Emerging Market Entry and Risk Assessment Process Analysis in a Biopharmaceutical Supply Chain Organization

Amgen is attempting to increase the impact that its products make in people's lives. To meet this goal, the company is aggressively working to reach more patients through growth opportunities in international markets and expects to significantly increase its existing footprint and product impact over the next several years. While the current market entry practices for emerging markets are meeting Amgen's needs, rapid expansion poses significant challenges. This thesis explores two primary aspects, the investigation of improvement opportunities in the commercialization of emerging markets and the development of a risk assessment model applicable to new market commercial entry. Both aspects relate to the larger problem of rapid international expansion and support its resolution in different forms. The assessment of improvement opportunities for emerging market commercialization strives to develop a tangible set of actions the organization can take forth in order to enhance the planning and execution of new market entry. The analysis is accomplished through an in depth study to determine the current level performance for commercial market entry. Based on the current state determination, a future vision is established which incorporates fundamental principles of operational excellence methodologies, integrating various techniques to develop a cohesive approach for improving current entry practices. An improvement roadmap is developed, detailing out specific actions, utilizing a phased implementation approach that allows for making incremental improvements. The risk assessment model establishes a tool the organization can utilize in order to properly identify risk associated with emerging market entry and enhance the decision making process that occurs at a senior leadership level as to whether or not a country should be entered. A scenario based evaluation methodology integrates cross-functional expertise across the organization assimilating information that is normally isolated to a small group within the company. The model determines risk levels for each scenario, generates a risk report and an output review is conducted with subject matter experts (SME) and functional leads. Scenarios that potentially require remediation are reviewed in a detailed risk assessment and resolved as necessary. Any substantial cost associated with control efforts are incorporated into the financial analysis for the target launch country, providing a better depiction of cost versus reward. Thus, the model increases the firm's ability to make agile risk-informed market entry decisions while providing a standardized method that is scalable cross-regionally. Thesis Supervisor: Qi D. Van Eikema Hommes Title: Research Associate, Engineering Systems Division Thesis Supervisor: Donald B. Rosenfield Title: Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management