Software lightens the load for cosmetics businesses

 Personal Care asked Cosmetri’s founder, Simon Bowen, to share his insights into why he regards the cosmetic and personal care industry as lagging behind in the adoption of software and the opportunities businesses of all sizes are missing out on. 

PC: You mentioned that the cosmetic and personal sector is comparatively slow to adopt to a software-based system. Why do you think this is so?
SB: Based on the feedback gathered from hundreds of companies that I’ve had contact with over recent years I would attribute this to three main reasons. Firstly, there is a general lack of awareness of the availability of specialist cosmetic software solutions on the market. This is of course a challenge and opportunity that we software companies need to embrace. Cost also seems to be a major concern, with a prevailing scepticism that the benefits and savings in the longer term will justify the initial investment and any ongoing costs.

The third and most significant factor is the prevalence, even among larger companies, of using spreadsheets for managing tasks such regulatory compliance, formulation and manufacturing-related processes. There seems to be a reluctance to adopt a software-based system, based on the widespread assumption in the industry that spreadsheets alone can remain an effective tool in managing the complex administration and burdensome regulatory overhead all cosmetics businesses face today. Some companies I know are still using pen-and-paper to manage regulatory affairs. I see part of my role in Cosmetri as showing companies how these methods almost certainly mean that compliance cannot be maintained and the opportunities that are being missed to optimise many workflow processes – leading to tighter compliance, greater efficiency and ultimately a more profitable business.