The Irish Exporters Association (IEA) has launched a practical guide targeted towards Irish Food & Drink SMEs interested in developing new products. The NPD (new product development) workbook provides a systematic approach that targets the transition from an initial idea into a product launch, alongside providing practical tips and forms to assist NPD documentation.
Heike Owens, project manager said that development of the guide had been “tried and tested and fine-tuned” over three years, and believes it to be the first guide of its kind.
Owens said “the NPD guide we hope will help many Irish SMEs manage the NPD process efficiently in a way that minimises risk and maximises the chances of success”.
The IEA has also been working with Irish food & drink SMEs over the last three years as part of an EU funded programme, Food Chains for Competitive Advantage (FCCA). The programme, which includes a series of workshops, study tours and one-to-one mentoring, has helped Irish companies such as Mc Cambridge, Freshcut Food and the Good Fish Company launch innovative new products.
Paul Hogan, owner of Hogans Farm, said “We have found the training provided throughout the programme extremely beneficial to the overall NPD process and are now in the middle of working on exciting new product developments.”
Simon Mc Keever, CEO of the IEA, hopes that the NPD will continue to assist Irish companies through the product development process, and stressed that “we need Irish companies to develop innovative new products that are successful on the Irish and international markets.”
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Charlie Burns.
