People are the chemistry: Tracy Warren
At Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories, we believe that our people provide our strength. Their dedication to quality, professional competence and hard work are the key elements in the company’s success. In this regular feature, we introduce you to some of the people who have helped make Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories an industry leader.
Tracy Warren, PSS Director of West Coast Professional Scientific Services, is responsible for 10 PSS teams and 120 employees and counting. Overall, with PSS employing approximately 1,400 staff at 60 client sites providing services in 13 countries, growth consistently continues to be the theme. Further, with four new West Coast sites added in major metro areas in California last year, Tracy’s role is ever-expanding with no signs of slowing down. “We serve our clients as a strategic partner and therefore continue to grow at our current locations, and as our history shows, there’s always the potential for subsequent sites as the relationship positively progresses,” says Tracy. “To that, PSS has been recognized and awarded nine times in the last eight years as a Strategic Partner by our clients.” Tracy has been promoted 3 times in 3 years, and for good reason, since joining PSS in 2012. Read more about how Tracy delivers an outstanding service experience to our PSS Clients.
What does your current job entail?
I am the West Coast PSS Director, responsible for managing the staff and client business relationships for Professional Scientific Services, our insourcing solution, on the West Coast in addition to PSS account management for clients who may be headquartered on the West Coast, but we serve globally. I currently work to set up new projects and labs, educate clients on the insourced services we offer, and ensure that my teams have all the tools they need to be successful to serve our clients. I am based in Seattle where we also serve our clients, but travel throughout California very routinely where we’ve experienced significant growth.
What is the scope of your group?
I am the PSS Director for approximately 120 people who are insourced into 10 different teams serving PSS clients in Washington and California. Primarily my teams are supporting large molecule protein analytical chemistry, early and late phase development, process development, biological characterization, method development and validation, environmental monitoring, manufacturing support, GMP QC, biopharmaceutical engineering, and global tech transfer. We essentially can support early phase development to finished product testing. We have had project managers and technical trainers on our teams and can set up LEAN labs. Whatever the client needs for us to support their scientific needs, we deliver.
What process improvements does your group initiate to serve clients better?
The PSS West Coast teams have participated in the Eurofins PSS Operational Excellence programs that have been developed to increase the value and operational efficiency of our teams serving at client sites. This program offers a mechanism for staff at all levels of the organization to contribute to process improvements. One example includes a PSS team that found over $1,000,000 in cost savings and added value for our clients just within the past year, which was done proactively to better serve our clients. Our clients were wowed by this effort, never having a strategic partner that voluntarily found savings for them. By involving all staff in the spirit of continuous process improvement, we are able to respond quickly to changes and ensure maximum efficiency even in times of great transition. In other cases, our clients have asked for our help in operational laboratory improvements where we brought in our LEAN expertise to improve laboratory setup and operations.
What kind of volunteer activities have you been involved with?
I am extremely passionate about science education and can be found volunteering at schools to educate the kindergarten class about washing their hands or even as a science fair judge. I have also participated for the past several years as a scientific mentor for the Student Bioexpo hosted by the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research. This organization matches high school students up with scientists in the community that act as project mentors for a regional science competition. The students complete science projects in categories such as drama, art, creative writing, dance, molecular modeling, or even lab research to increase their understanding of biomedical/biotech sciences.
How does you group’s work impact/benefit society?
Our PSS staff is insourced into several of the most cutting-edge industry-leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the world. We are supporting the mission of bringing innovative and lifesaving new medicines to the world. Clients rely on our teams when they need a long-term strategic partner who is passionate about the science and innovative practices to bring medicines to market as quickly and safely as possible. I am proud of our teams’ contributions in serving our clients and am very grateful to be a part of this success.
