Services

Portfolio & Pipeline

What does a healthy R&D pipeline look like? Where are we over, or under-invested, how do we bridge the gap and what are the resourcing and planning implications for our pipeline? We address these key questions with proven practices for vision alignment, digital tools to optimize our portfolio, integrate AI/ ML intelligence and tie various scenarios to clear resourcing impacts.

Case Studies

360 Portfolio Oversight Toolkit and Data Hub

 

Program planning & analytics using standardized templates and scalable data model to enable real-time, 360 portfolio oversight.

Insights

Challenge:
Following rapid growth after commercializing several assets, a global biopharma was seeking to standardize how it planned and reported on its clinical development portfolio.

Approach:
Scimitar was engaged to design and implement centralized & standardized program and project templates, along with digital toolkits for R&D program managers to use from initiation to launch. We partnered with cross-functional teams to identify key milestones, activities, and templates required to manage each asset, while also uncovering business questions needed to guide the data structure and analytical tools for real-time portfolio insights.

Impact:
The project resulted in improved consistency and clarity between the CMO and cross-functional teams on real-time status, key activities, and critical paths. Leadership gained a clearer view of the questions that needed answering and the source of truth for program data. With standardized templates, a unified data model, and a back-end database supporting portfolio and executive-level reporting, a strong data foundation was established that enabled automated analytics and insights previously impossible.

Enterprise Resource Forecasting and Planning

 

Resource forecasting and planning for top 10 biopharma to address resource bottlenecks and inform prioritization.

Insights

Challenge: A top 10 pharmaceutical company had grown substantially through M&A and faced competing priorities for functional resources from various therapeutic areas. The company had no common way of understanding how resources should be allocated, with a lack of visibility into resource needs in a long run, and availability of capacity.

Approach: Set up a small tiger team to establish common framework and approach across R&D and selected and implemented a common tool to forecast resource needs. We then engaged with all 20+ R&D functions to roll out the Resource Management (RM) capabilities and broaden awareness; co-developed resource algorithms owned by SMEs. Established a Network of RM representatives within functions to embed RM acumen across the organization, scale the capabilities and drive continuous improvements.

Impact: Our approach established a long-term functional ownership model, and network of RM owners.

(1) RM capability and roles established across the enterprise.

(2) Ability to proactively anticipate and address resource gaps, understand and improve productivity, and perform scenario planning for business development, modeling failure modes and optimizing the portfolio.

Embedding Portfolio-Level Forecasting Capabilities

 

Portfolio-level forecasting, valuation, and corporate strategy.

Insights

Challenge: A cutting-edge biopharma company with several development products was interested in better understanding the intrinsic value of their portfolio leading into the long-range planning period, future financing activities, and upcoming earnings calls and board meetings.

Approach: Led cross-functional efforts with a team comprised of personnel from executive management, finance, program management, commercial, and business development to build a comprehensive short-term forecast and valuation model that will include a sum of the parts analysis.

Impact: The valuation analysis has been presented to the client’s management team and was an essential part in driving forward looking strategy and financing development. The team continued to be fully integrated with the executive committee, becoming a valued and contributing member of the leadership team, until Scimitar helped to identify 3 FTEs to assume this role on a go-forward basis.