How Keune Haircosmetics Scaled to 90 Countries With Aptean Process Manufacturing PLM Lascom Edition

Since 1922, Keune Haircosmetics has been perfecting the art of professional haircare. Its shampoos, conditioners, styling and hair colouring products are trusted by salons from Amsterdam to Australia.

Business is booming; the organisation employs 700 people, and its product sales span 90 countries. But as a fast-growing company, Keune recognised its product development processes were struggling to keep pace with its global aspirations.

To drive continued expansion, Keune implemented Aptean’s industry-specific product lifecycle management (PLM) software for personal care and cosmetics companies.

Preparing for the Next Chapter of Growth

Keune Haircosmetics has ambitious plans. The brand wants to grow by 13-16% year on year, doubling its innovation capacity in the next six to seven years. Maintaining this rate of expansion means developing an operational infrastructure that can support rapid global product development.

While Keune’s existing solutions have been instrumental in getting the company this far, the team recognised the need to invest in Aptean Process Manufacturing PLM Lascom Edition to accelerate future growth.

In the words of Gert van der Heijden, COO at Keune Haircosmetics, “If you want to grow, you need to have a stable basis.”

“The main reason for looking for a PLM system was that we were doing everything within Microsoft solutions, Excel and Access, and we wanted to support our growth for the future by having proper systems in place," van der Heijden explained. "We were looking for one source of the truth."

Moving product development into a dedicated PLM solution enables Keune to:

• Establish a centralised system where all departments can access the same up-to-date information

• Unify version control across each department, especially in the creative division, where multiple iterations of artwork proved an ongoing problem

• Track process changes, including many that weren’t documented before, to maintain consistency and quality

• Build a foundation that can support Keune’s continued international expansion

Generic Software Wouldn’t Make the Cut

Keune faced a strategic challenge that many growing companies encounter. The company already had an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for managing its core business operations. But when it came to the specialist needs of cosmetics product development—managing formulations, tracking regulatory compliance, controlling artwork versions and documenting R&D processes—the organisation needed something more sophisticated.

"Most companies seem to look for integral solutions," van der Heijden explained. "We were forced to look at best-of-breed solutions because our ERP wasn't able to support all the questions we had. And I'm very happy that we were able to do this, because then we could get the best solutions available."

This “best-of-breed" approach led Keune to choose industry-specific software rather than settling for generic functionality. The company selected Aptean Process Manufacturing PLM Lascom Edition, a purpose-built system built for managing cosmetic and personal care products with precision ingredient tracking, International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) lists and integrated allergen documentation.

The system works alongside Keune’s existing ERP to ensure complete control: The ERP handling the business operations, and the PLM managing the complete product lifecycle from conception through launch.

The Early Returns: Efficiency and Confidence

In 2024, Keune deployed Aptean’s PLM software for cosmetics and personal care companies alongside Aptean’s Patch Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) software, creating a comprehensive system that spans from the lab bench to the production floor.

Aptean Process Manufacturing PLM has become the company’s single source of truth for product development, centralising:

• Formulation data, including qualitative and quantitative ingredient information for each product

• Regulatory information, ensuring products meet the legal requirements of Keune’s international markets

• Artwork and packaging, establishing clear version control and approval processes

• Product development workflows, streamlining the journey from concept to salon shelf

Speaking at Aptean’s 2025 Sales Kick Off Event, van der Heijden acknowledged that Aptean PLM “gives us an insight in everything we need. So, no artwork that's somewhere else. No INCIs that are part of MS Access, and so on. We have one way of working.”

Ongoing Benefits: Faster Production, Fewer Mistakes

Keune is already enjoying benefits from its PLM investment. Teams across its R&D and creative departments now work from the same reliable data source. Version control uncertainty is a thing of the past, and staff are no longer having to re-do work.

“All the things we’re doing within research, development and regulation are the main areas for us to improve,” van der Heijden said. “Less mistakes will absolutely be the case.”

Meanwhile, the OEE implementation has given Keune something it’s never had before: real visibility into manufacturing operations.

"With OEE, we’ve got a proper insight into the way we produce and where we have pitfalls and issues during our production time," van der Heijden added. "So we're starting now to optimise that. It’s basically the entire streamlining of the process.”

Aptean PLM: The Best Fit For Haircare Businesses

Van der Heijden's satisfaction with choosing specialised cosmetics PLM software over a generic system is telling. "In our business—cosmetics—we've looked at several opportunities and possibilities, and Aptean fit our business the best,” he said.

This isn't just about having access to the right features. It's about working with a system built for Keune’s challenges, which allows the team to focus on growing the business rather than fighting with software.

Keune’s implementation experience backs this up. "During the process, we found the quality of the implementation was very good," van der Heijden noted, comparing Aptean’s PLM favourably to other systems he’s experienced.

"The team has a deep experience and really knows what they're talking about,” he added. “We didn’t need customisation. This is the first IT project that’s going to be reached within budget.”

Keune Haircosmetics Is Ready To Grow, Faster

Keune has always adapted to meet the needs of its global salon community. Now, the brand is taking that same forward-thinking approach to its operations, building a digital foundation that matches the innovation it brings to its products.

Centralised data, streamlined processes and enhanced collaboration capabilities mean Keune can use its PLM to scale operations without compromising the quality and speed of product development.

But perhaps the most exciting outcome is how the transition to industry-specific PLM software will accelerate Keune's growth trajectory. "We have a fast-growing goal and target. It will really help us grow faster than we did in the past," van der Heijden said.

If Keune's digital transformation has inspired you to explore how Aptean’s PLM software for cosmetics operations could benefit your business, reach out to us today.

We’ll answer your questions about improving product development, managing global compliance and accelerating your growth.

You can also request a personalised Aptean PLM demo.