More ideas turned into products that make money: through better innovation processes, sharper portfolio choices, smart use of external partners and good protection of what you create.
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Innovation, renovation and productivity processes Product group and portfolio management Core product design Open innovation programmes Integrated Business Planning (IBP) Corporate IP management and patent protection
Innovation, renovation and productivity processes
Three types of projects, one funnel. I help you set up and continuously improve the processes that turn ideas into results.
- New product development (NPD): innovation
- Existing product development (EPD): renovation
- Value engineering (VE): productivity
- Creating and managing the NPD/EPD/VE funnel
- Technology roadmaps that are fully aligned with the marketing vision, strategy and roadmap
- Delivery of the financial targets built into the business strategy
- Getting more out of every euro invested in R&D
Product group and portfolio management
Fewer, better product designs mean lower complexity and higher margins, while still leaving room for local variation.
- Tropical oil stream and fraction management built into product group and portfolio design
- Core product design documents: a minimal set of product ‘chassis’ that allow late differentiation
- A limited number of centrally supported designs, with unlimited regional variations in flavour, colour and more
- Added value from underused fractions of tropical oils (palm, palm kernel, coconut, shea, sal) through new industrial and professional products with a unique value proposition
- Higher gross margin and return on invested capital (ROIC), lower complexity costs
Core product design
A minimal set of product ‘chassis’, aligned with your business targets. Each core recipe can be differentiated quickly and with few resources, through flavours, colours or added nutritional benefits.
- R&D resources focused on a limited number of recipes
- More flexibility for Marketing and Operations
- Especially relevant for condiments, sauces, beverages and bakery mixes
Open innovation programmes
For more than 20 years I have set up and run open innovation programmes between ingredient suppliers, food manufacturers and knowledge institutes. Open innovation uses both internal and external ideas and resources to deliver your innovation, renovation and value engineering targets.
- Shared resources (people, time, money, facilities), benefits (new concepts, IP) and risks, agreed up front
- Inbound innovation brings external knowledge, research, solutions or patents into the company
- Outbound innovation takes unused internal ideas, technologies and IP to other markets through licensing or spin-offs
- Coupled innovation combines both, through co-creation and joint ventures
- Benefits: faster time to market, more active ideas in the funnel, lower R&D spend, shared risk, better use of R&D investments, and learning for your R&D staff
Integrated Business Planning (IBP)
I have introduced the IBP toolbox in multinational organisations and led the monthly product and portfolio reviews with Marketing, R&D and Product Management.
- One management process that brings strategic, operational and financial plans together
- One set of goals for Marketing, R&D, Product Management, Sales, Supply Chain, Operations and Finance: no more silos, better forecasts
- Operational forecasts, product timelines and supply chain constraints linked to cash flow and P&L targets
- R&D resources allocated where they raise service levels and margins most
Corporate IP management and patent protection
Your recipes, processes and methods are valuable. I help you decide how to protect them, based on your business strategy.
- Assessment of the corporate business strategy
- The right mix for your IP plan: patents, know-how and trade secrets
- An inventory of recipes, processing methods and analytical methods
Want to discuss this for your company?
Tell me what you are working on. The first conversation is free and without obligation.