In the cosmetics industry, maintenance plays a particularly important role due to the specific constraints that weigh on this sector, which makes the use of a CMMS essential.
The quality standards imposed on the manufacturing of beauty products are particularly strict, especially for cosmetics intended for the American market. The maintenance of machines and equipment must therefore comply with very precise criteria.
In order to remain competitive while complying with these rules, any company in the cosmetics sector should deploy an efficient and technologically advanced CMMS.
Quality, the key stake for the cosmetics industry
The restrictions that apply to cosmetic products are similar to those of the pharmaceutical industry, due to the risks incurred by consumers in the event of manufacturing defects.
Applicable standards to the manufacture of cosmetic products
The cosmetics sector is subject to different standards across the world. The standards issued by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) relate to only a part of cosmetics (such as sunscreens) and only to products sold in the United States. However, they are highly strict as they also apply to medicines. In France, ISO 22716:2007 defines guidelines for the manufacture of beauty products. Finally, in Europe, cosmetic products are governed since July 11, 2013, by EC regulation n°1223/2009 of November 30, 2009 relating to cosmetic products.
A matter of health accountability
Without going into the details of these standards, it is worth mentioning that the checking and audit process enforced in the cosmetics industry are much stricter than those that apply to other markets. This is due to the specificities of cosmetic products, which can affect the health of consumers in case of manufacturing defects. Moreover, they are not detectable by sight, touch or smell, as is the case with food products for example.
Due to the burden of accountability weighing on cosmetics, manufacturers had to implement recognized good practices in order to guarantee the safety of consumers and the effectiveness of their products.
Maintenance in the cosmetics sector
Some standards imposed on the cosmetics sector specifically relate to maintenance, which must therefore be treated, like all other areas directly affecting production, with particular care.
Find out how L’Oréal improved its maintenance thanks to Mobility Work
An overview of maintenance standards
Two standards affect more specifically the maintenance of cosmetic production machines: ISO 22716 and 21 CFR part 11. The first is a French standard that defines good manufacturing practices and covers the issues of “production, control, storage and shipment of cosmetic products.”. It therefore indirectly concerns maintenance operations and processes.
21 CFR part 11
Title 21 CFR part 11, issued by the FDA, describes very specifically the rules to be followed for the monitoring, filing and authentication of documents relating to the maintenance of machines involved in the production of medicines and cosmetic products.
It is built around two main areas:
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the audit trail, in order to keep a trace of any action taken on the data or structure;
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the electronic signature, in order to certify critical information and documents.
Title 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 models determining who is responsible for approving data on critical operations.
Complying with the standards thanks to CMMS
When it comes to maintenance, deploying a high-performance CMMS is essential in order to comply with the standards required in the cosmetics sector. Each step of the maintenance process of production tools must comply with these rules.
Having an efficient maintenance software allows you to have electronic records and signatures that meet the requirements of the 21 CFR part 11 standard. In addition, advanced functions make it possible to manage the electronic signature with different levels of approval, access to the records of each maintenance task carried out, a high level of security and extended configuration options. They also make it possible to track all changes and revisions made to maintenance parameters and processes.
4.0 CMMS applied to the cosmetics industry
To meet the specific challenges of maintenance in the beauty and cosmetics industry, the best solution is to choose a next-gen CMMS software.
Easily manage documents and data
With an application like Mobility Work, all users (maintenance operators, managers, quality managers, etc.) can add and consult documents and data at any time, depending on their authorization level. This level is easy to set up, helping you meet the regulations in force.
Generally speaking, the application has been designed to be very user-friendly for all maintenance actors, regardless of their IT skills and without any prior training. It therefore supports the respect of standards and procedures by all parties involved in the maintenance of the equipment of a cosmetics factory.
The perks of a fully mobile application
An application such as Mobility Work is 100% mobile, which means that it can be accessed from a smartphone or tablet. This means that maintenance technicians can easily enter information about each of their interventions from anywhere. In addition, it is extremely simple to view the history of interventions at any time and from any medium connected to the application.
This feature makes it much easier to comply with the rules governing maintenance in the cosmetics industry.
With a mobile CMMS tool, create tasks directly on the field and scan machine QR codes to access equipment files
Plan maintenance operations
The Mobility Work application uses Big Data to bring predictive maintenance into a new era. By anonymously compiling and analyzing data from all its users, it provides them with unique predictive power. This makes it easier for users to develop maintenance procedures that comply with current standards and to plan the corresponding operations.
Deploying a next-gen CMMS such as Mobility Work enables companies in the cosmetics sector to overcome the specific maintenance challenges they face in an agile, efficient and cost-effective manner while improving profitability and team involvement.
