The Food Industry Innovation School How to Drive Innovation through Complex Organizations

Innovation and new product development are increasingly perceived as drivers of profits in the food industry. Companies are dedicating a large amount of resources to these areas and it is crucial that individuals understand how to be part of this new strategy.

Food Industry Innovation School focuses on key skills needed to drive new ideas from initial concepts through to successful products on the shelf. The author argues that any individual can learn how to lead innovation within complex organizations utilizing companies? commercial and financial resources. The book focuses on the impact of single individuals on company successes. Case studies from the marketplace provide valuable examples of accomplishments and failures. Product development involves a plethora of activities such as R&D,innovation, engineering, packaging and design, manufacturing,logistics and supply chain management, as well as marketing, sales and finance, and the book addresses all these crucial functions undertaken by food companies and manufacturers of other packaged consumer goods.

The learning principles and examples (based on the author's personal experience) are valid in many fast-moving consumer goods organizations and so the principles, best practices and solutions offered in the 12 chapters are relevant to a wide audience in the food industry and beyond, including those working in household products, retail, the automotive industry, computers and IT, furniture, and even media and publishing.

Helmut Traitler has a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Vienna, Austria.
In 2010, after decades of experience with Nestlé in various roles around the world, he co-founded Life2Years, Inc., a start-up company producing healthy beverages for the over-fifties. He also has an active working relationship with the Jet Propulsion Lab/NASA in Pasadena on topics of innovation partnerships.

Helmut is the author of the recently published book Food Industry Design, Technology and Innovation, Wiley, 2015.

Forewords ix

Acknowledgements xiii

Part 1 YOUR COMPANY AND THE OUTSIDE WORLD

1 Your world 3

1.1 Introduction 3

1.2 The workspace: heaven or hell? 4

1.3 The outside world: is there someone? 6

1.3.1 Peers inside your company 7

1.3.2 Peers outside your company 11

1.3.3 The bosses 12

1.3.4 Media and the web, retailers and consumers, shareholders and analysts 14

1.3.5 The “outer shell”: family, friends, politics, public perception, macroeconomics 16

1.4 The main players in your organization: hierarchies, attitudes, and platitudes 17

1.5 How to generate attention for your work, for your project 20

1.6 Summary 22

1.7 Topics for further in-depth discussion; add your own experience 23

2 Projects and partners 25

2.1 Everything’s a project 25

2.2 The eternal strategy 28

2.3 The valuation of projects 32

2.4 Aligning partners and sponsors 35

2.5 Aligning with the strategy of the company 37

2.6 What is a project? 39

2.7 Summary 40

2.8 Topics for further in-depth discussions; add your own experience 41

3 What makes them tick? 43

3.1 Why do you need “them” to tick? 43

3.2 It’s a tough world out there: The Dragon’s Den 45

3.3 How to sell in the most promising ways? 48

3.4 The optimal project mix 49

3.5 Measuring success: a first glimpse 53

3.6 Why success stories make them tick 55

3.7 Summary 57

3.8 Topics for further in-depth discussion; add your own experience 58

4 Keys to success 59

4.1 The medium is the message 59

4.2 Look beyond to the outside 63

4.3 Taking risks, the right risks 68

4.4 Building bridges 71

4.5 Become street-smart and live it 73

4.6 Summary 76

4.7 Topics for further in-depth discussions; add your own experience 77

Part 2 HOWTO DRIVE INNOVATION INTO THE MARKETPLACE AND INTO THE CONSUMERS’ HOMES

5 Innovation revisited 81

5.1 What do you mean by “innovation”? 81

5.2 Innovation in the food industry 85

5.3 Creativity: the harbinger of innovation and invention 91

5.4 How does innovative thinking travel across your company? 95

5.5 Summary 99

5.6 Topics for further in-depth discussions; add your own experience 101

6 How to become short-termishly long term 103

6.1 The importance of sustainability in innovation 103

6.2 Some term-inology 107

6.3 Clever perseverance 112

6.4 The short-term–long-term balance in the food industry 117

6.5 Summary 120

6.6 Topics for further in-depth discussions; add your own experience 121

7 Success measured 123

7.1 Success Metrics 101 123

7.2 The consumer in the equation 127

7.3 The success rate: rate the success 133

7.4 Success and you 138

7.5 Summary 142

7.6 Topics for further in-depth discussions; add your own experience 143

8 The value of success stories 145

8.1 What counts is the well-packaged result 145

8.2 The role of the success story: storytelling 150

8.3 How to make your story 153

8.4 Stories become contagious 158

8.5 Summary 163

8.6 Topics for further in-depth discussions; add your own experience 165

Part 3 MOST IMPORTANT KEY SUCCESS FACTORS FOR SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF INNOVATION

9 Understanding the main driving forces and headwinds 169

9.1 The corporate power games 169

9.2 Stumbling blocks on the road to success 174

9.3 Corporate quirkiness and driving forces 179

9.4 Surmounting the hurdles 182

9.5 Summary 185

9.6 Topics for further in-depth discussions; add your own experience 187

10 It’s all about you, stupid! 189

10.1 Talent and attitude: inseparable siblings 189

10.2 The common common sense 192

10.3 Listen well and read minds 197

10.4 The argumentation game 202

10.5 Summary 207

10.6 Topics for further in-depth discussion; add your own experience 208

11 Dreamtime 211

11.1 Mythology and reality: understand your company 211

11.2 The fearless visionaries 218

11.3 Your company’s mood state 221

11.4 It all comes together 223

11.5 Summary 225

11.6 Topics for further in-depth discussion; add your experience 227

12 Conclusions, learning, and outlook to other areas 229

12.1 Conclusions 1.0: from here to there 229

12.2 Is there someone? 232

12.3 Innovation and success 235

12.4 Telling stories 238

12.5 You and the forces around you 240

12.6 Conclusion 2.0: the Dreamtime of your company 244

12.7 A discussion beyond food 246

Index 257

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.