Supply chain constraints make unique demands on contractors in pharma construction

With growing supply chain pressures in the pharmaceutical industry – compounded by the ever-present need for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics – pharma, biotech and medical device companies have to look at ways they can expand their existing manufacturing facilities, retrofit under-utilised spaces, or construct new facilities without disrupting their ongoing production cycles.

Developing a new pharmaceutical product can take years and requires a huge investment in capital, time and resources. Pharma construction projects involving the building of hygienic facilities that house specialised processing equipment and proprietary manufacturing systems can be a highly challenging and complex undertaking. As a result, designers and contractors face the dual challenges of staying competitive by increasing productivity while adhering to strict environmental and safety standards.

The need for speed and the risk it runs

Acceleration in new product development and the need to get essential products on shelves faster means that time to market is critical in pharma manufacturing. Even with this added time pressure, full and comprehensive quantitative cost and schedule risk analyses have to be conducted. Not only are there strict controls, regulations and compliance standards to be observed in this sector, but one of the worst things for a pharma client would be requesting inadequate capital funding at concept stage, leading to an inevitable increase in costs later on the process.

Timing and scheduling

Scheduling is a challenge on any construction project, but nowhere is its importance more acute than in pharma. Contractors must be ready to collaborate with company management and move their timings around to fit with production schedules when work is due to take place at an operational manufacturing plant. With the scale of the capital investment involved, a drug production cycle will always take precedence over any construction work.

These are live environments

Working within the constraints of a live pharmaceutical plant presents unique challenges, especially where continuity of services has to be maintained. Plants are often 24-hour operations with production taking place around the clock. This means contractors need to work around underground cabling, power, data, and chemical process drainage so that services are uninterrupted, while any excavation needing to take place cannot prevent or heavily disrupt access. Detailed risk assessments need to be carried out and works planned in compliance with best practice and collaboration with company management. Communication is fundamental to the success of the project.

One size does not fit all

Increasing manufacturing capacity and getting a new facility up and running quickly within a budget is increasingly important. Flexibility is crucial in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, because companies increasingly have multiple products in their pipelines. New biopharma facilities often use single-use technology, and modular buildings and systems are becoming more popular. Manufacturers are now seeking to tailor their facilities, operations and capacity based on their product portfolios and to upgrade processes, equipment, and technology for improved efficiency and faster product changeovers. This calls for a contractor with a deep level of pharma specific expertise and experience that is large enough to deliver but small enough to care.

Pharma construction requires a partner, not just a contractor

Just as time to market is critical in the pharma industry, it is vital that pharma companies choose a construction contractor that has an unrivalled degree of familiarity with projects in this sector and all of the challenges that can arise during the construction process. It is also crucial that the chosen contractor acts as your partner, able to manage the project on your behalf and take full responsibility for delivering the project from design through to completion, putting in place all of the processes to ensure accountability and transparency for costs and schedule.

Pharma is in our DNA at ADCO

ADCO was initially set up to focus on pharmaceutical and medical sector clean rooms and fitouts, quickly establishing a well-deserved reputation with clients such as MSD, Biotrin, Amgen and Pfizer. Our work spans new clean room setups to shutdowns and upgrades. We have completed cold store installations, laboratory upgrades, production warehouse upgrades and full mechanical and electrical fitouts.

Meet our Pharma Division Head: Mairead Luttrell

Project management and scheduling expertise that is equal to the size and complexity of the project can be the difference between success and failure. To ensure success, project managers and schedulers collaborating on these complex projects must be highly skilled and experienced at establishing project metrics, progress reporting, risk analysis, delay avoidance, cost and budget tracking, and change order management.

With over 10 years of experience in Ireland and internationally in pharmaceutical environments, Mairead Luttrell heads up the Pharmaceutical Division at ADCO Contracting. Her project management work has covered new builds, design and build, fitouts, refurbishments, cleanrooms and shutdowns. She is responsible for the full remit of ADCO’s pharma division including contract negotiation, cost and waste minimisation, client management, stakeholder engagement and resource management.

Learn more about some of the pharma projects we have completed at ADCO here. Or reach out to Mairead if you would like to discuss your next pharma construction project. We’re always ready to chat with anyone who wants to get in contact with us.