Enhanced Demand Planning
Supporting clinical trial supply chain management and optimization
Overarching program coordination and inventory management, streamlining your entire clinical supply chain
Once patient enrollment begins, effective supply chain management must continue to ensure the inventory is in the correct locations to enable patient dosing. Other activities such as maintaining the clinical supply forecast, communication with key stakeholders, metrics reporting, planning resupplies, and coordinating dating extensions are all critical to an effectively managed supply chain.
Thermo Fisher Scientific has a streamlined approach to project management that aligns your needs with our global expertise in planning and managing clinical trial supply chain. Our strategic combination of global and site-based project oversight, demand and supply planning, inventory optimization, and partner governance is designed with the flexibility to support trials of any type. Our project management solutions leverage extensive global expertise, empowering drug developers of all sizes to optimize their clinical trial supply chains, enhance efficiencies, and reduce risks at every step.
Explore our clinical project management service options
Supporting your unique trial needs
A suite of study services for seamlessly managing projects of varying complexity, including a mix of client and Thermo Fisher responsibilities |
All Core services and Thermo Fisher takes charge of detailed upfront planning and real-time study oversight, reducing supply chain risk |
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| Global project management—main point of contact | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Site-based packaging and distribution project managers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Project timeline creation, tracking, and execution | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Systemic real-time inventory and distribution visibility | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Client designee: EPO approval | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| IRT order acceptance confirmation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| IP site return and reconciliation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Demand and supply planning (automated planning system) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| IRT UAT, supply strategy, and enrollment monitoring | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Proactive depot inventory management/optimization | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Aggregated management of demand and supply plans | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Client designee approval: Med ID lists and links reports, dist. plans | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Comprehensive study close-out | ✓ | ||
| Temperature excursion— fit for use determination | ✓ | ||
| Senior leadership strategic sponsor | ✓ | ||
| Joint steering committee and governance | ✓ | ||
| Periodic partnered S&OP and capacity review | ✓ | ||
| Study demand simulation | Additional fee | 10% discount | 20% discount |
Capabilities
Early demand planning
- Provide aggregate demand plan including demand for:
- Preclinical/toxicity studies, stability needs, analytical development, process validation, samples, clinical study needs, inventory balance, overage, and more
- Effective planning and timing of manufacturing runs
- Realize benefits of long-term planning across many studies vs. one study
Forecasting and inventory management
- Overall forecast based on enrollment
- Global inventory, site seeding, and expiry management strategies
- Mitigate stock outs through proactive management
- Reduce waste and minimize the amount of IP sent to sites. Download our case study to learn how.
Simulation
- Testing possible scenarios enables planning for likely scenarios
- Supply planning: —quantities, dates, IRT settings
- Scenario comparisons: —enrollment, patient behavior
- Optimization: packaging design, supply network, visit intervals
Inventory reporting and dashboards
- Implementation of study parameters (timelines, countries, dosing, sites, recruitment figures)
- Advanced analytics, drilldowns, historical datasets, and visualizations
- Aggregated demand per product and region
Pro-active global project management
- Proactive monitoring and demand planning mitigates risk of stock-outs and/or waste
- Streamlined communication across network including all stakeholders
- Overarching program coordination and inventory management, streamlining your entire clinical supply chain
Comprehensive development of supply strategy—minimizing risk and waste management strategies
- Supporting design of study supplies, aggregate demand planning, covering comprehensive inventory needs and planned study milestones
- Global and local subject matter experts
Hands-off supply chain management services
- Supply planning approvals: Client designee approves medication ID lists, LINKS reports, and packaging and distribution plans
Frequently asked questions about Enhanced Demand Planning
Our Enhanced Demand Planning team leverages advanced clinical trial supply forecasting and data-driven inventory optimization to accurately predict study demand. By integrating enrollment projections, manufacturing schedules, and expiry management, we minimize drug waste, control costs, and ensure patients receive the right clinical supplies at the right time. This proactive approach helps sponsors achieve efficient clinical supply management across global studies.
We optimize the clinical supply chain using advanced digital platforms and predictive planning systems that provide end-to-end visibility from manufacturing through patient delivery. Our proprietary Trial Set-Up and Planning tool, IRT systems, and simulation-based forecasting software enable seamless global operations. These technologies enhance responsiveness, improve efficiency, and ensure compliance in clinical trial logistics.
Quality and integrity are built into every step of our clinical supply chain management process. We ensure full chain-of-custody traceability, cold chain logistics, and rigorous adherence to GxP compliance standards. From clinical material packaging to global delivery, our teams safeguard clinical trial supply quality and integrity, meeting the highest regulatory expectations worldwide.
Our Enhanced Demand Planning team develops proactive clinical trial risk management and supply chain contingency plans to prevent disruptions. Whether facing manufacturing delays, regional logistics challenges, or unexpected demand shifts, our global Thermo Fisher network enables rapid response and recovery. This resilient planning approach maintains business continuity and keeps studies on track under any conditions.
Helpful resources