Partners Over Vendors: Instilling Ownership in Pharmaceutical Logistics

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Measuring Up: Thinking Out Loud, host Bill White sits down again with Jim Bacon, whose decades of pharmaceutical logistics experience spans domestic and international cold chain operations. In this episode, Bill and Jim take a deep dive into ensuring the integrity of the pharmaceutical cold chain. Jim shares how the industry’s most successful logistics programs are built not on transactions, but on strategic partnerships that are rooted in trust, communication, and shared responsibility.

Jim introduces the critical "core team" concept, which emerged early in his career. This approach emphasizes a strong internal team that collaborates with a robust network of external partner suppliers to navigate the complexity of cold chain processes successfully. He explains why treating suppliers as vendors undermines accountability and why true partners must be integrated into your processes.

The conversation explores supplier qualification, regulatory expectations, mock shipment trials, AI, and the lessons learned from the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Through it all, Jim returns to one central principle: ownership is everyone’s job, and when partners understand their role in protecting critical therapies, patients ultimately benefit.

About the Guest:

Jim Bacon is a cold chain logistics expert with decades of experience across manufacturing, operations, sales, and technical consulting in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. His work has focused on advancing best practices, implementing robust monitoring systems, and improving industry-wide cold chain acumen. He is the President and Founder of Stay Cool Logistical Consulting, LLC.

Resources

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