In this interview, Juliette Gamez, Chief Digital Officer, and Loraine Lombardi, Head of Digital Marketing, share how Safic-Alcan launched the Digital Formulation Lab.
This is a strategic platform that blends structured data, formulation expertise, and people-driven digital transformation. Read the interview to discover more.
What Does the Digital Formulation Lab Bring to Safic-Alcan’s Digital?
Juliette Gamez: We have always had a strong digital presence through our online ingredient catalog, designed to help users quickly identify the right solutions. It is reliable, intuitive, and a trusted way to navigate our portfolio.
The Digital Formulation Lab is the next step in our evolution. It provides formulation inspiration directly linked to real applications and technical challenges. By structuring data around specific attributes and connecting it to expert-validated formulations, the Digital Formulation Lab allows users to search smarter and faster. It accelerates innovation by giving formulators a way to move instantly from idea to solution.
This wasn’t simply a design project — it was the result of a long-term effort to strengthen our internal data foundations and leverage the expertise of our teams.
Loraine Lombardi: Exactly. The ingredient catalog remains essential for sourcing, but customers now expect more:
– insights
– technical depth
– application context
– inspiration
The Digital Formulation Lab answers this need. It combines ingredient intelligence with real-world formulations, enriched by structured technical data. This creates a bridge between raw materials and practical formulation design.
What Internal Changes Made the Digital Formulation Lab Possible?
Juliette Gamez: The transformation started with structured data and governance. We centralized product creation, enforced a unified taxonomy, and strengthened portfolio management. Our PIM now contains over 25,000 structured ingredients, each enriched with standardized technical attributes.
We also deployed a SharePoint-based intranet to ensure teams work with the same validated information. This harmonization reduced inefficiencies and improved cross-departmental collaboration.
Loraine Lombardi: Our teams were the backbone of this project. Their engagement ensured adoption, consistency, and data quality. They transformed a digital tool into a genuine operational asset. Without their validation, discipline, and commitment, the Digital Formulation Lab would not have reached this level of accuracy and reliability.
How Important Was the Team’s Role in This Digital Transformation?
Juliette Gamez: Absolutely fundamental. A digital formulation lab only works when the people behind it trust the data and the workflows. Our teams defined taxonomy, validated attributes, and harmonized databases. Their operational expertise ensured that every data point reflects real market, regulatory, and technical needs.
Loraine Lombardi: And they continue to be essential. Our lab technicians, product managers, and regulatory teams ensure the platform stays aligned with reality. The Digital Formulation Lab succeeds because human expertise remains at its core.
How Will Customers and Suppliers Benefit from the Digital Formulation Lab?
Juliette Gamez: Suppliers gain stronger visibility thanks to structured, consistent data presentation. Their ingredients appear with the clarity and precision needed for global markets.
For customers — formulators, procurement teams, R&D specialists — the Digital Formulation Lab provides fast access to reliable technical information and formulation ideas. It shortens the path from concept to solution.
Loraine Lombardi: Formulators especially benefit from being able to search formulations by attributes, needs, formats, and applications. This is where the Digital Formulation Lab shines: inspiration becomes actionable. Users don't just see ingredients — they immediately understand how to use them.
How Do You Approach AI in This Digital Transformation?
Juliette Gamez: Thoughtfully. AI can add value only if the data foundation is clean, structured, and governed. The Digital Formulation Lab is part of building an AI-ready ecosystem:
– standardized metadata
– validated information
– reliable taxonomies
– structured technical attributes
We’re preparing the ground, and evaluating where AI can truly support decision-making and efficiency.
Loraine Lombardi: AI will enhance — not replace — expert knowledge. Our philosophy is people-first. AI is a partner that will amplify the industrial expertise of our teams, not erase it.
What’s Next in Safic-Alcan’s Digital Journey?
Juliette Gamez: Scaling. We want to expand the digital ecosystem throughout our global operations. Structured data will continue to strengthen both internal workflows and customer experiences. We aim to remain a strategic partner in chemical distribution and formulation support.
We are also investing in people: training, guidance, and digital maturity. Sustainable digital transformation is only possible when our teams evolve with our tools.
Loraine Lombardi: The Digital Formulation Lab is our blueprint for the future: a space where structure, expertise, and human-centric technology converge. Our roadmap transforms industry knowledge into tangible value, delivered consistently to customers and suppliers by empowered teams.
Explore our Digital Lab
Find inspiration in our formulations.