Editor's note: This is the twelfth post in our "Customer Voice" series where we capture and bring to you the direct voice of our customers to demonstrate their areas of PLM ROI. View the other posts below:

Gaining and Maintaining a Competitive Advantage

Launching Trace One Devex PLM in 8 Months

Integrating Trace One Devex PLM into a Single System

Using Trace One Devex PLM for Quality Assurance

How Trace One Devex PLM Improves Innovation

Creating Cross-functionality with Trace One Devex PLM

Using Trace One Devex PLM to Improve Project Work Efficiencies 

How Business Process Reengineering Improved Workflows

How Trace One Devex PLM Contains Costs

Trace One Devex PLM and Formula Development Efficiency

Trace One Devex PLM Lessons Learned

Multi-market expansion

With some of the best-known brands across the globe, one alcoholic beverages company relies on Trace One Devex PLM to enter markets quickly and confidently.

“We have one story from before we even fully onboarded,” says the Director of Liquid R&D responsible for guiding the implementation. “We faced an issue entering a new region. In one day, Trace One Devex PLM and the Regulatory Module was able to get us the answers we needed. The Trace One team investigated even further, giving us more insights on legislation and interpretation, allowing us to clear the product for importation.”

Why is this significant?

Under previous regulatory practices, two work weeks with importers and external regulatory consultants had generated confusing results. As such, the company was leaning heavily against the new market opportunity, uncertain if the translation and interpretation of colorant limits would permit the move.

“Out of caution, we weren’t going to commercialize,” the Director of R&D says. “We’ve had this problem in the past, and our reliance on external regulatory consultants was costing a lot of money. Trace One Devex PLM had the dynamic regulatory database we needed, covering the zones we’d be working in.”

Unlocking agile growth

Prior to Trace One Devex PLM, the company’s workflow relied on internal legal and compliance along with the advice of experts from outside of the company.

“When it comes to regulations in large markets, our compliance team is knowledgeable, but as we expand, we rely on consultants,” the Director of R&D says. “We were spending a lot of money and it was inefficient.”

As they considered different PLM solutions, introducing an efficient regulatory process was a big factor.

“We wanted more control and better understanding from a regulatory standpoint,” says the Director of R&D. “We needed to do some comprehensive regulatory checks quickly. Faster than an external consultant.”

Read our post: 8 Rules for a Strong Regulatory Compliance Strategy

The company’s existing PLM provider didn’t have the regulatory functions needed for entering new markets. So the company looked elsewhere.

“A few solutions had regulatory databases, but they were very rigid and would still require external consultants,” the Director of R&D notes. “Solutions that focused more on regulatory had limited formula capability. They couldn’t do new formula or experimental codes; everything would have to be developed outside and then populated within.”

Trace One checked all the boxes, both formulation and regulatory.

“Trace One Devex PLM could trace and control all the formulas we needed for moving into new markets,” comments the Director of R&D. “It was compatible with the different languages and units of measure we need to produce internationally.”

A bright future with Trace One Devex PLM

Instead of spending weeks to get unclear guidance, the company now has a single source of truth for making fast and accurate decisions. Thanks to Trace One Devex PLM, time and money are no longer being lost on slow regulatory processes with uncertain results.

This flexibility allows the company to enter new markets with speed and confidence.

“Half of our growth has been strategic organic, cultivating local brands and taking them into new markets,” says the Director of R&D. “Formula management and regulatory insights are very important for that.”

Trace One Devex PLM has already had a big impact.

“Trace One is definitely very much appreciated by the team,” the Director of R&D says. “We’re able to clear and import products into new markets now.”