Selerant - Product Lifecycle Management Software and Consulting Services for Formula-Based Manufacturers

Selerant provides product lifecycle management (PLM) software and consulting services for formula-based manufacturers in a global market. DevEX, Selerant's web-based PLM software, seamlessly integrates its core modules with legacy systems for a comprehensive approach to new product development and introduction (NPDI). These scalable modules allow corporations to add and customize features to suit their specific needs. The modules are:

• Innovation Process Management
• Product Data Management
• Product Development
• Regulatory Compliance
• Innovation Process Management

ISO-certification in product lifecycle management (PLM) software

Selerant partners with its customers to create best of breed methodology and technology that pioneers practices for the industry. Most notably, Selerant has recently been awarded the ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 certification by CSQA for DevEX's Eco-Design software tool, the concept-to-commercialization lifecycle assessment (LCA) for all stages of NPDI (new product development and introduction).

Lifecycle assessment (LCA - sustainability analysis)

DevEX's EcoDesign equips team members (even non-LCA experts) to run environmental and sustainability analysis throughout each stage of the product lifecycle, including, but not limited to:

• Global warming potential
• Land use
• Water use
• Energy use
• Cumulative energy use

DevEX displays the results in easy-to-understand graphical snapshots and pass/fail results and can maintain them in the product portfolio over the product's lifecycle. In addition to analyzing the internal raw materials, DevEX also analyzes all ingredients with attached vendor specifications.

Process management for formula-based manufacturing

A central database enables corporations to easily access and leverage past formulations, campaigns, documentation (including compliance) as well as view the entirety of the project to ensure future success. These projects can be viewed, exported/imported, and shared through DevEX's Innovation Process Management module with StageGate methodology and integration with Microsoft Project™.

Defining product requirements in PLM software

DevEX raises visibility throughout all stages of new product development, but it begins with the blueprints of the product itself - the product requirements. Team members can define every detail of the product - down to the granular level including, but not limited to: compliance, packaging, sustainability, nutritional claims, and cost variance for each defined regional market.

Once defined, DevEX automatically escalates the requirement through a pre-configured approval process with e-signatures and comment sections for any required changes. In addition to entering each parameter, team members can also copy and modify existing requirements to create a new product requirement to send to the R&D team.

PLM software for new product development (NPDI)

Selerant extensively invests in the R&D of its own product development, DevEX. We understand the distinct need and urgency of developers to work in an environment that not only works as they work, but provides tools that will give them the insight they need, exactly when they need it. DevEX equips team members with unique views, analysis, and automatic calculations to instantly understand the dynamic picture of the formulations and recipes (no matter how complex the hierarchy, number of ingredients or vendors).

This includes analyzing the current formula for:

• Compliance to selected regulatory issues
• Nutritional claims compliance (with pass/fail result)
• Sustainability/lifecycle assessment (LCA)
• Overall nutritional/costs with the ability to drill down and look at a vendor's specifications
• Compare and contrast multiple formulas in a single page
• Optimization to defined objectives (cost, low fat, low calorie/energy)

Compliance and regulatory services

Constant changes in multiple regions require constant monitoring and greater control over the data and visibility throughout the entire product line. Selerant began as a company producing off-the-shelf regulatory solutions. Expanding upon its original offering, Selerant now offers leading regulatory compliance features in DevEX as well as regulatory scientific affairs services worldwide.

The Regulatory Compliance and Product Development modules seamlessly integrate to instantly alert the R&D team to any potential compliance issues. Following validation, the regulatory team can create compliance documentation through the single source data for greater accuracy and a complete reduction in human error.

PLM software for product specifications and labeling

DevEX's Product Data Management module houses both the product requirements and product specifications features. They are essentially bookends of the product development process and are actually created in DevEX to mirror each other.

While one defines the beginning process, the other tracks changes and initiates the final stage of the NPDI - commercialization. DevEX's product specifications feature enables team members to define each aspect of a product, control tracking and approvals, as well as make mass changes (e.g. if a company changes a vendor). It also stores artwork for final packaging and the labeling. This labeling feature seamlessly integrates with the Product Development module, streaming the data into templates to create near camera-ready artwork with alternate word capability for proprietary formulas and culture-sensitivity.

Selerant dedicates itself solely to PLM and formula-based manufacturing. For over 20 years Selerant has built partnerships with its customers and continues to far exceed the industry standard (by more than double, if not triple) of reinvesting into its own R&D.