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Align and Harmonize: Look Beyond Your Department to Cut Costs and Eliminate Inefficiency
Interview with Jeffrey Domsic, Product Manager
Charles River
What challenges do home and personal care brands face when managing their supply chains in today’s environment?
In the home and personal care industry, ensuring timely delivery while controlling costs is a constant struggle, especially as supply chains grow larger and more complex. Manufacturers are expected to carry more responsibility for the supply chain, allowing retailers to minimize inventory. This balancing act can cause bottlenecks, especially if product testing and quality assurance processes are not streamlined.
How can rapid microbial detection methods improve supply chain predictability for these brands?
Rapid microbial methods, such as those provided by Celsis®, allow for quicker detection of microbial contamination, cutting down testing times from the traditional 3-7 days to just 24 hours with our Celsis AMPiScreen® assay or 8 hours with our new Celsis AdaptTM Express system. This speed enables manufacturers to make quicker decisions regarding product release, reducing inventory hold times, and freeing up resources. In essence, these methods contribute to a more predictable and agile supply chain while mitigating risk.
Why is modernizing quality control labs crucial for home and personal care companies?
Modernizing QC labs is essential because traditional microbial detection methods can slow down production. By adopting rapid microbial methods, companies can increase the speed and accuracy of product testing, leading to quicker product releases and the ability to respond to contamination events faster. It not only improves operational efficiency but also reduces the risk of microbial contamination affecting product efficacy and consumer safety.
What are some common misconceptions about rapid microbial detection methods?
There are several misconceptions, including the belief that traditional plating methods are sufficient or that rapid methods won’t fit current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). However, Celsis® systems have been proven effective across a variety of products, from shampoos to lotions, and can be easily integrated into existing workflows. With regulatory acceptance and robust validation protocols, these systems are fully compliant with industry standards, such as guidelines provided for non-inferiority, specificity, ruggedness, and robustness in USP <1223>.
How does the use of Celsis® rapid microbial methods benefit cross-departmental collaboration within companies?
Using rapid microbial detection methods helps align the goals of different departments, such as Quality Control and Operations. By speeding up microbial testing, the QC department supports the operations team’s need for an agile, predictable supply chain. The financial benefits, such as reducing production cycle times and avoiding contamination-related costs, create a strong business case for investing in modern technologies across the organization.
What kind of financial impact can rapid microbial methods have on a company’s bottom line?
Rapid microbial methods provide significant cost savings by reducing the time products spend in inventory, freeing up working capital, and preventing costly contamination events. The Celsis® Financial Impact Assessment (FIA) tool helps companies quantify the long-term savings associated with these methods, showing a clear return on investment. Additionally, faster turnaround times translate to a more efficient supply chain, further increasing profitability.
To dive deeper into how rapid microbial methods can revolutionize your quality control processes and streamline your supply chain, we put together a guide to get your team on board for implementing rapid microbiological methods for home and personal care product testing by dismantling common misconceptions and unveiling a more streamlined approach to optimizing your supply chain. Download your copy here.
What can Charles River Laboratories do for consumer care manufacturers?
We have purposely built our portfolio to bring you progressive products and services that deliver accurate, relevant, and reliable data to fuel confident decisions on product quality and contamination control. Our unique combination of Celsis® rapid microbial detection and Accugenix® microbial identification services keep your manufacturing operations running efficiently and smoothly, lowers your cost to manufacture, and protects your reputation.
So, while we’re not suggesting that you take your eyes off the racetrack, we are suggesting that you give your pit crew in the quality control lab the opportunity to modernize to better support your objective of crossing the finish line as quickly, consistently, and safely as possible.
More Product Information
Celsis® instruments are in use in hundreds of locations worldwide and by the world’s largest consumer care product manufacturers. By providing accurate rapid micro results, you can confirm product quality significantly faster than traditional methods, moving products quickly and efficiently into distribution. In the event of a contamination, partnered with Accugenix® microbial identification, can accelerate corrective action and get back on track sooner.
Our Accugenix® customer web portal includes a Tracking and Trending solution for all environmental isolates identified and offers customization features for data entry fields and reports while meeting requirements of 21 CFR Part 11 and GAMP5 standards. Our flexible solutions allow clients to outsource to our experts or use our services in-house.
