“Traditional staff augmentation says, ‘Here are the people you asked for.’ An outcome-led model says, ‘Here is the service or capability you asked for, and we are accountable and responsible for making it work.’” — Aisling Flanagan
Aisling Flanagan, Global SVP of Professional and Managed Services at Catalyx, leads people-based services for regulated manufacturing environments. She works alongside Mike Barrett, Catalyx’s director of sales and operations for the UK and Europe, who focuses on translating client needs into measurable delivery.
In this PharmaSource podcast interview, Aisling and Mike explain how pharmaceutical manufacturers can improve staffing outsourcing in pharma manufacturing by buying capability, capacity, and results instead of contractor headcount. Their recommendations cover supplier consolidation, GMP expertise, workforce retention, governance, and performance-based KPIs.
The wider labor picture adds urgency. A 2024 Deloitte and Manufacturing Institute study estimated that U.S. manufacturing could need 3.8 million new employees between 2024 and 2033, with 1.9 million roles potentially unfilled. The research underscores why manufacturers need stronger workforce models. That challenge is particularly complex in highly regulated life sciences operations, where specialist expertise, extensive training, and workforce continuity are critical.
1. Buy Defined Capability, Not Body Count
Aisling and Mike argue that manufacturers should define the operational problem before issuing a staffing request. Adding more people may address an immediate capacity gap, but it does not guarantee better productivity, quality, or operational performance.
“Once those five or 10 people arrive, who owns making sure this actually works? That’s where the conversation starts to move away from headcount to outcome.” — Aisling
An outcome-led scope starts with the service, capacity, quality standard, and KPIs. That changes the provider’s role. The supplier must plan the workforce, recruit and train people, manage attrition, and improve performance. The client manages the result rather than every contractor.
“The unit of purchase changes from buying people to buying capability, and that’s where you start to get far more value for your spend.” — Aisling
Mike makes the same point in operational terms. The need is not simply two people. It may be the ability to validate a vessel. The supplier should be accountable for that output, whether the right delivery model requires two people or a different mix of skills.
2. Make One Partner Accountable for Workforce Performance
Traditional staff augmentation leaves the integration burden with the manufacturer. Operations leaders may still schedule contractors, chase training records, fill absences, manage performance, and coordinate several agencies. The apparent purchasing savings can disappear once that management load is counted.
“You’re buying output. What really shifts is responsibility for the workforce. The provider is not saying, ‘Here are the people. Go manage them.’” — Aisling
Aisling says the relationship changes when the provider owns hiring, onboarding, training, day-to-day management, and continuity. Accountability should remain inside the customer’s quality system, SOPs, and governance. The supplier does not operate independently. It accepts responsibility within a controlled GMP framework.
“The conversation moves away from, ‘Have 10 people shown up today?’ toward, ‘Have we hit our productivity targets? Have we hit our quality metrics?’” — Aisling
That distinction matters in regulated manufacturing. Attendance is an input. Productive capacity, training compliance, quality, safety, and schedule adherence are the outcomes.
3. Consolidate Suppliers Without Creating a Single-Source Risk
Mike warns that fragmented buying can create a hidden operating cost. A manufacturer may source validation specialists from one vendor, project engineers from another, and a project manager from a third. Procurement may secure attractive unit rates, but the client must make the pieces work together.
“Your cost benefit at the start does not necessarily lead to a cost benefit at the end.” — Mike
His recommendation is not automatic sole sourcing, but deliberate consolidation. A smaller group of strategic providers that has a larger stake in delivery and can build repeatable systems for recruitment, onboarding, training, retention, and performance management.
“We see clients get better performance for their spend when they hold one vendor accountable.” — Mike
This approach also supports stronger supplier relationship management. Governance becomes clearer. Data is easier to compare. Escalations have an owner. Continuous improvement can be built into the commercial model instead of treated as an informal expectation.
4. Measure Outputs That The Operation Actually Needs
Outcome-led outsourcing needs concrete measures. Useful KPIs may include production volume, right-first-time quality, SOP completion, safety performance, training currency, schedule adherence, vacancy coverage, and improvement commitments. The exact measures depend on the function and its risk profile.
Mike offers a simple production example. If the requirement is 1,000 vials a day, the supplier owns the staffing response when someone is absent. The manufacturer should focus on whether the agreed volume and quality were achieved.
“Your metric is, ‘I need my 1,000 vials a day.’ That becomes my problem to make sure we hit that number. If you did not get your 1,000 vials, but everybody was on the floor, you’re not solving your output problem. You’re just solving your headcount problem.” — Mike
Contracts should connect those KPIs to regular reviews, corrective actions, service credits where appropriate, and agreed improvement plans. Metrics must reward the intended result without encouraging shortcuts on quality or compliance.
5. Build Continuity Through Employment, Training, and Career Paths
Access to talent is only the first challenge. The other two are capability and continuity. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, a new worker may need months of training before adding full value. High turnover then destroys that investment and removes site knowledge.
“Access gets somebody through the door. Capability and continuity create the value once they’re through the door.” — Aisling
Catalyx addresses retention by employing most of the people deployed in its managed services, investing in GMP training, and offering career progression. Mike describes employees moving from tablet inspection into packaging, manufacturing, quality control, quality assurance, or warehousing as their skills grow.
6. Start With a Measurable Pilot and Scale Only Where it Fits
Outsourcing is not the right answer for every activity. Companies should retain capabilities that carry strategic knowledge or form part of their competitive advantage. A managed model is more suitable when the work has enough scale, stable demand, clear interfaces, and measurable performance.
“If you outsource the service but continue managing every individual inside it, you haven’t really changed the model.” — Aisling
Aisling recommends starting with one function or one site. Define what good performance looks like. Establish governance and KPIs. Prove the model. Then expand only where the evidence supports it.
The Question Leaders Should Take Back to Their Organization
Review where operational leaders spend their time. If skilled manufacturing managers are routinely coordinating contractors, chasing vacancies, and monitoring basic workforce administration, the current model may be absorbing capacity that should be focused on quality, throughput, resilience, and improvement.
“How much time are your best people spending managing headcount rather than managing outcomes?” — Aisling
For pharmaceutical manufacturers, the goal is not outsourcing for its own sake. It is a clearer division of responsibility. The client retains quality oversight, governance, and strategic control. The provider accepts measurable accountability for the service it was engaged to deliver.
About Catalyx
Catalyx is an engineering, automation, and professional services company serving highly regulated industries. In the interview, Aisling says more than 85% of its clients operate in life sciences. Its services span process automation and controls, packaging, inspection, serialization, embedded resources, managed projects, and functional service provision.
