June, 2020 Continued from previous page
by the FDA under an emergency use authorization (EUA) to diagnose COVID-19 in 45 minutes. “As the number of coronavirus cases contin-
ues to rise, Inovar continues to comply with all travel, quarantine and contact restrictions re- quired by health authorities,” says Jed Jones, vice president of sales, Inovar. The company has mini- mized all nonessential business travel to reduce any potential impact from the virus. It also imple- mented additional safety measures to combat COVID-19. These measures include mandatory mask pro-
tocols and restricted access into the facility. Once a day, temperature and wellness checks are adminis- tered as team members enter the break room. “We are currently seeing some disruptions to
the supply chain,” says Jones. “Depending on the state/country, some suppliers are seeing complete factory closures, while others are working at a reduced rate. We en- courage customers to review demand and provide us with solid forecasts and purchase orders to ensure conti- nuity of supply.” Inovar continues to monitor the
status of the outbreak from the CDC and the WHO. Its highest priority is the health and safety of every member of its community, including customers, suppliers and employees, while main- taining the resiliency of its business. “We are proud to do our part in
the fight against COVID-19, says Craig Rupp, CEO, Inovar. “Inovar re- mains in close contact with our cus- tomers as we prioritize supplying the materials needed to meet vital de- mand.”
Farid Anani, VP, and Jon Hanson, VP Sales and Marketing, Computrol
“COVID-19 has affected con-
tract manufacturing in several ways,” says Jon Hanson, vice presi- dent of sales and marketing, Compu- trol. “First, we are seeing a surge in demand and rush orders for medical equipment needed for treatment and testing of COVID-19 cases. We are also seeing a large number of employ- ees calling in and isolating them- selves for various reasons, creating a shortage in our experienced work- force. And, of course, our factories have to practice social distancing at the workplace, which does not lend it- self to continuous flow operations.” Farid Anani, vice president,
Computrol, adds “ We’ve had to shift the focus of our production to keep up with the needs of the customers.”Es- sential customers, especially those supporting medical equipment and national security, continue to place orders and accept deliveries. The companies on the frontline of the fight against the virus are increasing orders at an astonishing rate. Be- cause of this, schedule priorities are constantly shifting to meet the surge. Anani adds that the company is
constantly monitoring the CDC and local government recommended pro- cedures for mitigating the potential spread of COVID-19. Non-factory personnel, like supply chain and ac- count management, are now working from home. This creates the need for produc-
tion to communicate factory status with those teams, using electronic communications and remote video conferences. Companies that lack the infrastructure for this type of daily communications can experience some inefficiencies. Both Anani and Hanson agree that, regarding price fluctuations due
www.us-
tech.com Contract Manufacturing in the Time of COVID-19
to supply and demand, this started well before the pandemic, due to the imposed tariffs on many im- ported goods. However, having long-term partner- ships with all of the major distributors has allowed Computrol to weather the storm successfully so far.
“As far as resources go, we’ve been lucky with
our staff,” says Anani. “Due to the surge in de- mand, not only did we not repurpose any person- nel, but to the contrary, we are having to add new production personnel to all shifts.” “Computrol is proud to be assisting the
healthcare and government workers who are risk- ing their safety and health to save lives,” concludes Hanson. “This has changed the face of manufactur- ing, so we will be feeling the effects of this for years to come.”
Mary La Bella, President, Intertek Laboratories
“For my small manufacturing firm in New
Jersey, COVID-19 impacted not only our employee base, but also our production performance,” says Mary La Bella, president, Intertek Laboratories.
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