Our Suppliers
Bristol-Myers Squibb works with suppliers – including third-party manufacturers and contractors – to achieve the highest level of quality, expertise, experience and fit with our operating culture. We expect our suppliers to comply with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
We encourage our major suppliers to align their environmental management systems with the requirements of ISO 14001. We also encourage key suppliers to establish goals that support our 2010 Sustainability Goals. In particular, one of our 2010 goals is to develop specific programs and expectations to improve the EHS performance of key suppliers.
Use the links below for information on:
Supply Chain Management
Green Suppliers Network
Bristol-Myers Squibb, in conjunction with other major pharmaceutical companies, has signed on to the Green Suppliers Network (GSN), a collaborative venture between industry and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. With GSN support, suppliers can continuously improve their products and processes, increase energy efficiency, identify cost-saving opportunities and optimize resources and technologies with the aim of eliminating waste.
To date, five pharmaceutical suppliers in Puerto Rico have completed an evaluation process, which identified over $8 million in annual cost savings and $9 million in one-time savings. Environmental impact improvements included more than 1.5 million gallons of water saved and almost 200,000 pounds of solid waste reduced.
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative
Bristol-Myers Squibb worked with other pharmaceutical companies to form the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI). In 2007, the PSCI released the Pharmaceutical Industry Principles for Responsible Supply Chain Management. These Principles address ethics, labor, health and safety, environment and related management systems. Bristol-Myers Squibb's third-party manufacturer EHS assessment process is aligned with the Principles, and the company is currently evaluating options for the other areas covered by the Principles.
Contract Employees
Bristol-Myers Squibb uses agencies that provide temporary employees to perform a wide range of services, and our EHS staff is developing guidance that addresses key issues, such as training. EHS personnel also evaluate contracts for maintenance, mailroom, security, cafeteria and other services to make sure that they cover EHS performance issues. A guideline for developing a contractor safety program is published on the company’s internal EHS website.
We plan to actively partner with our key suppliers to identify and implement changes that will reduce the EHS impacts of these key components. We expect to pursue significant energy savings and natural resource conservation through our efforts, as well as improvements to the reliability of our supply chain.
Supplier Evaluations
We periodically monitor supplier performance through a range of tools, including questionnaires, surveys, reference checks, publicly available information and site visits.
During 2008, Bristol-Myers Squibb conducted 34 EHS questionnaire reviews and 31 on-site evaluations of suppliers and third-party manufacturers.
We may send an EHS questionnaire to third-party manufacturers that manufacture, finish or package Bristol-Myers Squibb products, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), intermediates or other critical non-commodity materials. We also may send an EHS questionnaire to a contractor or supplier if it is a sole source, manufacturer of a strategic material, manufacturer of a material to Bristol-Myers Squibb’s specifications, or referenced in a New Drug Application submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Based on the results of the questionnaire, we may conduct an on-site evaluation. The evaluation team will make recommendations and then develop and track an action plan for the supplier or contractor.
The questionnaire or site visit may be repeated periodically, based on risk.
Packaging Suppliers
We conducted a supplier survey in Europe to ensure that heavy metals and other dangerous materials were not being used in packaging. The survey also confirmed whether packaging was environmentally recoverable through recycling, energy recovery or composting. Of the 135 responses we received, 133 of the suppliers were in compliance with environmental requirements. In the future, we plan to incorporate these environmental requirements into contracts with packaging suppliers.
Diversity
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Supplier Diversity Program pursues business partnerships with minority- and women-owned small businesses in the U.S. and Puerto Rico that share the company’s commitment to excellence. The goal is to ensure our business approach reflects the broad marketplace we serve. We demonstrate our support by participating in several professional diversity organizations.
We follow the U.S. Small Business Administration guideline regarding goals for minority- and women-owned and small businesses (5 percent minority-owned, 5 percent women-owned, and 23 percent small businesses).