When Things Go Wrong - Working with Service Providers: Anticipating, avoiding and remediating issues

A report from the Lets Talk session on 17th June 2025. Moderated by John Surtees

The transcript of the session is shown below.

There are no slides available for this session.

Scope of Discussion: John Surtees outlined the scope of the discussion, noting that that the

focus will be on interactions with pharma service providers (e.g. CROs, CDMOs, CMOs and

technology specialists). The intent of the session is to share experiences of where things can

(and do) go wrong, leading to negative outcomes, noting that views expressed are subjective

and intended only to support the discussion.

o Discussion Scope: It was clarified that partner selection and crisis

management are out of scope, particularly as these areas receive a lot of

coverage in the industry.

o Areas of Focus: John Surtees specified that the discussion will cover scenarios

where a given engagement may not proceed as planned. In addition to this,

underlying causes and influencing factors will be addressed, followed by

options for anticipation and remediation.

• Team Composition: Steve and John Surtees discussed the importance of team

composition, both at the service provider and the client, on project outcomes.

o Importance of Team Composition: Steve and John Surtees discussed the

critical role of team composition in project success, highlighting that individual

performance can significantly impact outcomes. Ideally, and particularly for

complex projects wih a heavy R&D focus the service provider team should be

carefully defined in terms of staffing (numbers), academic level and time input

– this needs to be established during review of any proposal and subsequent

contractual discussions.

o Clear Communication: The necessity of clear communication and well-

defined roles within the team was emphasised, as an important factor in

ensuring effective collaboration and project execution.

o Impact of Individual Performance: Steve shared his experience that

individual performance within an organization can greatly influence project

success, and John Surtees agreed, noting that both the client and service

provider teams need to be staffed appropriately and aligned.

• Communication Frequency:

o Importance of Updates: Elina and John Surtees stressed the importance of

frequent communication and regular updates to maintain transparency and

promptly address any arising issues.

o Signs of Problems: They noted that a lack of updates or precision in meetings

can be an early indicator of potential problems, emphasizing the need for

proactive communication.

o Weekly Team Calls: John Surtees recommended weekly team calls for most

projects as a standard practice to ensure ongoing communication and to

address any issues as they arise, the duration can be adapted on those occasions

when there is nothing significant to discuss.

• Technical Issues:.

o Delays and Quality Issues: Petya shared her experience with delays in

timelines and quality standards not being met in cell assays and in vivo studies,

highlighting the challenges faced in ensuring project deliverables.

o Common Technical Issues: John Surtees acknowledged that technical issues

relating to deliverables (quality, quantity) or timelines are commonly

encountered particularly in those projects those with a higher research and

development component. The need to implement effective problem-solving

strategies was underlined in those cases where technical issues are

encountered.

• IP Issues: Urvish and John Surtees discussed the challenges related to intellectual

property, emphasizing the importance of clear contracts and communication.

o Importance of Clear Contracts: John Surtees emphasized the importance of

having contracts that explicitly define IP ownership and the terms of

collaboration to anticipate and prevent issues related to IP filings.

o Communication and Transparency: Both Urvish and John Surtees

highlighted the need for transparent communication between clients and

service providers to ensure mutual understanding and adherence to contractual

agreements regarding IP.

• Stakeholder Management:

o Manufacturing Slot Delays: Maud shared an experience where delays in

securing manufacturing slots due to stakeholder management issues resulted in

significant project setbacks.

o Timely Escalation: John Surtees emphasized the importance of timely

escalation of issues to stakeholders – both at the client and the service provider

to ensure that critical decisions are made promptly to avoid project delays.

o Clear Communication: John Surtees highlighted the need for clear and

consistent communication with stakeholders to ensure ongoing awareness of

the project status and any potential risks or issues that may arise.

• Remediation Strategies: John Surtees outlined various remediation strategies,

including timely escalation, root cause analysis, changing the team if needed.L

o Timely Escalation: John Surtees emphasized the importance of timely

escalation of issues to both the service provider and internal stakeholders to

address problems promptly. Governance structures should be used if they are

in place.

o Root Cause Analysis: He recommended using appropriate root cause analysis

and problem-solving methodologies to identify and address the underlying

issues effectively.

o Team Changes: John Surtees suggested changing the team if necessary to

bring in fresh perspectives and expertise to resolve ongoing issues. In this

respect, modification of team composition should be considered either at the

service provider or the client as appropriate.

o Maintaining Relationships: John Surtees stressed the need to maintain good

personal and working relationships with service providers, particularly

following a negative outcome. It is important to recognise the pressure they

will be facing at team and management level, both from their client and within

their own organisation. This approach allows those involved to work

collaboratively and ideally under less pressure to identify and develop

solutions.

• Empathy and Support: John Surtees emphasized the importance of empathizing with

the service provider's team when things go wrong, understanding that most service

providers and their personnel typically aim to provide high quality and timely service.

So a negative outcome is clearly as much a source of disappointment and frustration to

the service provider as it is to the client, and they will typically be doing their best to

resolve matters.

Any questions? Please get in touch: claude.houet@phetairos.com or John.faulkes@pipmg.org