Hiring a Product Development Consultant: What to Prepare, How to Qualify, and What to Expect.
- Susan Wiedemann
- Apr 28, 2023
- 5 min read
Are you a food and beverage brand looking to develop new products or improve existing ones? Hiring a consultant (like The New Flavor) for food and beverage product development can be a strategic move to accelerate your innovation process and drive business growth. However, before you jump into a meeting with a potential consultant, it's important to be prepared, know how to qualify them, and set clear expectations.
In this article, we will discuss key considerations to help you make informed decisions and get the most out of your consultant. We’ll also provide a form-version of this post for you to download and fill out for your introductory call with us or any other consultant.
What to Prepare Before Your Meeting:
Preparing for your meeting with a food and beverage product development consultant is crucial to ensure a productive and efficient engagement. Here are some essential items to have ready:
1. Define Your Project Scope: Clearly outline the objectives, timelines, and budget for your product development project. Be specific about what you want to achieve and the resources you are willing to allocate. Be prepared to share what your “must haves” and “nice to haves” are as well as the items you're willing to sacrifice if you have to. This will help the consultant understand the scope of work and provide accurate recommendations in their proposal.
2. Market Research: If you have Market Research conducted before you reach out to a consultant it would be best practice to share the results. This will enable the consultant to better tailor their advice and solutions to your specific needs. If you have not performed Market Research but are interested in having your consultant help you, just let them know during your initial meeting.
3. Existing Product Information: Provide any relevant information about your existing products, including formulations, packaging, pricing, and distribution. This will give the consultant insights into your current offerings and identify areas for improvement.*if you are nervous about sharing protected information before your first meeting, you can request an MNDA in advance.
4. Internal Resources: Assess your internal capabilities and resources, such as R&D team, manufacturing facilities, and budget. This will help the consultant gauge the level of support needed and align their recommendations accordingly.
5. Sample Products: If applicable, provide samples of your current products or prototypes of your new product ideas. This will allow the consultant to evaluate the taste, texture, appearance, and other sensory attributes, and provide feedback for improvement. *Again, if you are nervous about sharing samples before your first meeting, you can request an MNDA.
How to Qualify a Product Development Consultant
Qualifying a food and beverage product development consultant is crucial to ensure you are working with a competent and trustworthy professional. Here are some factors to consider when evaluating potential consultants:
1. Relevant Experience: Look for consultants with proven experience in food and beverage product development, preferably in your specific industry or category. Ask for their portfolio, case studies, and references to assess their track record and expertise.
2. Technical Knowledge: Evaluate the consultant's technical knowledge in areas such as food science, ingredient functionality, formulation, processing, packaging, and regulatory requirements. They should have a deep understanding of the technical aspects of product development and be able to provide sound advice.
3. Problem-Solving Skills: A good consultant should be an effective problem solver. Assess their ability to identify and analyze issues, propose solutions, and handle challenges that may arise during the product development process. Look for examples of how they have solved similar problems in the past.
4. Communication Skills: Strong communication skills are essential for effective collaboration with your team. Evaluate the consultant's ability to listen, articulate ideas, and communicate complex concepts in a clear and concise manner. Communication should be open, transparent, and responsive throughout the engagement.
5. Collaborative Approach: Look for a consultant who adopts a collaborative approach and works well with your team. They should be able to listen to your ideas, incorporate your feedback, and work together towards a common goal. Avoid consultants who dictate or impose their ideas without considering your input.
6. Business Acumen: A food and beverage product development consultant should also have a good understanding of the business aspects of the industry. They should be able to assess the market potential
What to expect from your consultant
1. Strategic Guidance: A qualified consultant should provide strategic guidance based on their experience and expertise. They should be able to assess your business goals, market research, and internal resources, and provide recommendations on product concepts, formulations, packaging, and other key aspects of product development.
2. Technical Expertise: Your consultant should possess deep technical knowledge in food science, ingredient functionality, formulation, processing, packaging, and regulatory requirements. They should be able to provide insights on technical challenges and solutions, and ensure that your product meets quality and safety standards.
3. Innovative Ideas: Your consultant should bring creative and innovative ideas to the table. They should be able to generate new product concepts, explore unique ingredient combinations, and suggest novel approaches to differentiate your products in the market.
4. Project Management: Your consultant should have strong project management skills to ensure that your product development project progresses smoothly and efficiently. This includes setting timelines, managing resources, coordinating with suppliers or vendors, and overseeing the overall progress of the project.
5. Communication and Collaboration: Your consultant should possess excellent communication skills and be able to effectively communicate with your team, suppliers, and other stakeholders. They should be responsive, open to feedback, and willing to collaborate with your team to achieve the desired outcomes.
6. Problem-Solving: Your consultant should be skilled in identifying and addressing problems that may arise during the product development process. They should be able to troubleshoot technical issues, overcome obstacles, and provide effective solutions to keep the project on track.
7. Results-Driven: Your consultant should be focused on delivering results. They should be able to measure and evaluate the success of the product development project against the defined objectives and make necessary adjustments to achieve the desired outcomes.
8. Confidentiality and Professionalism: Your consultant should maintain confidentiality and professionalism throughout the engagement. They should respect your proprietary information, follow industry regulations and ethical standards, and conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times.
9. Flexibility and Adaptability: Your consultant should be flexible and adaptable to changes in project requirements or unforeseen circumstances. They should be able to adjust their approach and recommendations as needed to align with your evolving needs and business goals. Of course, you as a client should be upfront with any changes that you make after an initial proposal is accepted as that is the agreed to contract and expect a reasonable change to the project timeline and costs depending on the complexity of your requested changes.
10. Value for Money: Your consultant should provide value for money by delivering high-quality services within the agreed-upon budget. They should provide transparent pricing and be able to justify the costs associated with their services based on their expertise and deliverables.
We hope that you’ve found this checklist for hiring a food consultant beneficial to your decision making process. Look out for our other post that discusses how you can be a good client and look to benefit from a rewarding client to consultant relationship.
See our Downloadable Version here that you can fill out:
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