The Insider: Putting Out Fires

9:00 AM

Monday morning. I arrive at work, ready to tackle several new projects due this week. On the way, I had been thinking about how I want to finish that pomegranate fragrance I’ve been working on for one of our West Coast candle customers, reassuring myself vehemently that it’s not a big rush, even though I’ve had it on my desk for a few days, and now I finally have a chance to work on it, after having been occupied all of last week creating several new baby wipe fragrances for a prominent client.

9:15 AM

Checking email. Here’s one from our purchasing agent: 

"Help! Production is making an old formula, and needs a replacement for mousse de chene yuogo absolute. We last purchased it from Camilli, Albert & Laloue in 1989.”

OK, I can assist. I look at our inventory list of oakmoss absolutes. Seems we have about 10 of them, though I see we have no stock on most. We need to clean up this list someday. OK, here’s one that seems close.

“Use code number 3232” I tell her. “We’re better off anyway, since it is IFRA-safe. I know this raises the raw material cost by 14 cents, but that old material’s price was outdated anyway.”

We’ll worry about that later. 

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