Serum_FINAL_v3_new.xlsx
The vitamin C serum formula has changed several times: a different thickener after a supplier discontinued one, a slightly higher fragrance level after customer feedback, a new preservative system. Each change was made in the spreadsheet, and sometimes the file was saved under a new name, sometimes over the old one. The formulator knows the story. Nobody else does.
A retailer asks whether the batch they received last spring had the new preservative. Answering means comparing file dates with batch dates and hoping.
Spreadsheets do not keep history
Spreadsheets are a natural place to develop formulas. They are not designed to control versions, and the problems start when a formula moves from development into production.
- Changes are saved over the previous version, or under a new file name that nobody else knows.
- The reason for a change, and who agreed it, is not recorded.
- Batch sheets are not linked to a formula version.
- Development tweaks and approved production formulas sit in the same folder.
- Related documents, such as the ingredient list on the packaging, are not updated when the formula changes.
What muddled versions cost
If you cannot say which formula a batch was made from, answering a complaint, a retailer's question or a brand client's query becomes guesswork. A change that should have updated the INCI list on the label is missed. A trial version is used in production by mistake. The formulator becomes the only person who can answer questions, which is a problem when they are on holiday or leave.
What must happen when a formula changes, including any assessment or documentation, is for you and your safety assessor or adviser to decide. We make sure the changes are recorded and nothing moves forward unapproved.
Formula version control we build
- Each formula is held in a structured record: ingredients by phase, percentages, the raw material each ingredient is bought as, and processing notes.
- A change creates a new numbered version. The person making it records the reason, and the differences from the previous version are shown clearly.
- Versions move through statuses you define, such as development, trial and approved for production. Only approved versions can be used to generate batch records.
- Approval needs a named person, and the system can require that listed documents, such as updated ingredient documentation, are attached before approval.
- Every batch record points to the formula version it was made from, so any batch can be traced to its exact formula.
- When a new version is approved, related items are flagged: packaging ingredient lists, product specifications, costings and any brand client who needs to be told.
| Question | With spreadsheets | With version control |
|---|---|---|
| Which formula made this batch? | Compare file and batch dates | Batch links to its version |
| What changed and why? | Ask the formulator | Differences and reason on each version |
| Who approved it? | Unclear | Named approver and date |
| What else needs updating? | Remembered, sometimes | Related items flagged |
Life with a proper history
Anyone who needs to can see the current approved formula and every change before it. A question about a particular batch is answered by looking up the batch. Trial formulas stay in development until someone approves them. When a formula changes, the label, specification and costing are reviewed because the system asked, not because someone remembered.
Does this sound familiar?
- Formulas live in spreadsheets with several versions of each.
- You cannot quickly say which formula version made a given batch.
- Only the formulator knows why a formula changed.
- Label ingredient lists have lagged behind formula changes.
- Trial and production formulas are kept in the same place.