When supplement brand owners tour contract manufacturing organizations, they will be shown a lot of fancy equipment, e.g., blenders, encapsulators, tablet presses, bottling lines, etc. However, a contract manufacturer’s style and type of equipment is a small part of the equation of producing a quality dietary supplement at a fair price. This is where a visit/audit of the contract manufacturer becomes more than a tour—it also encompasses a review of the systems surrounding the equipment to ensure the contract manufacturer is capable of making a quality product.

For starters, the brand owner should be comfortable with the scale and capacity of the facilities to be sure it’s the right fit for the organization. Not only is the overall size important, but also important is making sure the optimal batch sizes, core competencies and the various manufacturing services offered by the contract manufacturer match the brand owner’s needs. If inefficiencies are on either side or additional business cannot be absorbed, it’s better that this is understood up-front to save both parties additional work, expense and aggravation down the road.

Download PDF to read the full Informa Insider article.