Some people are surprised to hear us say that we love the Stage-Gate Process, but we really do! The Stage-Gate Process has so many advantages, from building structure into your development process, to helping you to plan out your new development roadmap months ahead of time. So join us on this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake Podcast as we unpack all the stages and gates and explain why each one matters.
Some people are surprised to hear us say that we love the Stage-Gate Process, but we really do! The Stage-Gate Process has so many advantages, from building structure into your development process, to helping you to plan out your new development roadmap months ahead of time. So join us on this episode of the Oh For Food’s Sake Podcast as we unpack all the stages and gates and explain why each one matters.
We begin by discussing our experience with the Stage-Gate Process and note how you can adapt the process while keeping in the main principles to make sure that it fits your business needs. We then cover the difference between a stage and a gate and walk you through the typical Stage-Gate Process you would find for a manufacturer bringing a new food product to market. We share the nightmares you can encounter in the early stage feasibility meetings, plus the creativity and fun that kicks in at the kitchen development stage. And once the product is complete, we touch on the post-launch review and how the insights from one project can be carried over to another.
If you’d like us to cover one of these stages or gates in more detail in a future episode, hop on over to our Facebook Group to let us know! And make sure to subscribe to the Oh For Food’s Sake Podcast to hear more of our food industry insights.
Timestamps
[0:46] Today’s topic: Getting to grips with the Stage-Gate Process
[2:54] What is the Stage-Gate Process?
[4:41] It’s useful…but it’s stressful! Gate 3 dramas
[7:17] Why the Stage-Gate Process? We lay out the advantages of gating project management
[9:27] The Stage-Gate Process can help you focus on the right opportunities and places the right people at the right stages of the process
[13:00] Does the Stage-Gate Process slow down product development?
[14:52] Making a Stage-Gate Process that’s right for you
[16:00] Stages vs. Gates: They’re not the same thing!
[19:00] Stage 0: Identifying consumer need
[22:21] Gate 1: It’s all about feasibility
[26:00] Stage 2: Briefing, and some of the variations in the Stage-Gate Process
[28:00] The point of the briefing process
[29:30] Stage 3: Where the action happens! The kitchen stage of the Stage-Gate Process
[32:08] The retailer-supplier back and forth
[35:58] Gate 3 is a big gate!
[36:45] Stage 4: Factory trials
[39:30] You need to think about what changes when you scale up from a kitchen to a factory
[41:35] Stage 5: Preparing to launch and getting the Marketing and PR teams back in the game
[44:35] Gate 5: Signing off on the launch samples
[45:23] Gate 6: The post-launch review meeting, and turning data into insights
[46:43] The post-launch review is tough on developers
[47:50] The Stage-Gate Process is a cycle
[49:00] Getting your checks in place to help development
Links
Our previous episode on insight
Our previous episode on creating compelling product stories
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If you would like further support with myself, Amy for food industry coaching and facilitation find me here on instagram or LinkedIn
For food industry Consulting from Lucy you can find her here on instagram or LinkedIn
See you next time!