• How do you gain support by getting to the source of the organizations pain (e.g., too many projects / not enough people)?
• Strategies to navigate saying “no” or “not now” to all of the great ideas and proposed projects
• Differences between project management and change management, and how do you integrate them to deliver positive outcomes to the organization
  

• Leveraging data analytics and technology for risk assessment and informed decision-making
• Strategies to foster agility and flexibility in resource and capacity management to accommodate unexpected events and market shifts
• Lessons from managing through the pandemic
  

Resource demand projections for pharmaceutical projects rely on forecasting activities that have uncertainty inherent to the drug development process. As projects begin to have more complex study designs, not only does the program itself have a probability of success, but there is a probability that additional cohorts may or may not be enrolled. The functions are left wondering how to develop a staffing plan that is not overly optimistic (that risks stranding resources,) with a staffing plan that is pessimistic, and they are unable to deliver the portfolio. We will describe an approach risk adjusting these future cohort studies, how public data sets were used to establish a benchmark, and the “infrastructure” to develop this novel forecasting model.

The parent company Sumitomo Pharma announced the consolidation of its 7 American subsidiaries into one company in mid 2023, forming SMPA. This change brought on several challenges with respect to the inclusion of therapeutic areas, operating models, and functions under one resourcing umbrella. Typical questions and problems came up that were seen. Reflecting on past mergers and acquisitions this presentation will identify common problems and suggest ways to prepare for an upcoming merger, partnership, or function coming under the remit of resource management.

Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) initiatives have become a strategic imperative across biopharma. This talk emphasizes the importance of integrating sustainability considerations into resource management strategies as a key component to sustainability efforts.  Through practical examples and innovative approaches, this session will provide valuable insights and actionable steps for incorporating sustainability into resource management, fostering a resilient and responsible approach to portfolio development.

Aligning the recording of actual effort (timecard) to the resource forecasting activities to streamline reporting and improve forecast accuracy. This presentation will discuss how we used timecard data to inform the resource forecast in order to anticipate resource bottlenecks with enough lead to rebalance the workload and inform decisions.

How a change in corporate strategy triggered a major organizational transformation project and what it meant for an established research organization. This talk will illustrate the steps taken to transform a research organization, and this from different angles — paradigm shift: from fully integrated to outsourced model; process redesign: mapping the future operating model as key for success; resource planning: transforming resource management approach; deliver while changing: change management.

Field medical support of clinical trial sites can significantly impact start-up and patient recruitment timelines. Unfortunately, field medical capacity and TA expertise don’t always align or overlap consistently with an R&D footprint. This session will focus on a framework to assess support needs based on portfolio priorities, capacity constraints, and local synergies on a global scale. We will also highlight how to use risk stratification to inform resourcing decisions.

Traditionally organizations will look at the resource forecast (demand) and compare to the overall available resources (supply). However the supply is often agnostic to the right strategic mix of permanent and flex resources required to deliver a changing portfolio, while adapting to functional resource needs and managing risk. We will present a methodology to establish the right “strategic mix” of flexible and internal resources. In addition we will demonstrate a tool to help drive functional conversations across functional leadership teams and a process to proactively manage the flexible workforce.