Kara Renai Price
Associate Director, External Supplier Quality, Supplier Development and Performance Management
MERCK
In your opinion, what is the future of supplier quality within pharmaceutical manufacturing?
I think the future of supplier quality is a full integration of the supplier into the manufacturing process of the pharmaceutical company. I believe that we will no longer see them as only suppliers we procure goods from but an extension of the pharmaceutical company. There is a different interaction when you see suppliers that way which will enable quality practices to remain stellar and under continuous improvement.
Why is the role of supplier quality teams within the pharmaceutical industry so vital to the organization’s success?
The role of supplier quality teams are vital to the success of organizations within the pharmaceutical industry because it ensures that the products that we make work as intended. Each company in the industry wants patients to receive the highest quality products and ensuring that our suppliers help us meet those standards is vital to our success. In addition, supplier quality teams help suppliers improve their quality which creates a competitive advantage for them. In an industry where the bar for quality increases constantly, a supplier exhibiting stellar quality processes will make them a desirable candidate for future business.
What are you most looking forward to regarding the Pharmaceutical Supplier Quality Assurance Conference this July?
I am looking forward to hearing the experiences of other companies and sharing best practices so that I can help improve my company’s supplier quality assurance programs.
What is your motivation for progress and/or success in supplier quality?
My motivation in supplier quality is to integrate them into our business, not just as suppliers but as partners desiring to meet a common goal. When we think of our suppliers as an extension of ourselves, a relationship builds and collaboration increases which results in the success of both companies.
Kara will be one of the distinguished speakers at the Pharmaceutical Supplier Quality Assurance Conference.
