The Situation

One of the largest global companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) food and snack industry faced a significant challenge in keeping pace with the rapidly evolving market dynamics. The company recognized that its existing innovation processes, technologies, and talent strategies were not fully aligned with the needs of a modern, fast-paced industry. They struggled with outdated technology, fragmented processes, and a lack of cohesive vision across the organization. Competitors were advancing with more agile and efficient innovation strategies, leaving this industry giant at risk of falling behind.

The company needed a comprehensive transformation that would modernize its innovation capabilities, from technology and processes to talent management. They required a clear understanding of their current state, a benchmarked maturity assessment, and a unified vision for their future innovation strategy. This transformation would also involve identifying and engaging with the right vendors to support their long-term goals.

Our Approach

Frame and Flight, in partnership with Food Chain ID, was engaged to lead this critical transformation initiative. Our approach began with a thorough analysis of the company’s current state of technology, processes, and talent related to innovation. We conducted a holistic assessment, benchmarking their maturity against industry best practices and competitors. This involved running multiple workshops and interview sessions with key stakeholders across the organization to gain a deep understanding of their challenges and aspirations.

Through these sessions, we aligned the business on a desired future state and crafted a clear vision for the transformation program. Our team provided a 360-degree view of the existing gaps in their innovation process and offered competitive analysis insights to highlight where the company stood in the market.

Once the current state was fully understood, we helped the client position themselves toward newer, more advanced technologies that would better support their innovation goals. We also worked closely with the client to develop an RFP framework, guiding them on how to engage vendors effectively. This included aligning the organization on the RFP processes to ensure that they could attract and select the right partners to support their innovation journey.

Results

The collaboration with Frame and Flight delivered significant outcomes for the client:

1. Comprehensive Current State Assessment: The client gained a 360-degree view of the gaps in their current innovation processes, which provided a clear understanding of where improvements were needed.
2. Benchmarking and Competitive Analysis: Our maturity assessment, specifically designed for Food/Beverage innovation programs, offered a detailed comparison against industry competitors, highlighting areas where the client needed to focus their investment to stay competitive.
3. Aligned Vision for Innovation: We successfully aligned the entire organization on a unified vision for the future of innovation. This vision served as a guiding star for all future initiatives and investments in innovation.
4. RFP Framework and Process Alignment: The client was equipped with a robust RFP framework, enabling them to engage with vendors more effectively. This positioned them to select the best partners to support their long-term innovation efforts.

Overall, the transformation initiative led by Frame and Flight and Foodchain ID set the foundation for the client’s future success in innovation, ensuring they remained a leader in the highly competitive CPG food and snack industry.