A cosmetics brand does not launch a product in one step. It tests a sample, changes it and tests it again. Al Jawad Software House built a sample management application in Odoo for Ela Rose, so every round of that loop is recorded, scored and signed off.
The business
Ela Rose develops makeup in several shades and packaging variants. Samples arrive from suppliers, are judged by people inside and outside the company, and either move toward launch or go back for changes.
Where the work gets hard
Opinions need structure. Evaluators give subjective feedback, and some of them work outside the company. Their scores need to be comparable, and some opinions carry more weight than others.
Ingredient rules differ by market. Allowed ingredients and limits change between the United States, the European Union and the GCC. They also depend on the product category and on whether it stays on the skin or is rinsed off.
Samples are in many hands. Physical samples and shades sit in different places with different people.
Production needs a clean hand-off. An approved sample becomes a pre-production job with formula and packaging suppliers, design files and documents to approve. Some staff should not see formula supplier details.
What we implemented
A controlled path for every sample
A sample moves through clear states, from receipt through testing, modification requests and final review. The outcome is approved, approved for a later launch, rejected or ready to order. Each sample keeps a log of its modification rounds and a checklist of documents.
Scoring by many evaluators
Odoo builds an evaluation form for each sample. Internal evaluators log in. External evaluators get a personal link with a deadline and need no login. Each evaluator has a weight, and the sample's score combines every submitted evaluation with those weights. The link can be shared by email or in a messaging app.
Ingredient checks against market rules
Odoo holds the rules for prohibited and limited ingredients by market, category and use. One click sends a sample's ingredients for checking. The verdict comes back, with its explanation, and is stored on the sample and in its history.
Sample stock and pre-production
A separate ledger shows how many of each sample and shade are in each place, and who holds them, including returns and scrap. When a sample is approved, a pre-production record tracks formula and packaging suppliers, estimated against actual dates, and delay. Each design file and document is pending, approved or rejected, with who decided and when. Formula supplier details are hidden from the creative team, and each function sees only its own suppliers.
One purchase order layout
The group's companies share one purchase order design, with the approver's signature added when it is approved.
How the work gets easier
| The usual way | With the new process |
|---|---|
| Feedback arrives in messages and meetings | Each evaluator scores in one form |
| Outside opinions are collected by hand | Outside evaluators use a personal link |
| Ingredient rules are checked from memory | The ingredients are checked against stored rules |
| Nobody is sure where a sample is | The ledger shows location, shade and holder |
| Pre-production is a separate file | It links to the approved sample |
| Everyone sees every supplier | Each role sees its own part |
The result is one record for each sample, from the first round to launch. The team spends less time asking where a sample stands.
