PharmaZen · Factory Decision

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Smart Parts · Hipcrate · PharmaZen

Should we manufacture our own supplements in Poland?

Interactive decision model · Magnesium Bisglycinate 1500 · June 2026

1 · Where we are

PharmaZen Magnesium Bisglycinate launched in DE / FR / IT / ES about two months ago. It is the highest-volume SKU in company history — a record week of ~6,000 units — but it is not yet profitable by design: we buy rank and subscribers with deep deals.

Jars are bought finished from a Slovenian contract manufacturer at €2.60/jar. Raw materials are only ~€1.3–1.5 landed, so their value-add (filling, bottling, QC, margin) is ~€1.1–1.4 per jar. That spread is what this whole decision is about.

—
jars / year at current pace
—
gross spread vs Slovenia / jar
—
theoretical annual savings pool
Weekly revenue ramp illustrative
Launch W13 → ~£40k by W23, with stock/deal dips. Real curve to be pulled from Sellerboard.

2 · The four options

Cost per jar updates live from the assumptions below. The cheapest option is outlined — but price is not the only column that matters.

3 · Assumptions — drag, type, challenge

Every number carries a confidence tag: verified estimate unverified guess. Click a tag to change it as facts come in. Changes are saved for everyone.

4 · Where own production starts to win

Cost per jar by weekly volume. Contract prices are flat; the own-line curves fall as fixed costs spread over more jars. The dotted line marks today's volume.

5 · The decision tree

1
Get firm per-jar quotes from 2–3 Polish CMOs on our exact spec and volume. Zero cost, ~2 weeks.
↓
2
Quote ≤ ~€2.30/jar? → Switch supply. Most of the savings, zero capex, zero regulatory burden, zero founder time. Stop here.
↓ if quotes are high
3
Quotes well above our self-cost (~€1.7) and volume scaling to 15–20k+/week and 2–3 capsule SKUs to load one line? → Model the own-line campaign plan in full.
↓ only then
4
Commit capex. Machines are the cheap part (€16–21k installed). The real commitments are premises, compliance system, and people.

6 · Open questions — the decision is only as good as these

Click a status to cycle it: open → in progress → done.

7 · Regulatory & risks (Poland)

What's actually required
  • Sanepid registration — file ≥14 days before starting; inspection of premises, water, ventilation. Realistic total: 1–3 months.
  • HACCP / GHP system + a qualified person responsible for QC and batch release.
  • Per-batch testing (heavy metals, micro, assay) — ~€100/batch ≈ €1,200/year. Cheap.
  • Product notifications stay as they are — we sell in DE/FR/IT/ES, so notifications go to those countries' bodies, which we already handle.
Where the real risk lives
  • Not the machines. The line is €16–21k — the cheapest part of the whole project.
  • Quality control — supplier qualification, heavy metals, microbiology, batch documentation. Manufacturer liability sits on us, not the supplier.
  • Founder time — 6,000 jars/week is ~2.5 FTE of continuous work. Two founders running a capsule line are not running the Smart Parts portfolio.
  • Renting a compliant facility converts fit-out capex into ~€1.5–2.5k/month rent — but the compliance system stays ours.

8 · Action plan

RFQ pack — what to ask each Polish CMO
  • Price per jar at both (a) their materials and (b) tolling with our supplied active/blend.
  • Confirm grade: buffered ~20% elemental Mg, COA per batch, heavy metals within EU 2023/915.
  • MOQ and lead time at our volume (~6k jars/week, ~26k/month, ~300k/year).
  • Capsule options (gelatin vs HPMC) and price delta.
  • Whether they handle our jar/label or require their stock components.
  • GMP/HACCP/ISO certificates + support for DE/FR/IT/ES documentation.
  • Red flags: certificate validity, NDA on formula, allergen / cross-contamination controls.
Sources: working notes + decision memo, June 2026. All figures except the Slovenian €2.60 are unverified estimates — treat with a large grain of salt until the open questions above are closed.