PLM innovations
Research, development and design of a new product does not happen overnight…simulations, trials and testing must confirm that the recipe is ready to go to market and has been produced as cost-effectively as possible.
Quality, standards, market research and intelligent design are all part of the process – innovation is nearly always collaborative and can be a very challenging proposition.
However, companies who choose the right PLM are at a clear advantage. Hilcona is an industry leader specializing in convenience products, like chicken salads, tortellini and gnocchi. Hilcona focuses on a cost-effective launch of fresh products in short development cycles, maintaining high standards for sustainability, freshness and taste.
Hilcona opts for a PLM process solution, which captures all recipes, raw materials and ingredients, along with declarations and specifications, in a centralized database – supporting rapid launches for new products and product variations – to produce maximum ROI.
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Success with PLM
Coffee from South America, cocoa from Africa, almond cakes from Sweden or fruit from New Zealand – the marketplace is getting smaller by the day.
Globalization – the process of interacting with people, businesses and governments worldwide – makes it possible for Australia to export agricultural produce and recipe-based foods to China and India.
What was once a great challenge has become the key to success in the food and beverage industry. The demand for regional product customization is immense – and competition is fierce. Products must consistently be brought to market faster and meet new customer demands. Innovative ideas advance new technological achievements and demanding clients want high-quality, eco-friendly, sustainable – but affordable – products.
The solution is simple – PLM, product lifecycle management.
Almondy is one of the most successful manufacturers of recipe-based almond cakes in the world – and they use a PLM process solution for all of their data management needs. Increased regulatory compliance and consumer demands for traceability and transparency in labeling practices have created a challenge for some manufacturers – but not Almondy.
They have achieved measured, sustainable growth by controlling raw materials and recipes with the perfect PLM process solution. Simulation and calculation errors are avoided because of the innovative, automated data management software, so the tedious manual tasks that usually result in errors is eliminated.
PLM – global competitive advantage
Gluten, lactose intolerance, vegetarian, vegan, tree nut allergies – are all commonplace health and wellness issues for consumers these days. Dietary restrictions present several challenges for today’s food and beverage manufacturers.
To keep in step with the market, they must constantly develop innovative new products – while retooling existing product lines – and make sure that each and every product meets the highest quality and safety standards.
Particularly for the research and development teams, the pressure to streamline product development while managing costs is an increasingly daunting task.
The answer to these issues lies in data – using your data as a strategic weapon boosts ROI, increases sales and eliminates the majority of compliance risks.
Industry leading PLM software solutions, like SpecPDM, provide the foundation that leads to success in global markets. PLM supports fast product development, optimizes existing product lines, monitors regulatory requirements and adjusts products to client-specific or regional recipes.
Software-supported operations represent an important advantage in terms of developing a recipe formula, quality assurance, intelligent workflows and best practices for food engineers, research and development teams and manufacturers.
For transparency, traceability and data availability, PLM provides the foundation for crucial competitive advantages. Systematic updates ensure legal compliance – essential data is provided at the click of a button, ensuring rapid, accurate publishing to GDSN – allowing manufacturers to maintain clear, concise, traceable and transparent product development cycles and leading to increased profit margins and sustainable growth and ROI.
Product data management best practices
Efficiency and lightning fast agility are essential best practices for recipe-based manufacturers who seek to expand their market share and increase ROI.
The formula for success must include employing digitalized, automated processes – like the right PLM solution.
Santa Maria, Dr. Oetker and Koch Foods are brilliant examples of manufacturers who lead their respective industries in best practices and sustainable growth. These organizations have built a solid foundation of success with support from product lifecycle management and master data management software that is specifically designed for recipe-based food and beverage manufacturers.
Santa Maria, a premier herbs and spices manufacturer, defies competitors with exceptional compliance and new product speed to market. The company’s cornerstone philosophy is to exceed expectations with every spice, idea, innovation and collection – quality is at the core of every new development.
An innovative product lifecycle management process solution provides a unified database – giving quick access for the entire research and development team – and supporting flexibility in design, accurate labeling and specifications management.
PLM for sustainable product development
Renowned research and development specialist Dr. Udo Spiegel insists that the comprehensive mapping of product development processes is essential – and a major component within every successful organization.
As head of R&D and quality management at Dr. Oetker, Spiegel oversees “recipe management, costing, specifications management and declarations – and the corresponding storage of data and information – right up to product implementation in a simple manner.”
Speed to market and the agility necessary for competitive advantages are accomplished with the right PLM process solution. PLM affords research teams the advantage of digitization – no longer having to compile recipes manually or use complex spreadsheets to capture each change, trial and simulation.
PLM provides a platform for easily entering new product attributes, which is not only faster, but also saves time, resources and costs – an important point when it comes to success in the food and beverage industry.
Speed and unlimited flexibility are vitally important for Koch Foods, an industry leader in international poultry processing and recipe-based poultry products.
The Koch Food company mission includes a vigilant commitment to quality, freshness, taste, safety and sustainability. With significant investments in innovation, Koch really stands out among its competitors.
The company has reinvested over $100 million in cutting-edge technological upgrades. In 2017, Forbes rated Koch Foods as the 16th largest private company in the U.S.
The company credits SpecPDM with enabling them to quickly create and maintain recipes, as well as automatically calculate nutrients, allergens and other data and information necessary for continuing formulations and permutations. Using SpecPDM they can easily calculate and track a multitude of formulas and guarantee accuracy with product labels.
Their ability to consolidate product data in one place simplified automated publication to the global GS1 GDSN network and provided seamless integration to the Seller’s Guide Product catalog, making the data consistent for regulatory compliance. Accurate specifications for raw materials and ingredients are captured and collated by the SpecPage Supplier’s Guide. With corporate approval, they are automatically made available to product developers within the SpecPDM network.
Track and trace transparency
Consumer demands drive every market – especially within the food and beverage industry.
Eckes-Granini, the leading supplier of fruit juices and fruit drinks in Europe, edges out the competition with a strong foundation based on exceeding consumer expectations and ‘bringing forward the best possible products for a healthy and enjoyable life.’
In addition to the best PLM and product data management process solution, Eckes-Granini employs automated processing of product information, and direct data transfer via the GTIN-Connector from their enterprise-wide SAP system to the 1WorldSync data pool. They have published more than 279 articles as well as 1,000 packaging units on this platform.
The GTIN-Connector merges all GDSN-relevant attributes into a central SAP system and validates enterprise-specific article master data before it is published. Protocols and feedback from trade partners can also be automatically processed, increasing the success of the entire organization.
Eckes-Granini focuses on innovative products and premium fruit and raw materials; in fact, consumers in 80 different countries consume their products every day. They are known for their dedication to sustainability and ecofriendly process solutions, making PLM the perfect fit for this industry giant.
Featured image: © shutterstock / smolaw
