Virtual Factory Excellence: Creating High-Performance Global Teams in CDMO Partnerships

In an era where remote collaboration is no longer optional but essential, Federica Fraschetti of MSD shared insights at CDMO Live 2025 on how to build high-performance virtual factory teams across sponsor and contract development and manufacturing partners.

The session, sponsored by Fisiopharma, examined how virtual collaboration frameworks have matured since the pandemic and what strategies can help global teams thrive across functions, cultures, and time zones.

Listen to Virtual Plant Best Practices – a PharmaSource podcast interview with Federica Fraschetti:

Reimagining Communication in a Virtual World

At the heart of any successful distributed team lies a robust communication architecture. Fraschetti emphasised the importance of clear communication layers, where team members understand not only their own responsibilities, but also those of their colleagues enabled by defined RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrices and standardised processes.

High-performing teams are distinguished by their ability to have the right conversations at the right level. Strategic use of escalation paths ensures that decisions are made efficiently, and issues are resolved at the appropriate layer of the organisation. This clarity minimises ambiguity and maximises team performance.

Embracing Cultural and Temporal Diversity

Cultural awareness and time zone sensitivity are no longer optional they are strategic capabilities. As pharmaceutical manufacturing becomes increasingly global, leaders must learn to navigate cultural nuances and communication styles. Trust, built through empathy and consistent interaction, is crucial in maintaining momentum across borders.

Time zone differences, often viewed as logistical hurdles, can become assets when managed correctly. Leveraging asynchronous tools and staggered work hours can enable near-24-hour progress on critical projects.

The Role of Digital Collaboration Tools

Digital tools are essential enablers of this new reality. But technology must be chosen and implemented with intention. A multi-channel communication strategy combining email, messaging apps, video conferencing, and cloud-based platforms can cater to diverse working styles and prevent over-reliance on any single method.

Project management platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Asana, or Trello help teams visualise tasks, track progress, and centralise documents. Secure file-sharing systems ensure sensitive data such as regulatory submissions or process development reports are easily accessible but tightly controlled.

Just as important as the tools themselves is how they are used. A structured cadence of meetings, including weekly check-ins and milestone reviews, keeps all parties aligned. Transparency in communications—supported by thorough documentation—reinforces accountability and reduces misunderstandings.

Strategic Face-to-Face Interactions Still Matter

Despite the rise of digital platforms, Fraschetti highlighted that face-to-face (F2F) interactions remain vital for team cohesion. These moments, though less frequent, serve as relationship accelerators. In-person meetings help establish trust, foster mutual understanding, and anchor collaboration efforts—particularly in complex CDMO partnerships where cross-functional integration is key.

Organisations should therefore treat F2F interactions as strategic investments, planning them carefully to coincide with major project milestones, kick-offs, or retrospectives.

Establishing Virtual Governance Models

Distributed teams require governance frameworks that strike a balance between autonomy and oversight. Fraschetti advocates for governance models that empower teams to make decisions while maintaining alignment with broader organisational goals.

This includes setting up regular governance meetings, clear role definitions, and structured escalation procedures. Governance should not be about micromanagement, but about ensuring strategic cohesion, resolving bottlenecks, and facilitating inter-organisational collaboration particularly vital in CDMO environments where sponsor and partner roles must be clearly delineated.

Capturing and Sharing Knowledge at Scale

Another major challenge in global virtual teams is ensuring that critical manufacturing knowledge is not lost across locations or time. Fraschetti recommends centralised knowledge repositories hosted on secure, cloud-based platforms rather than relying on personal drives or email chains.

Embedding knowledge sharing into everyday workflows, and encouraging the use of collaborative tools for document versioning and real-time feedback, helps institutionalise know-how. This is especially important in tech transfer, process validation, and regulatory documentation, where accuracy and traceability are paramount.

Nurturing Team Development in a Virtual Setting

Building team rapport in a virtual context requires conscious effort. Icebreakers, virtual coffee sessions, and celebrating wins even minor ones go a long way in humanising professional relationships.

Training initiatives focused on cultural awareness, communication skills, and cross-functional understanding help foster empathy and mutual respect. Regular feedback loops and recognition of contributions help create a culture of inclusion and shared purpose even when team members may never meet in person.

As Fraschetti noted, it’s not just about managing tasks—it’s about cultivating a sense of belonging and ownership across the team.

Conclusion: Virtual Doesn’t Mean Distant

The pharmaceutical and biotech industries are navigating an unprecedented shift in how global teams operate. As CDMO partnerships grow in complexity and geographic spread, organisations must evolve their collaboration strategies accordingly.

Fraschetti’s insights offer a pragmatic and experience-based roadmap: clear communication layers, culturally sensitive leadership, digital enablement, and purposeful human connection. By investing in these pillars, pharma and biotech companies can transform distributed teams into high-performing engines of innovation and execution.

In the age of the virtual factory, excellence isn’t just about where work happens—it’s about how it happens.

Download the full 50 page CDMO Live 2025 report