Customer Stories
Polygal AG

Polygal Transitioned from Manual Processes to Automated Quality Management with 1LIMS

With Sindy Seidel, Laboratory Manager at Polygal

Since introducing 1LIMS, Polygal has dramatically enhanced its laboratory processes, streamlining data management, speeding up sample analysis and reporting, and improving team collaboration by making data easily accessible. The company now enjoys a more streamlined approach to quality management, setting a new standard for excellence in the natural hydrocolloids industry.
Polygal AG is a Swiss company specializing in natural hydrocolloids, catering to various industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, personal care, textile printing, paper coating, and construction.
Website
Headquarters
Märstetten, Switzerland
Industry
Natural hydrocolloids
Key value delivered
Centralized data management
Analysis management and reporting
Integration with an external service lab
Integration with an internal inventory system
Dashboard mockup

About

Established in 1956, Polygal AG is a Swiss company specializing in natural hydrocolloids, catering to various industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, personal care, textile printing, paper coating, and construction. Polygal distributes its products to over 55 countries worldwide and operates across four global locations with headquarters in Switzerland.

Committed to sustainability and embracing innovation as a cornerstone of its operations, Polygal manufactures hydrocolloids using 100% renewable and plant-based raw materials while meeting the demands of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food processing sectors with stringent industry standards, including IFS/FSC 2200.

Recognizing a significant gap in its quality management processes, particularly with its legacy database unable to keep pace with the evolving demands of the company's laboratories, Polygal sought to enhance efficiency. They began the search for a system that could help optimize their laboratory data management.

We interviewed Sindy Seidel, a laboratory manager at Polygal, to find out how they use 1LIMS to optimize quality management.
"
Our laboratory evaluates the quality of all raw materials, semi-finished and finished products, and we use partner laboratories for microbiology testing. With all the right processes in place, we needed a centralized solution to help us work faster and improve data accuracy.
Sindy Seidel
Laboratory Manager at Polygal

Data capture and management – all in one place

Polygal uses 1LIMS to automate quality data management within their laboratory. Previously, the lab struggled with a legacy database that needed more flexibility, hindering the team's ability to incorporate test plans and other critical data. According to Sindy, "We used this Microsoft Access database along with a bunch of extra sheets, which was just such a pain! It ate up a ton of time and was always prone to errors."

The manual approach restricted data accessibility and analysis, slowing down quality management processes at Polygal. The company aimed to replace the outdated legacy system and manual procedures with a centralized solution. They were looking to address several key challenges by leveraging the capabilities of 1LIMS:
Streamlining their data stack onto a single platform
Eliminating manual work from collecting, organizing, and sharing data across teams
Accelerating data analysis and turnaround times
The transition to 1LIMS has transformed Polygal's approach to quality management. One of the most significant benefits is having all essential information for laboratory managers accessible on one platform. When multiple users can access data simultaneously, it fosters a more cohesive team approach to quality management.

With 1LIMS, Polygal can generate reports to further connect and share information across teams and provide better oversight of quality management tasks.
"
It's helpful that many people can access the data, so I don't always have to be the only contact person.
Sindy Seidel
Laboratory Manager at Polygal

Trend analysis will take only five minutes - down from hours

To monitor ongoing processes and proactively identify production problems, the team analyzes samples in the laboratory and tracks values through trend analysis. We entered the measured values into an Excel table, which took much time. However, we can complete the task in minutes using the 1LIMS Dashboard for custom trend analysis. This increase in efficiency comes from the centralization of all data and a user-friendly interface tailored to Polygal's needs.

1LIMS also facilitates re-tests as part of its functionality. When an initial test shows results outside the specified parameters, the system automatically triggers a subsequent test using the same sample to verify reproducibility. This capability empowers laboratory managers to make informed decisions about quality control measures.

Finally, 1LIMS simplifies the generation of Certificate of Analysis (COA) reports by removing the necessity for manual document creation in Word. This saves time and reduces the likelihood of errors.
"
It's really easy to export data and generate reports, which has significantly accelerated our quality control processes.
Sindy Seidel
Laboratory Manager at Polygal

Intuitive design and outstanding customer support

The platform's user-friendly design has made it easy for the team to customize. "The platform is incredibly intuitive, allowing us to adapt it to our specific needs effortlessly," says Sindy.

She also highlights the exceptional support received from the 1LIMS team.

Integrating with internal inventory for up-to-date raw material data

Polygal highlights one of the significant advantages of 1LIMS: its seamless integration with their internal inventory management system. Sindy emphasizes, "This integration is our biggest benefit. It was crucial for us."

Now, they can access accurate and up-to-date information about the quantity and quality of each raw material available in their inventory directly through 1LIMS. The quality data sourced from 1LIMS enables the company to maintain optimal inventory levels to support their production processes.
"
The support we get from 1LIMS has been amazing! They're always there to immediately help us with technical issues or customization needs.
Sindy Seidel
Laboratory Manager at Polygal

Planning for the future

Polygal's success with 1LIMS has been so significant that they have expanded its use to power their laboratories in other countries, including Spain, Pakistan, and China. Their aim is to automate quality management while delivering best-in-class products to their customers worldwide.
Moreover, Polygal intends to introduce integrations with the ERP system and laboratory devices to enhance efficiency and eliminate manual data entries. In addition, report generation, such as technical data sheets, Purchasing specifications, and further trend analyses with statistical tools, will be available soon.

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