VYVA Cosmetic R&D Benchmark: how digital is product development in cosmetics?
VYVA is preparing a recurring benchmark on how cosmetic R&D teams work. The goal is not to dress software marketing up as research, but to build useful comparison data on tool landscapes, formulation management, development time, data fragmentation, testing and collaboration. This page documents methodology and planned metrics; results will be published only after a sufficient sample exists.
Status: methodology published, no results yet
As of September 2026, this page intentionally contains no invented benchmarks or industry averages. The first report is planned around anonymized responses from cosmetic brands, contract manufacturers and R&D/regulatory teams, with only aggregated reporting.
Key takeaways
- No results before sufficient sample size
- Segment company types and roles
- Define measures before collection
- Use medians and distributions, not averages only
- Publish methodology and sample size transparently
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Questions the benchmark should answer
How many systems does a team use per project? Where are formulas managed? How many versions are typical? How much time is spent searching, coordinating and retyping data? When does regulatory enter the process? How are stability and tests documented? These questions aim to describe operational R&D realistically.
Planned sample
The target includes cosmetic brands, contract manufacturers, independent development organizations and other personal-care companies. Roles such as formulation, R&D leadership, regulatory, QA, procurement and management will be segmented where sample sizes permit.
Planned metrics
Proposed metrics include number of tools per project, share of spreadsheet-based formulation management, parallel formula versions, search/coordination time, duration of selected development phases, share of structured test data and perceived process bottlenecks.
Publication principles
VYVA plans to publish sample size, collection period, questionnaire logic and limitations alongside findings. Small segments will not be overinterpreted, and vendor-specific claims will be separated from general industry observations.
Planned benchmark dimensions
| Tool landscape | Number of systems, Excel, files, PLM/R&D |
| Formulation | Versions, reuse, cost |
| Testing | Stability, challenge, compatibility, data structure |
| Collaboration | R&D, regulatory, QA, procurement |
| Efficiency | Search time, handoffs, development phases |
Frequently asked questions
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not legal advice and not a regulatory or safety assessment of any individual case. We prepare the content carefully but give no warranty as to its accuracy, completeness or currency; legislation and standards may change after the date stated. Only the officially published text is binding. Make decisions about your products with qualified support, such as your safety assessor or legal adviser. We are liable for damage arising from the use of this information only in cases of intent and gross negligence; liability for injury to life, body or health and under mandatory statutory provisions remains unaffected.
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