Challenge
SDB Cosmetics, a contract manufacturer of hair care and personal care products, needed scalable software to support rapid growth. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, customer demand for shampoos and conditioners doubled, forcing the company to quickly scale production without manual systems collapsing. The owners understood they needed a system with scalability, flexibility, and a user-friendly interface—one that could handle complexity without requiring extensive staff to manually track recipes, micro-test results, inventory across two warehouses (80,000 sq ft total), and full batch traceability for regulatory compliance and recalls.
Solution
SDB Cosmetics implemented Mar-Kov to manage all aspects of contract manufacturing operations. The solution provides full recipe management with revision tracking and timestamps, allowing authorized users to specify which version is published to operators. Mar-Kov tracks 800+ raw ingredients and verifies availability before production, showing warehouse locations down to the aisle and shelf. The system monitors and records micro-test results for certificates of analysis, ensuring customers' bulk chemicals meet specifications. Mar-Kov also manages packaging SKUs and barcodes, preventing costly mistakes when filling bottles and caps. Full batch and lot traceability across inventory locations and customer shipments enables rapid recalls and regulatory compliance.
Results
- Scaled production rapidly during pandemic demand surge (2x volume increase)
- Full batch and lot traceability for every product and chemical
- Mock recalls completed in less than an hour
- Eliminated need for dedicated full-time employee on manual test result tracking
- All 800+ ingredient recipes stored and tracked with version control
- Real-time inventory visibility across two warehouses (80,000 sq ft)
- Packaging verification prevents costly bottle/cap matching errors
- Automated material requirements planning reduces stockouts
- Fully integrated with QuickBooks for accounting
The Impact
Without Mar-Kov, we'd be manually tracking and recording micro-test results and we'd have to hire a full-time employee for that role. There's no way we'd be able to handle the volume increase without Mar-Kov's ability to adapt as our priorities shifted. The system is ready whenever we are.
Key Features Used
- Recipe Management with Version Control
- Micro-Test Result Tracking and Recording
- Material Requirements Planning (800+ ingredients)
- Multi-Warehouse Inventory Management
- Lot and Batch Traceability
- Packaging SKU and Barcode Verification
- Certificates of Analysis Management
- Controlled Substance Tracking (CBD-ready)
- QuickBooks Integration
