Imagine how much time you could save by simulating experiences, testing new ingredients, and formulating virtually in real time. It’s all possible if you know where to start.
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Consumer packaged goods (CPG) leaders have a keen understanding of what it takes to succeed: product innovation. While many agree that it’s the best path forward for their brands, they’re also very aware that the statistical success rate for new product development (NPD) in this space is only 25%. To increase those odds, the industry is embracing digital formulation tools that allow them to overcome common obstacles without rushing R&D teams.
Moving research and development into a virtual world
Who has time for 150+ bench tests these days? When food and beverage tastes move at the speed of the next great TikTok trend, you have to be prepared to test and iterate rapidly. For most, this means upgrading from legacy tools to technology that allows you to use accurate modeling, simulate formula performance, and validate as much as possible pre-bench.
“The more you can maintain quality but increase agility, the better off you’ll be with all your R&D efforts,” says Greg Heartman, vice president of product management at TraceGains. “Whether you’re developing new products, dealing with complaints regarding existing products, wanting to reformulate, or looking for ways to protect against urgent supply chain issues.”
Realize the benefits for your NPD program
With up-to-date data and input directly from your F&B peers, this guide shares all the details on rapid product innovation that you need, including insights on:
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Reducing the number of sample ingredients you need to source
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Creating a digital twin to decrease the number of experiments on the bench
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Sharing results with your quality team for feedback at the right time
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Saving time and money without losing confidence in the accuracy of your information.
A SNEAK PREVIEW
Obstacles that prevent NPD from moving forward
AS OBSTACLES COME UP, INNOVATION GOES DOWN
F&B innovation heavily relies on finding the right suppliers and ingredients. Once this part of the puzzle is complete, the research and development (R&D) team moves to the bench to go through multiple cycles as quickly as possible.
You might know what consumers want, but can you make it? How quickly can you run experiments to shape the right taste, crunch, and nutrition profile? Will the product perform at production scale?
In some cases, you might have to cycle 150 different experiments on the bench. Before this can occur, however, you need to source sample ingredients from an entire marketplace of suppliers, all while understanding alternatives, and the trade-offs of using ingredient A instead of ingredient B.
During this process, quality teams must also be tapped for their expertise and insights, while production teams need to make time on the line. Along the way, delays often occur:
🔘 Suppliers may be slow to respond, causing you to wait days or weeks for answers and ingredients.
🔘 Paperwork and verification processes must be followed in order to confirm ingredient availability.
🔘 Ingredients must be compared with their claims to verify validity.
🔘 Multiple criteria must be searched and reviewed (certifications, allergens, moisture content, etc.).
🔘 Formulas and specifications must be manually recalculated as R&D cycles continue.
“When the industry moved slower, it was OK to take your time, try a bunch of product, test it, and try it again.Then you could fine-tune as you went. But that approach is much too slow, expensive, and difficult today.”
— Paul Bradley, Senior Director of Product Marketing, TraceGains
More resources designed to accelerate product development
How to Conquer the 12 Most Common NPD Challenges in CPG
Experience TraceGains: Formula Management
