Consumer demand for transparency in product ingredients is growing, pushing industries to provide clear and accurate labelling. This transparency begins with a product's formula composition- which includes materials, ingredients, and their precise percentages used in the formulation.
Beyond just active ingredients, the formula composition also covers additives, preservatives, and even trace elements. This ensures a complete overview of what goes into a product. In process industries, such clarity is key to creating unique, safe, and regulatory-compliant products.
Accurately calculating ingredient amounts- whether by weight, volume, or percentage - is vital for maintaining product stability and consistency. But managing formula composition is no small task. With the complexity of modern product development, traditional methods are proving increasingly unsustainable.
| Ingredient | Amount % |
| Orange Juice Concentrate (65°Brix) | 20.00% |
| Lemon Juice Concentrate (60°Brix) | 5.00% |
| Water (Purified) | 72.50% |
| Sugar (Sucrose) | 2.00% |
| Citric Acid | 0.20% |
| Natural Citrus Flavors | 0.10% |
| Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) | 0.10% |
| Stabilizers (e.g., Pectin) | 0.05% |
| Preservative (e.g., Potassium Sorbate) | 0.05% |
| Total | 100.00% |
Table. 1. Example of a Formula Composition - Citrus Juice (Orange-Lemon Blend)
Manually managing formula composition meaning relying on spreadsheets comes with a significant amount of challenges in the process industries.
Ensuring the total amount of all ingredient percentages consistently adds up to 100%, which becomes more complicated when modifications are made to the formula.
Increased risk of human error when working with multiple units of measure (UoM), requiring precise conversion between mass, volume, and percentage units to avoid any kind of inconsistencies.
Managing materials that are themselves composed of multiple ingredients, which calls for nested composition that is definitely difficult to handle manually.
Use of "q.s." (quantum sufficit) introduces a variable component that can’t be precisely quantified until other components are finalised, making it harder to lock down exact percentages.
Ingredient duplication across different stages of the formula hampers the traceability and leads to errors in calculating total amounts.
Tracking formula revisions in changing environments with frequent iterations is strenuous, as each change demands recalculation of the formula composition.
Scaling formulas up or down while preserving the ratio of each ingredient is also challenging. And of course the manual recalculations often lead to inefficiencies and deviations from the original formula.
These challenges underscore the need for sturdy formulation tools that automate calculations, support UoM conversions, manage hierarchical ingredient structures, and also provide traceable version control.
To overcome the complexities and errors associated with manual formula composition management, adopting a structured and automated approach is important.
Adopting a structured and automated approach to overcome complexities and errors associated with manual formula composition management.
Maintaining standardised libraries of materials and ingredients, each with predefined specifications and consistent UoMs.
Reducing manual entry and the likelihood of duplication, ensuring data consistency, and promoting the reuse of materials across multiple formulas.
Equipping formulators with tools that can automatically recalculate formula composition whenever any change is made—whether it’s modifying an ingredient amount, altering a nested material, or switching between units.
Ensuring the system intelligently handles special cases like q.s. ingredients without disrupting the overall percentage balance.
Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and facilitating internal audits and quality assurance processes through versioning.
Transforming formula development into a more agile, transparent, and error-resistant workflow to ensure consistent product quality and faster time to market.
These capabilities transform formula development into a more agile, transparent, and error-resistant workflow, ensuring consistent product quality and faster time to market.
To overcome the challenges associated with managing formula composition, process industries should adopt modern, systematic best practices. One of the most powerful and comprehensive solutions is the adoption of a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system. A well-designed PLM system goes beyond basic data storage; it centralises all formulation-related information in a structured and accessible manner, serving as a single source of truth across the organisation. This centralisation ensures accuracy in composition calculations, simplifies unit of measure conversions, and eliminates the overflow of data that often occurs with manual methods and with disconnected spreadsheets.
A PLM system automates key tasks such as real-time recalculation of formula compositions upon input changes, dynamic scaling while preserving ingredient ratios, and unfolding nested compositions of complicated materials. It also provides version control capabilities that allow users to track changes, manage approvals, and ensure compliance with regulatory and quality standards. These features improve traceability, responsibility, and audit readiness. So by implementing a PLM solution, organisations not only can simplify their formulation processes but also can get a smoother collaboration process between R&D, quality, regulatory, manufacturing etc teams. This leads to faster product development cycles, higher product quality, and improved operational efficiency. A modern PLM platform is therefore not just a tool but a strategic enabler for innovation and sustainable growth in the process industries.