Deploy a CMMS to meet the challenges of the cosmetics sector

In the cosmetics industry, maintenance is particularly important because of the specific constraints that weigh on this sector, which makes the use of a CMMS essential. The quality standards imposed on the production of beauty products are indeed particularly strict, especially for cosmetics intended for the American market. The maintenance of machines and equipment must therefore comply with very specific criteria.

To remain competitive while respecting these rules, any company in the cosmetics sector therefore has a strong interest in deploying an effective and technologically advanced CMMS.

Find out how L'Oréal improved its maintenance thanks to Mobility Work

Quality, an essential issue for the cosmetics sector

The constraints that apply to cosmetic products are similar to those that the pharmaceutical industry must respect, because of the risks incurred by consumers in the event of manufacturing defects.

Standards applicable to the manufacture of beauty products

The cosmetics sector is subject to different standards in different countries. Les standards issued by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) only concern some cosmetics (such as sunscreens for example) and only products sold in the United States, but they are particularly strict because they also apply to drugs. In France, it is the ISO 22716:2007 standard which regulates the manufacture of beauty products. Finally, in Europe, cosmetic products have been governed since July 11, 2013 by EC Regulation No. 1223/2009 of November 30, 2009 relating to cosmetic products.

Important health responsibilities

Without going into the details of these standards, it should be noted that the checks and verifications imposed on factories in the cosmetics sector are much more stringent than those that apply to other markets. This is due to the specificities of beauty products, which can affect the health of consumers in the event of a manufacturing defect. In addition, they cannot be detected by sight, touch or smell, as is the case for food products, for example.

The responsibility that weighs on the manufacturers of this type of product therefore requires them to implement recognized good practices, in order to guarantee the safety of consumers and the effectiveness of cosmetic products.

Maintenance in the cosmetics sector

Some standards imposed on the cosmetic sector relate specifically to maintenance, which must therefore be treated, like all other areas directly affecting production, with particular care.

The standards to be respected for maintenance

More specifically, two standards affect the maintenance of machines for the production of cosmetic products: the ISO 22716 standard And the Standard 21 CFR part 11. The first is a French standard that describes good manufacturing practices and covers issues “of the production, control, packaging, storage and transport of cosmetics”. It therefore indirectly concerns maintenance operations and processes.

The 21 CFR part 11 standard

The 21 CFR part 11 standard, issued by the FDA, describes very specifically the rules to be respected for the monitoring, archiving and authentication of documents relating to the maintenance of machines involved in the production of drugs and cosmetic products.

It is structured around two main axes:

• The audit trail (audit trail), in order to keep track of any actions that have occurred on the data or the structure;
• The electronic signature, in order to certify critical information and documents.

La Standard 21 CFR part 11 requires strict and advanced management of access and user rights, a log of connections and accesses, and the definition of hierarchical patterns determining who is responsible for approving data on critical operations.

Respecting the rules in cosmetics thanks to CMMS

In terms of maintenance, deploying an efficient CMMS is essential to comply with the standards that apply to the cosmetics sector. Each stage of the maintenance of production tools must in fact comply with these rules.

Having an effective maintenance software thus makes it possible to have recordings And electronic signatures meeting the requirements of 21 CFR part 11. In addition, advanced functions make it possible to manage the electronic signature with different levels of approval, access to records of each maintenance intervention carried out, a high level of security and expanded configuration options. They also make it possible to monitor all the changes and revisions made in the maintenance parameters and processes.

4.0 CMMS at the service of the cosmetics sector

To meet the specific challenges of maintenance in the beauty products and cosmetics industry, the best solution is to choose a 4.0 CMMS solution.

Easily manage documents and data

With an application like Mobility Work, all users (maintenance operators, managers, quality managers...) can add and view documents and data at any time, depending on their authorization level. It is very easy to configure. Compliance with the procedures imposed is therefore greatly facilitated.

In general, the application was designed to be very easy to use by all actors in the maintenance, regardless of their computer skills and without the need for training. It therefore encourages compliance with standards and procedures by all parties involved in the maintenance of cosmetic factory equipment.

The advantages of a 100% mobile CMMS application for cosmetics

An application like Mobility Work is 100% mobile, which means that it can be accessed from a smartphone or tablet. Maintenance operators can therefore very easily enter information concerning each of their interventions, from anywhere. In addition, it is extremely easy to consult thehistory of interventions at any time and from any device connected to the application.

This characteristic considerably facilitates compliance with maintenance regulations in the cosmetics sector.

Thanks to a mobile CMMS tool, you create your tasks in the field and can scan machine QR codes to access equipment sheets

Plan maintenance operations

The Mobility Work application uses Big Data to bring predictive maintenance into a new era. By anonymously compiling and analyzing the data of all its users, it allows them to benefit from unique forecasting power. Thanks to it, they can thus more easily develop maintenance procedures that comply with current standards and to plan the corresponding operations.

Deploying a next-generation CMMS such as Mobility Work therefore allows companies in the cosmetics sector to face the specific challenges that weigh on them in terms of maintenance in an agile, effective and at a reduced cost, while improving their profitability and the involvement of teams.