Developing a Strategic Procurement Optimization Model for Cost Efficiency in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

• Author(s): Oluwafunmilayo Kehinde Akinleye
• Paper ID: 1711923
• Page: 563-586
• Published Date: 30-06-2019
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 2 Issue 12 June-2019

Abstract

Pharmaceutical manufacturers face converging pressures from price controls, raw-material volatility, supply disruptions, and strict regulatory oversight, making procurement a decisive lever for durable cost efficiency. This paper proposes a Strategic Procurement Optimization Model (SPOM) tailored to pharmaceutical manufacturing that unifies demand forecasting, multi-criteria supplier evaluation, risk-adjusted total cost of ownership, and scenario-driven inventory policies. The model couples probabilistic demand signals with mixed-integer programming to allocate volumes across qualified suppliers while honoring current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP), audit status, and validated change-control requirements. It explicitly prices risk via Monte Carlo stress tests on lead times, yields, and currency exposures, producing service-level-constrained decisions that minimize expected landed cost. The SPOM architecture consists of three layers. The data and analytics layer consolidates internal consumption histories, quality deviations, supplier scorecards, and external market indices to build transparent should-cost models for active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, and packaging. The optimization layer encodes constraints for batch sizes, shelf-life, cold-chain requirements, audit status, and dual-sourcing rules; it evaluates price-volume breakpoints, near-shoring options, consignment or vendor-managed inventory, and capacity reservations. The governance layer embeds cross-functional tollgates and key risk indicators, aligning sourcing decisions with Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, and Finance. Implementation is staged: taxonomy harmonization; digital RFx with structured technical and quality questionnaires; baseline risk and cost diagnostics; optimization runs with what-if scenarios (supplier outage, lead-time shocks, currency swings, expedited freight caps); and execution through category roadmaps with measurable targets. A pilot design for a solid-dose portfolio indicates potential outcomes: 6–12% reduction in addressable spend via mix and price leverage; 15–25% decrease in working capital through right-sized safety stocks; and improved resilience evidenced by higher supplier performance and on-time, in-full metrics. By integrating analytics, optimization, and governance in a single, explainable framework, SPOM equips procurement leaders to negotiate from insight, institutionalize best-value decisions, and safeguard patient supply while achieving durable cost efficiency. The model offers a replicable approach for diverse therapeutic areas and geographies and provides a platform for continuous improvement as regulations, technologies, and market conditions evolve. Future work will benchmark SPOM against alternative heuristics across sterile injectables and biologics categories and markets.

Keywords

Strategic Procurement; Pharmaceutical Manufacturing; Cost Efficiency; Total Cost of Ownership; Supplier Risk; Mixed-Integer Programming; Monte Carlo Simulation; Dual Sourcing; Vendor-Managed Inventory; Should-Cost Modeling; cGMP; Inventory Optimization.

Citations

IRE Journals:
Oluwafunmilayo Kehinde Akinleye "Developing a Strategic Procurement Optimization Model for Cost Efficiency in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 2 Issue 12 2019 Page 563-586

IEEE:
Oluwafunmilayo Kehinde Akinleye "Developing a Strategic Procurement Optimization Model for Cost Efficiency in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 2(12)