Research & development

This module is the basic module of the entire system. In addition to the program it includes a pre-loaded database, here after described. This module allows the control of the whole activity of laboratory R&D. The center of this module is the formula, around of which all other data are associated, e.g.: ingredient list for labeling and exportation, stability test, challenge test, linked customers, linked products, product MSDS, etc. The formula can be considered as the basis of the rest of the system.

Pre-loaded Data Base
base contains Manufacturers and Raw Materials, defined as “Source Data Base” to distinguish it from the User’s data base, described later on here. The searching possibilities are wide, easy and complete.
Manufacturers
In addition to the regular data (address, phone, fax, etc.) there is the list of all raw materials manufactured.

Source Raw Material
Each single raw materials presents a preloaded list of data. E.g.:

• INCI Name-US
• INCI Name-EU
• Chemical name
• Technical Name
• Mixture & Components (when a raw material is a mixture)
• Used in mixture (when a raw material is a mixture component)
• Functions
• Other Language: at the moment there are Spanish and Japanese names
• CAS Number(s)
• Color Index
• EINECS Number

Regulatory Information
There are three pre-loaded legislation’s: European Legislation, Japanese Legislation and American FDA regulatory information (in this late case, there is also a list of specification for all regulated raw materials). Anyway, the user is able to insert new legislation’s, new annexes even to modify pre-loaded annexes. The system offers the capability to consult all raw materials regulated by each annex.

User’s data files

Customers
This is a user’s file. It can include all customers for which products are developed and/or manufactured. This data file contains all data necessary to identify the customer, to prepare invoices and associated items, formulae and purchased finished products.

Suppliers
All effective suppliers can be included in this file. This data file contains the list of all items already purchased and provided from each supplier.

User’s Raw Materials
This file includes all raw materials effectively used in the user’s formulae. Starting from a given raw material, automatically it is possible to know all formulae using it along with the relevant percentage. All information related to raw materials are stored in this section. In addition to data already described for the source raw material data file, other data fields are available. A few examples:

• MSDS
• HMIS Label
• Alternative Raw Materials: this entry offers the capability to specify which other raw materials can be considered as alternative by the user for the same products
• Formulae: this entry allows the user to consult which formulae include the raw material, along with the relevant percentage
• Toxicological Data: this entry is reserved to a function which gives the possible toxicological impact of the use of products including the raw material as an ingredient on human body
• Suppliers & Costs: this entry lists all suppliers along with the cost of the current raw material. The cost allows the user to prepare the cost of formulae, the cost of manufactured lots of bulk and finished products
• Notes
• FDA data for CRVP program
• Associated Customers: customer(s) having the property of a stock of the current raw material. This is an entry which is particularly helpful to third party companies
• Maximum employment percentage: when the user sets this limit then the system will control that formulae including the current raw material do not exceed this value
• Related Regulatory Information

Formulae
This can be considered as the main file of the entire system. All user’s formulae are here. All pieces of information regarding the formulae are here, e.g.:

• Ingredient list -which is prepared automatically-
• Manufacturing Instructions
• Formula MSDS
• Stability Tests
• Challenge Tests
• Ingredients, listed in any possible names. 100% is controlled
• Formula ingredient list -product label- in up to 8 formats for EU and US
• Manufacturing Instructions: there is no limit to the number of phases. Each phase contains a list of ingredients and a text to describe the phase operations. Header and trailer texts are available. Manufacturing Instructions are the basis for the Manufacturing Ticket
• Notes
• Analyses
• Derived formulae: this is meaningful for those products belonging to a series diversified only for shades and/or fragrances. This entry can be helpful to obtain a general product label headed to the pilot formula
• Formula derivation: this entry allows to consult the entire history of the previous version of the same formula
• Customers: this entry can be helpful for third party companies to associate a formula to a specific customer
• Products: this entry allows the user to consult all the products using the current formula
• MSDS: this is the MSDS relevant to the formula (not to be confused with Raw Material MSDS). User can insert the MSDS for any formula
• Stability Tests: this entry allows the user to store stability test. The system warns the list of products under test having a date for evaluation. There is a graphic to show the performance of the product. The system recalls the evaluation which are about to expire depending on the calendar of each single test in progress
• Challenge Tests: this is similar to the previous stability test. The challenge test allows the user to store up to 8 bacteria families per single test
• Formula Comparison: this function can compare up to 8 formulae at a time. The comparison is carried out as for percentages of the same ingredient as for the cost
• Batch Reports: a series of reports is available

Sales

This module allows the user to load the orders received from customers. Each order line (product) has a delivery date and the system will take care of that date during the extraction session to extract the single row at the right time. The order file is the starting point of the MRP-II program.

Customers
All customers are included in this section.

Orders
This entry is to load, consult and print orders received from customers. Any customer, any product, any date is accepted. Also it is possible to upload orders in different currencies.

Order Consultation & Extraction
This program allows the user to extract automatically all orders having the date falling in the indicated date, also checking the availability of quantities on stock. This entry is associated with the manufacturing plan program as for those products out of stock.

Billing & Shipping
This program allows the user to prepare bills for orders already extracted and ready for shipping.

Invoicing
Invoices are issued for bills already printed. Invoices can include more than one bill for the same customer. Invoices can be in different currencies.

Cash Flow
This program allows the user to consult what is the financial incoming from the orders assuming that the orders will be delivered on time. The program considers the delivery time and the payment terms of each single order.

Statistics
A series of statistics allows the user to consult the situation of shipments by product and by customer.

Batch Reports
A series of batch reports is available.

Manufacturing Plans

This entry allows the user to launch a manufacturing plan. For each single employed item, included in the bill of material of products involved in the plan, the system provides immediately the stock situation, highlighting the items out of stock. It is then possible to take the following decisions:

• To change quantities to manufacture to match the current quantity availability of components
• To issue purchasing proposals regarding items out of stock. These proposals are directed to the Purchasing Dept. for confirmation

Manufacturing plan function allows the user to load-off from stock quantities of components employed in each single manufactured lot of finished products in several ways: automatically, manually or mixed automatically and manually.

The system gives immediate information of the progress of each manufacturing plan.

Manufacturing reports
For each manufacturing batch all data relevant to time and possible failure are stored to assure future statistics.

Stock Controls

Raw Material Inventory
It is possible to associate to a raw material a customer and the item code used by the customer: this can he helpful to private label companies when a certain raw material is customer owned. Different unit of measure are allowed. Also the package, the location and the minimum stock quantity are forecast. It is possible to manage multiple separate warehouses.

Each single raw material shows immediately the following quantities:

• On stock: all the quantity existing in the factory warehouse
• Committed: quantities already taken by manufacturing plans already launched and in progress. The details of the list of products employing engaged quantities is immediately available
• Locked: quantities not usable or not yet usable due to quality controls to be finished. The list of locked lots is immediately available
• Loans: quantities temporarily taken from stock quantities belonging to specific customers (third party oriented). The list loan details is immediately available
• Available: the quantity effectively available at the moment
• Ordered: quantity already ordered from supplier. With a simple click the system allows to consult each single order

Information relevant to:

• Notes
• Suppliers
• Finished Products, employing the current raw material
• Alternative Raw Materials
• Storing standard rules
• Specifications
• Certifications

are immediately available though a double click on the wished entry.

It is possible to consult the complete lot tracking of each single lot of raw material since the system shows immediately all products including as an ingredient the current raw material providing detailed information on product lot, quantity and date. Quality certifications are also immediately available.

Packaging Item Inventory
This entry is relevant to packaging items and it is similar to raw material inventory entry.

Finished Products Inventory & Bill Of Materials

Several types of finished products are available: single, mixed, bulk products.

In addition to the data already described for raw material inventory (On stock, Committed, Locked quantities, etc.) a BOM includes:

• Information about “Productions in progress”
• Components
• Filling Instructions

As for the lot tracking procedure, the system allows the user to consult immediately all raw material and packaging items employed to manufacture a certain lot of the current finished products. Analysis certification relevant to all involved lots are immediately available as well.

The system provides manufacturing costs of each single lot and product.

MRP II

This is a strategic entry which allows to plan the purchasing of raw materials and packaging items depending on the projection of ordered quantities on dates. The examination of orders covers up to 52 weeks. The purchasing proposals considers the following:

• Ordered quantities of finished and bulk products
• Dates of delivery
• Minimum lot quantity of components
• Increasing lot on minimum lot
• Maximum finished product lot
• Lead time of components
• Filling lines capability

At the end of MRP-II session a series of printouts is available to clarify the entire process session.

An MRP-II session can be launched also on a simulation basis.

Purchasing

This modules allows the total control the both company functions:

Quality Assurance : to define specification of each single item, which can be a formula, bulk product, finished product, raw material, packaging item.
Quality Control : to apply the defined specifications to all received or manufactured items.
QA&C includes the following functions.

Methods
This data file includes all methods used in the QC activity.

Analyses
This data file regards all analyses used in item specifications, e.g.: pH, viscosity, color, odor, etc.

Specifications
A specification is a series of analyses to be applied to an item or a series of items. For each analyses several limits are specified: minimum value, medium and standard value, maximum value.

Certifications
To use a certain lot of an item covered by a specification, it is necessary a certificate also that a certificate results acceptable. A certificate is always relevant to a certain lot. The accomplishment of a certificate is driven by the specification associated to that specific item. When a result is inserted, the system controls immediately whether that result is acceptable or not, depending on the established limits.

Statistics
A plan of statistics by item and by supplier is available.

Statistical Comparison
This function (not included in the basic price of COSMACS) is a special statistical program for companies who carry out wide tests on a long series of cases. It is especially helpful for dermatological products. The statistical comparison is carried out between different test and gives lower value, upper value, medium value, t-student value with a significant level chosen by user.

Batch Reports
A series of batch reports is available.

Quality Assurance & Control

This module provides the capability to manage the relationship with suppliers as for orders, deliveries, offers. The modules receives purchasing proposals from other modules as for the following:

• Items currently out of stock: these requests come from inventory analysis or from manufacturing plans
• Items out of stock in projection: these requests come from MRP-II which examines the stock movements in projections depending on the sales orders on dates.

The modules have the following entries:

Suppliers
This entry replicates the same function already described in R&D module. It is also here to ease the user.

General Items Ordering
This entry allows to use the Purchasing procedure also for non-manufacturing items. This entry has been foreseen to ease the user so that he can use a single procedure for all purchases.

Supplier’s Offers
This entry allows the user to store offers provided by suppliers. An offer has different unit price for different size of goods.

Ordering
This entry allows the user to insert, consult and modify orders provided by customers.

Goods Arrivals
This entry allows the user to insert arrivals of goods from suppliers. An arrival is store as a lot. Each lot updates consequently the original order and the stock situation. Is a raw material of a packaging item is covered by a specification, then the lot is kept as “pending” until the analyses certificate has been accomplished and all the analyses result acceptable. At the same time a statistical report is updated for later consultation.

Cash Flow
This program allows the user to consult what is the financial engagement towards suppliers has been assumed for the orders already issued but not yet received.. The program considers the foreseen delivery time and the payment terms of each single order.

Statistics
A series of statistics allows the user to consult the situation of shipments by item and by supplier.

Batch Reports
A series of batch reports is available.

MasterDossier

This entry is relevant to the European Technical Dossier. This program takes all known data relevant to a specific product and prepares a dossier as the specific format requires. The document that can be obtained may be used not only as a bureaucratic document necessary to satisfy the inspection of authorities, but is also a valuable document which groups together all data and information related to a specific product. Due to a graphic format particularly accurate it is a document to be delivered to important customers, suppliers, dealers, etc.

Product Extensions

Multilingual extension

COSMACS can “speak” up to 6 languages:

Dutch – English – French – German – Italian – Spanish

Once this extension has been installed, it is enough to click on the wished language, then the system will show screens and print in the chosen language. It is highly effective to those companies having the necessity to send formula and/or dossier printouts to foreign Countries.

Electronic Approval – Sign-off

This extension allows the approval administrator to ask for and receive approvals electronically instead of manually by sending around printed papers. When a user from whom an approval is expected enters his own COSMACS system, then a first message will warn that an approval request is pending and he is driven to consult which kind of approval waiting for him.

Network extension

The network extension allows the user to install COSMACS in a networked environment. There are several class of configuration depending on how many clients are requested. The first extension is for 6 clients, then the extension is individual for each additional client.

GMP – Good Manufacturing Practice

This extension allows the user to reduce the manual transcription of data eliminating the use of keyboard mainly in the manufacturing area. By use of bar code readers it is possible to enter automatically codes of finished products, bulk products and raw materials. By use of scales connected to the computer it is possible to avoid manual transcription of weighted items, saving time and mistakes. This contributes to increase the credibility of company in terms of quality assurance.

Of course, a particular hardware must be installed, such as bar code printers and readers, also scales must be physically connected to the computer via serial port RS-232.

It is not necessary to install bar code and scale connection at the same time. They can be separately installed in different times, in the sense that it is possible to install the connection with scales without bar code.

The connection with scales is mostly helpful when employing ingredients for bulk products, so the system is able to check out the compatibility of the detected weight with the nominal weight indicated in the manufacturing ticket for that particular raw material, in that particular bulk product, in that particular phase. Non-matching weights are not accepted.

Also, connection with scales can be very helpful in QC to check out the filling level of liquid products: the system is able to detect the net weight of finished product and verify that’s included in the tolerated limits. Statistics are available to control the average of the filling activity on products.

It is also possible to use connection with scales and/or the bar code system in R&D in case a separated warehouse is used to feed the laboratory activity.