms and other boilerplate documents.

Learning Objectives:

This course is designed for personnel with all levels of material and supplier experience. Upon completion of this course, attendees will:

• Understand that all the regulations have similarities and differences; and similarities outweigh the differences.
• The requirements provided by each GMP regulation or even collectively do not meet minimum requirements in navigating today’s supply chain or achieving compliance. Therefore, they must be augmented by combining the total GMP requirements and applying quality concepts outside the regulations.
• Learn and understand the terminology as well as the regulatory and quality concepts.
• Suppliers and contractors are not equal. Suppliers produce items used in processing to manufacture products. Contractors perform operational processes that are part of the manufacturer’s inherent responsibilities or outsourcing.
• Understand the scope of qualification activities includes any item that touches the process such as filters, cleaning agents, lubricants, etc. Qualification tracks are less strenuous for these items.
• Be aware virtual and brick-and-mortar business structures require altered approaches to S/C. Virtual companies rely almost wholly on contractors. Brick & Mortar companies may use contractors to augment some processes. However, virtual companies retain many responsibilities when contracting.
• Quality agreements must be in place when outsourcing and contracting.
• Auditor certifications are helpful in learning audit techniques and objectivity. However, it is no guarantee of auditor success because experience, knowledge and understanding outweigh certification without these factors
• Understand the responsibility to protect your company and if you make observations that could negatively impact the company, it is your responsibility to see the issue is addressed.
• Understand that supplier qualification is a part of the material validation process. Process must exist for creating, developing, and changing material specifications in order to maintain material integrity. The supplier must also sign off on the specification including a change notification to the firm.
• Understand the qualification of the supplier’s quality control testing operations is key to protect the integrity of the material. For critical items, collaborative testing between the supplier and the firm is required.
• Must be aware reduced testing can only occur after a robust qualification and material validation has successfully been completed. This is a separate qualification in the sampling plan must be scientifically sound with established risk standards. Examples of these factors include criticality of the item, volume, difficulty of test method, supplier history, and analytical testing results.
• An established criterion must exist for qualifying suppliers.
• A process must exist for disqualifying suppliers.

Who will Benefit:

• Because the qualification process is multi-functional, Quality, Production, Purchasing, R&D, Document Control, etc. will benefit by attending this seminar.
• Management can better understand their responsibilities as they oversee multi-functional characteristic S/C qualification and control.
• Those functions who have the greatest potential to gain from this seminar include, for example:
• Audit Team Leaders will gain insight into the multi-functional processes they lead
• Audit Team Members will gain insight that will help them better understand the role and how the process functions leading to potential increased responsibility.
• Provide knowledge to auditors seeking certification
• Quality (QA & QC) and Regulatory Affair are the major drivers of qualification
• QC will learn more about the requirements for testing & sampling activities, material qualification, and incoming controls.
• QA will gain knowledge and insight in their decision-making concerning specification approvals, evaluating suppliers/contractors, corrective action plans, material validation,
• Documentation Control will gain insight on the processing of material specifications, establishing supplier files, and handling of audit related documentation
• Purchasing will better understand their role as an intermediary between the company and the supplier and contractor.
• R&D will gain insight into developing both material and product specifications and importance of qualifying suppliers in the early stages of development.
• Production owns the conversion process and therefore must understand the importance of the qualification of suppliers and contractors as well as evaluating their performance.
• For contractors providing outsourcing to the medical industry, it provides guidance on fulfilling the client’s needs to meet compliance requirements.
• Suppliers to the industry will gain insight and knowledge that will help them understand and meet their client’s needs.
• Examples of positions that has the potential to benefit include: