110 Food product development critical metric safety(microbiological) value, will destroy it. And metrics must be practical, for example there may be no measure for spicy hotness in a food so the acceptance of different levels in the new product have to be tested with consumers during design Choosing metrics and their values is simple if it is an incremental product opy of a competing product in the market. The metrics are already identified and the values can be chosen by competitive or company product benchmarking (Ulrich and Eppinger, 1995). With the radical innovation, there is not sufficient previous knowledge and there will be a need to continue the metric identification into later stages of design. As prototypes are developed and tested both technically and by the consumer, the metrics for the consumer- identified product characteristics are built. The design specification evolves to the product prototype specification at the end of the design process, so it does change, but care must be taken that critical metrics are neither dropped nor changed in value without consumer acceptance of the change. Factors sometimes causing changes in metrics are costs, availability or variability of raw materials and processes, new competing products, contradictions between product characteristics, difficulties in design. Nothing is black and white usually various forms of grey have to be accepted Think break 1. Evaluate the two product concepts remaining after your work in the last Think Break, for marketing and production suitability. Make a checklist of all the important factors to consider in marketing and production and score the two product concepts 2. Calculate a prediction of the possible sales volumes, prices and sales revenue for the two product concepts 3. Do an evaluative comparison of the two product concepts and select the best product concept 4. For the remaining product concept, write down the product benefits identified by the consumers and the other critical product characteristics you have so far identified. Suggest a metric for each product characteristic- this can be a physical, chemical, nutritional, sensory or microbiological metric 5. What are the product characteristics for which you have not identified a metric? Can you create an empirical metric for them? 6. What are the raw material, processing and distribution requirements that need to be included in the product design specification? 3.1.4 Product feasibility and project plan From the detailed knowledge, a more quantitative comparison can be made of the ideas for the new product. The consumer study gives in the product concept a
critical metric safety (microbiological) value, will destroy it. And metrics must be practical, for example there may be no measure for spicy hotness in a food so the acceptance of different levels in the new product have to be tested with consumers during design. Choosing metrics and their values is simple if it is an incremental product or a copy of a competing product in the market. The metrics are already identified and the values can be chosen by competitive or company product benchmarking (Ulrich and Eppinger, 1995). With the radical innovation, there is not sufficient previous knowledge and there will be a need to continue the metric identification into later stages of design. As prototypes are developed and tested both technically and by the consumer, the metrics for the consumeridentified product characteristics are built. The design specification evolves to the product prototype specification at the end of the design process, so it does change, but care must be taken that critical metrics are neither dropped nor changed in value without consumer acceptance of the change. Factors sometimes causing changes in metrics are costs, availability or variability of raw materials and processes, new competing products, contradictions between product characteristics, difficulties in design. Nothing is black and white: usually various forms of grey have to be accepted. 3.1.4 Product feasibility and project plan From the detailed knowledge, a more quantitative comparison can be made of the ideas for the new product. The consumer study gives in the product concept a Think break 1. Evaluate the two product concepts remaining after your work in the last Think Break, for marketing and production suitability. Make a checklist of all the important factors to consider in marketing and production and score the two product concepts. 2. Calculate a prediction of the possible sales volumes, prices and sales revenue for the two product concepts. 3. Do an evaluative comparison of the two product concepts and select the best product concept. 4. For the remaining product concept, write down the product benefits identified by the consumers and the other critical product characteristics you have so far identified. Suggest a metric for each product characteristic – this can be a physical, chemical, nutritional, sensory or microbiological metric. 5. What are the product characteristics for which you have not identified a metric? Can you create an empirical metric for them? 6. What are the raw material, processing and distribution requirements that need to be included in the product design specification? 110 Food product development
The product development process 111 omprehensive description of the product characteristics wanted by the target consumers who are more clearly identified. The market research gives an ndication of the probable sales of the product, the position of the product in the market, the possible prices, promotion and market channels. The technical study describes the possible products, processes and the probable costs and time for development and production. By a qualitative evaluation of the suitability of the oroduct concepts and a quantitative estimation of the profits and costs ratio, and by predictions of the probabilities of successful development and launching, the most suitable product concepts for development can be selecte The various activities needed for the project are firstly developed in the utcomes and then in the building of the product design specification. They are ought together and integrated in the operational plan for directing and controlling the project. For the plan list all the major activities, place them in a logical sequence, noting activities that run in sequence, in parallel, and those that need to be integrated (project logic flow plan); time each activity from start to finish(project scheduling plan) identify the money, resource needs, personnel, for each activity(project resource plan) identify activities that are critical for time and resources(critical path Review the network so that it meets the required launch date and is within the resources designated for the project(project operational plan) 3.2 Product design and process development The themes for Stage 2: product design and process development,are integration, creativity, systematic planning and monitoring. Food product development is process-intensive, the characteristics of the product are highly constrained by the processing. Therefore the process and the product are developed together. This tight integration of process development and product design. called concurrent or sim gineering, is becoming more important because of the time and cost constraints on getting the product to the market(Fox, 1993; Stoy, 1996). Jonsdottir et al.(1998), reviewing concurrent engineering in seafood companies, defined the overall goal of concurrent engineering as quality, cost, schedule, product user requirements and reduction of the time the product takes to reach the market. They emphasised the information technology applications in product models, in particular the knowledge of the product's functional and structural characteristics, and the development of a system model that secures the integration and reuse of knowledge in the different stages of the product development process. The concurrent design also integrates with marketing and production( Hollingsworth, 1995)as shown in Fig. 3.7. Often in incremental development, the production
comprehensive description of the product characteristics wanted by the target consumers who are more clearly identified. The market research gives an indication of the probable sales of the product, the position of the product in the market, the possible prices, promotion and market channels. The technical study describes the possible products, processes and the probable costs and time for development and production. By a qualitative evaluation of the suitability of the product concepts and a quantitative estimation of the profits and costs ratio, and by predictions of the probabilities of successful development and launching, the most suitable product concepts for development can be selected. The various activities needed for the project are firstly developed in the outcomes and then in the building of the product design specification. They are all brought together and integrated in the operational plan for directing and controlling the project. For the plan: • list all the major activities; • place them in a logical sequence, noting activities that run in sequence, in parallel, and those that need to be integrated (project logic flow plan); • time each activity from start to finish (project scheduling plan); • identify the money, resource needs, personnel, for each activity (project resource plan); • identify activities that are critical for time and resources (critical path network). Review the network so that it meets the required launch date and is within the resources designated for the project (project operational plan). 3.2 Product design and process development The themes for Stage 2: product design and process development, are integration, creativity, systematic planning and monitoring. Food product development is process-intensive, the characteristics of the product are highly constrained by the processing. Therefore the process and the product are developed together. This tight integration of process development and product design, called concurrent or simultaneous engineering, is becoming more important because of the time and cost constraints on getting the product to the market (Fox, 1993; Stoy, 1996). Jonsdottir et al. (1998), reviewing concurrent engineering in seafood companies, defined the overall goal of concurrent engineering as quality, cost, schedule, product user requirements and reduction of the time the product takes to reach the market. They emphasised the information technology applications in product models, in particular the knowledge of the product’s functional and structural characteristics, and the development of a system model that secures the integration and reuse of knowledge in the different stages of the product development process. The concurrent design also integrates with marketing and production (Hollingsworth, 1995) as shown in Fig. 3.7. Often in incremental development, the production The product development process 111
112 Food product development Development time ffor Product desig Production plant is already in place, and the product has to be designed for that plant and the process can only be varied between narrow limits The company's identity or companys image is the sum of product design, communications design and environment design(Blaich and Blaich, 1993) Communication design directly supports the product in the marketplace with branding, packaging, advertising and promotion, therefore it needs to be closely integrated with the product design. Environment design is a concept that is not always considered, but it does influence the product and communications esign, and the final acceptance of the new product. If a company wants to communicate the appropriate perception about its products, it must concern itself with the entire milieu surrounding the products, both inside and outside the company. If the company image diffused to the employees and the customers is quality, the new product is also seen as quality; if it is fresh and innovative, the product will be recognised as excitingly new. The company and distribution environments give the company and its new products an image to the customers. Therefore product design needs to be integrated with communication and environment design throughout the design process 3.2.1 Stages in product design and process development The stages of the product design and process development are shown in Fig. 3.8: the activities are in the boxes the outcomes in the ovals. At the beginning of Stage 2, product design is the major part of the work with process development considered in the design of the product. As the project progresses and the area for the product is more clearly defined, the study of the variables in the process becomes important so as to achieve the optimum Input variables: raw materials(type, quality, quantity) and processing (types of processing, processing conditions) Output variables: product qualities and product yields The two main areas for research are formulation and processing; the first tudying the type and quantities of raw materials and the second studying the
plant is already in place, and the product has to be designed for that plant and the process can only be varied between narrow limits. The company’s identity or company’s image is the sum of product design, communications design and environment design (Blaich and Blaich, 1993). Communication design directly supports the product in the marketplace with branding, packaging, advertising and promotion; therefore it needs to be closely integrated with the product design. Environment design is a concept that is not always considered, but it does influence the product and communications design, and the final acceptance of the new product. If a company wants to communicate the appropriate perception about its products, it must concern itself with the entire milieu surrounding the products, both inside and outside the company. If the company image diffused to the employees and the customers is quality, the new product is also seen as quality; if it is fresh and innovative, the product will be recognised as excitingly new. The company and distribution environments give the company and its new products an ‘image’ to the customers. Therefore product design needs to be integrated with communication and environment design throughout the design process. 3.2.1 Stages in product design and process development The stages of the product design and process development are shown in Fig. 3.8; the activities are in the boxes, the outcomes in the ovals. At the beginning of Stage 2, product design is the major part of the work, with process development considered in the design of the product. As the project progresses and the area for the product is more clearly defined, the study of the variables in the process becomes important so as to achieve the optimum product. The variables include both input and output variables. • Input variables: raw materials (type, quality, quantity) and processing (types of processing, processing conditions). • Output variables: product qualities and product yields. The two main areas for research are formulation and processing; the first studying the type and quantities of raw materials and the second studying the Fig. 3.7 Integration in product development. 112 Food product development