What are some best practices for standardizing a process to ensure that multiple 3rd party vendors consistently deliver a quality product, i.e., clinical reports, to an organization running clinical trials? Saving Changes...
You must perform Procurement Management for selecting, acquiring, coordinating, and controlling the quality of work of your external vendors. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
There are lot of different strategy from integrating providers to the supplying chain then help them in all related to quality management (eg: training, qa environment setup, etc) to things like @Verónica and @Rami stated above. Because of that quality must be part of the organizational strategy. And in my personal experience the strategy behing quality depends on the type business the organization is running (an organization can run multiple business). Saving Changes...
Quality refers to how well requirements are met. The contract should specify those requirements with sufficient detail (assuming that is possible) and there should be an appropriate number of milestones which can be used to assess vendor performance.
Depending on the nature of the work, close collaboration with the vendor and short product feedback loops can also identify concerns quickly.
Finally, doing sufficient due diligence prior to signing a contract and taking a balanced approach to vendor selection (e.g. not just lowest price) will help.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Other strategies I have seen are
- dual sourcing
- partnering (establish a common culture and purpose)
- outsource QA and incentivise findings
- work with contractual incentives and/or penalties Saving Changes...
Obiajulum OmoregieHead, Project Management Capability Building| Nawah Energy CompanyDubai, United Arab Emirates
Great points highlighted. The key word here is 3rd party. It's important to ensure quality requirements are clearly and comprehensively articulated in the contractural documents before sign-off. Saving Changes...
Ensuring quality should be part of the supplier selection process.
"Clinical" immediately implies a highly regulated set of quality standards. The ability to demonstrate compliance to very strict standards should be one of the top decision making factors in the down-select process.
Don't wait to perform QC (quality control) and catch quality issues after they occur. Invest in QA (quality assurance) to assure that the supplier's own production capabilities are capable of meeting your strict requirements. Saving Changes...
Peter RapinSubject Matter Expect; Project Delivery| Independent ConsultantOntario, Canada
I believe what we are talking about here is Quality Management and it starts with the procurement process and is not complete until delivery acceptance.
1) the deliverable has to be clearly defined. as is the QM process to be applied with access for the third party QA firm as may be required.
2) Quality Control is the responsibility of the supplier and the expected QC process and product acceptance must be clearly stated.
3) Quality Assurance is typically assigned to a third party and its prime purpose is to ensure that the supplier complies with his own QC program as defined in the procurement documents
4) Note that the third party QA firm is a supplier and apply the same rules.
5) do not step into the supplier's shoes with regards to QC as you may accept the quality risk. "You saw what I was doing why didn't you tell me it was wrong".
6) Typically the Owner undertakes quality assurance of the QA firm.
Final note: this comment had minimal QC and no QA. Saving Changes...
Shivani DarjiDirector, Program Operations and Analytics| Change HealthcareSuwanee, Ga, United States
I agree with Rami. I think it is also important to share the organizations vision, mission and how the vendors help contribute to it. This should be communicated not just at the management level but even to their middle management. Sometimes when people see how their work feeds into the larger context, it serves as a motivation and makes their work more purposeful. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Your suppliers should work within your framework. If you have quality standards, they should be part of the contract at the same level to which you are beholden.
You hold suppliers to your standards in your contracts, communications and payments.
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1 reply by Peter Rapin
Jan 11, 2023 9:57 AM
Peter Rapin
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However, your standards may not apply to your suppliers. If you're in the business of manufacturing widgets and you retain a Design-Build contractor to provide infrastructure to increase your capacity, your widget quality management will have no impact on design and build of the expansion.
Your contract should specify quality standards equal to or better than industry standard for such services and compliant with your service provider's internal and claimed quality requirements.
The request for proposals should include not only costs and delivery but also a commitment to quality management and discussion as to how this will be achieved.
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