Vendor management comprises the selection of third-party suppliers and their continuous management. Therefore, it is closely related to sponsor oversight activities and will depend on the organization and complexity of your planned clinical trial. In case you are a small sponsor organization, it will be tempting to select a bigger Contract Research Organization, CRO, so that vendor management superficially only relates to one-third party. However, also big CROs may subcontract further organizations, e.g., niche providers for specific tasks. It is the responsibility of the sponsor to oversee the qualification and performance of these further providers as well. Please find some more operational details on vendor management in the following:

Key Considerations for Sponsors:

Selection and qualification.

       Identification and selecting a third-party provider is a task orchestrated by the project responsible. Sponsors must, however, ensure that potentially suitable third parties have a Quality Management System (QMS) in place that proves a standardized and guideline respectively regulation-compliant approach to the task that the sponsor plans to outsource. Your organization must therefore have a standardized vendor qualification approach which will be followed for all third parties to be selected.

Choosing the risk-based approach.

       The principle of subcontracting third parties is delegation, whereby it is important that tasks will be delegated, and not the responsibility. The latter will always reside with the sponsor. A risk-based approach takes into consideration the risk that is allocated to the act of outsourcing a specific task to another organization. The more critical the task or process is for your clinical trial, the more thorough the qualification processes should be. Remember, outsourcing as such is already a risk!

Continuous oversight.

        The performance of the vendors needs to be overseen continuously, and it is important to appoint experienced individuals for this task. Not only should timelines and budgets be kept, but the quality of the delivered services needs to be verified on an ongoing basis. Maintaining good oversight should always be connected to thorough documentation and pre-defined escalation pathways. If you cooperate with a bigger organization, a governance model might be an option to establish a communication link not only on the project but also at the organizational level.

In conclusion, effective vendor management requires careful selection and qualification of vendors, a risk-based approach to task delegation, and continuous oversight of vendor performance. By adhering to these important aspects, sponsors can ensure that their clinical trials are conducted efficiently, effectively, and in compliance with relevant guidelines and regulations. Remember, while outsourcing tasks can bring benefits, the responsibility always lies with the sponsor. Therefore, maintaining a robust vendor management system is not just beneficial, but essential for better outcomes.

Let our team help you pick the right Third-party Vendors for your study. Get in touch with us today for simple and effective vendor selection and management!

Autor: Dr. Christoph Ortland, January 2024