With the increased globalization and complexity of the pharmaceutical supply chain, managing the sourcing of materials has become extremely challenging. Reducing time and costs are important goals of sourcing, but increased regulations and more rigorous enforcement make these goals difficult to achieve. These trends have forced life science industry companies to optimize sourcing activities for raw materials, intermediates, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other material components for clinical supplies and commercial manufacturing. If the sourcing function is not rigorously managed, these challenges can result in supply chain interruptions, unexpected expenses and quality control issues. In this challenging environment, companies are increasingly relying on highly qualified contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) to effectively manage the sourcing role.