Resolving dispense failure in a personal care product

Having launched a new personal care system into a demanding market segment, our client was receiving reports of a catastrophic failure mode, although true data regarding circumstances and frequency of failure had been difficult to establish.

In parallel with our client’s own testing, we carried out robust analysis of product behaviour, in particular focusing on the dispense mechanism which was perceived to be at fault.

We also visited the factory to understand how manufacturing process variance might contribute to the observed failure modes.

This uncovered issues with consumable manufacture where actual process had deviated from ideal, directly contributing to variability in end-product performance.

Solving dispense failure in a personal care product

What we did

We undertook a detailed theoretical system analysis validated by practical experimentation.

By focusing on the product journey as a whole, starting from the manufacturing environment all the way through to user behaviour, we identified multiple points of failure, including a manufacturing process deviation which was contributing to poor product performance.

The critical failure mode was identified and resolved allowing product launch to proceed. We identified a manufacturing process deviation prompting improvement in process control.

Solving dispense failure in a personal care product

Results for our client

Zeynep Bagwell, Head of Personal Care at 42T says, "This project is a perfect example of our commitment to addressing the root cause of issues rather than merely treating the symptoms.

We insist on the importance of evaluating the entire product journey, especially when dealing with catastrophic failures in complex systems. In consumer products, this complexity extends to the end-user whose behaviour can significantly influence the product’s success.

However, in this case, the failure was driven by factors mostly relating to the manufacturing process. Through targeted product and process improvements, the failure rate was significantly reduced, paving the way for a successful product launch for our client."

Read about other Consumer case studies here.

If you would like to find out more, contact Zeynep Bagwell, Head of Personal Care:

answers@42T.com | +44 (0)1480 302700 | LinkedIn: Zeynep Bagwell