What we do
Supply chain leadership,
start to finish.
Our approach
Supply chain leadership in biotech is rarely just one thing. At some companies, the immediate need is operational — someone to manage CMOs, run planning, keep supply moving. At others, the need is strategic — a function that needs to be designed, a launch that needs to be led, a set of risks that need to be addressed before they become problems. Often it's both at once.
Verant works across that full range. We bring strategy and execution together — embedded in your organization, working alongside your team, doing the work that needs to be done. Some engagements are long-term and broad in scope. Others are focused on a specific challenge or transition. The right structure depends on where you are and what you're trying to accomplish.
How we engage
Every engagement starts with a conversation — usually an hour, focused on what your organization is trying to accomplish and where the supply chain gaps are. From there, we agree on scope, structure, and time commitment before anything formal begins.
Fractional leadership
Senior supply chain leadership on a part-time basis — typically two to three days per week, with the ability to scale during critical periods. A consistent senior partner embedded in your organization. Most engagements run three to twelve months.
Interim leadership
Full-time supply chain leadership for a defined period — covering a departure, a leave of absence, or a transition while a permanent hire is made. The work doesn't stop. The organization doesn't lose momentum.
Project-based engagements
Focused work on a specific challenge — a supply network assessment, a launch readiness review, a CMO qualification process, an S&OP design. Defined scope, defined deliverables, defined timeline.
Operational support
Execution-level supply chain support — planning, supplier management, logistics coordination, and day-to-day operations. Delivered through Verant's network of experienced supply chain professionals.
Areas of work
Building the supply chain function
Early-stage companies reach a point where supply chain needs to become a real function — not a set of tasks distributed across other roles. We build it properly from the start: the right processes, the right systems, the right supplier relationships, and a foundation that won't need to be rebuilt when you scale. This applies equally to organizations that already have a supply chain function but need to mature it — adding structure, improving processes, establishing S&OP, and building the organizational capability that allows the function to grow with the business.
This typically includes defining roles and responsibilities, establishing planning processes and cadence, setting up supplier governance, implementing inventory management practices, and building the reporting and visibility tools the team needs to operate.
Commercial launch readiness
Commercial launch is one of the most complex, highest-stakes coordination challenges in biotech. We've led this work — BLA approval timelines, commercial manufacturing readiness, distribution network setup, and the cross-functional alignment that ensures supply availability on day one. If you're twelve to eighteen months from launch, this is the right time to start.
Specific workstreams include commercial manufacturing campaign planning, packaging and labeling development, serialization and DSCSA compliance, shipping lane qualification, cold chain validation, state licensing, distribution center readiness, and cross-functional launch timeline coordination.
Supplier qualification and CMO management
Your supply chain is only as strong as your external partners. We help you select, qualify, contract, and manage CMOs, 3PLs, and critical suppliers across drug substance, drug product, and packaging and labeling — building the relationships and governance structures that make complex networks work. This includes site qualification, tech transfers, manufacturing agreements, and the day-to-day operational oversight that keeps supply moving and relationships healthy.
Day-to-day work includes CMO selection and evaluation, site audits, tech transfer management, quality agreement negotiation, deviation and CAPA oversight, batch disposition coordination, QBR facilitation, and capacity planning across your manufacturing network.
Supply chain strategy and organizational design
As companies grow, supply chain strategy needs to evolve. We define global supply network strategy, assess build vs. buy decisions, design organizational structures that match operational complexity, and lead the S&OP processes that keep supply aligned with commercial and regulatory objectives. This is work we do as embedded leaders — not outside advisors. Sitting in the room, making the decisions, accountable for the outcomes, and able to translate supply chain strategy into the kind of clear narrative that works in a board room or an investor update.
This covers global supply network assessment, make vs. buy analysis, dual-sourcing strategy, organizational design and hiring plans, S&OP process design and facilitation, and board-level supply chain reporting.
Risk and supply chain resilience
Single-source suppliers, geography-concentrated networks, planning processes that assume everything will go as planned — these risks often go unaddressed until they become crises. We identify concentration risk, develop business continuity plans, and build the scenario planning and inventory strategies that keep supply moving when something doesn't.
Including single-source risk assessment, business continuity planning, safety stock strategy, scenario modeling, and supplier diversification roadmaps.
FDA and GMP compliance readiness
Supply chain in biotech operates within a regulatory framework most industries never encounter. We bring direct experience navigating FDA requirements, GMP compliance, and the supply chain dimensions of BLA filings — documentation, supplier qualification requirements, and the operational practices that support a successful inspection.
Covering supply chain contributions to BLA and NDA filings, pre-approval inspection readiness, supplier qualification documentation, GMP audit preparation, and regulatory change management.
Maturity framework
Where are you on the maturity curve?
Most supply chain problems are maturity problems. The Verant framework helps organizations understand their current state — and what it takes to get to the next level. Not a theoretical model. A practical lens for deciding what to build and in what order.
Stage 1 · Reactive
Unstructured
Roles are unclear. Supply chain tasks live across multiple functions. Systems are informal or absent. Everything is managed reactively — issues surface as crises rather than signals.
Common at: Seed → Series A
Stage 2 · Defined
Foundational
Core processes are established. Roles have owners. Basic planning exists. CMO and supplier relationships are in place but governance is light. The function is running but not yet predictable.
Common at: Series A → Series B
Stage 3 · Controlled
Governed
Governance and cadence are in place. S&OP is running. Supplier relationships are managed proactively. Risk is identified and tracked. The team is planning, not just reacting.
Common at: Series B → Series C · Late-stage clinical
Stage 4 · Predictive
Data-driven
Supply chain decisions are grounded in data. Scenario planning is routine. The function is proactive rather than responsive. Launch readiness is built in, not bolted on.
Common at: Pre-commercial → Commercial launch
Stage 5 · Strategic
Business enabler
Supply chain is a competitive advantage, not a cost center. It informs product strategy, supports commercial decision-making, and scales with the business. The function leads, not follows.
Common at: Commercial-stage organizations
Most Verant engagements begin at Stage 1 or 2 and are designed to reach Stage 3 or 4. The goal isn't the framework — it's what the framework makes possible: clarity about what to build, why, and in what order.
Not sure which engagement model fits?
Most conversations start with a situation, not a service. Tell us where you are and we'll figure out the right structure together.