Innovating in Food Manufacturing: How Smart Systems and Soft Skills Make It Happen

Welcome to another episode packed with insights, laughter, and brutally honest takes on what it’s really like working behind the scenes of food innovation. Lucy starts us off by sharing why Stage Gate is close to her heart—yep, she’s our resident “systems geek”—and Amy jumps in to champion the power of people and soft skills.  Together, we break down how Stage Gate is supposed to be a framework that supports swift, safe, and high-quality product launches, not just another dreaded hoop to jump through. We explore why most folks in the food biz end up learning systems by osmosis rather than by proper training, and how the lack of clear, regularly reviewed processes leads to unnecessary pressure, repetition, and confusion—especially when every team seems to be stashing their own spreadsheet empire.  We spill the beans on how they’ve helped businesses map out what’s actually going on, often leaving people gobsmacked at the sheer complexity of bringing a product to shelf. The conversation doesn’t shy away from the frustrations: outdated tech (“We’re still using Excel from 1995, what’s that about?”), squeezed timelines, and the struggle to get leadership onboard with investing in proper product development systems. We put a spotlight on the importance of soft skills and why junior and seasoned team members alike need better training and support—not just chucked in to ‘figure it out’. Listener questions spark discussion about AI’s (potentially huge) role in freeing up time for the creative, human parts of innovation, and how vital it is to educate business leaders about making Stage Gate a business-wide priority, not just an NPD headache. In trademark Oh For Food’s Sake style, the episode concludes with a call to constantly review systems, embrace new tech with open arms, and invest in people—because systems are only as good as the folks using them. Timestamps 00:00 – Why Stage Gate is vital in the food industry 00:54 – What Stage Gate is (and isn’t) 02:18 – Lucy’s journey with Stage Gate + early food industry experiences 04:25 – Why people and systems must work together 05:23 – What Stage Gate actually does & where it goes wrong 07:27 – Product development as the “gatekeeper” role 08:24 – It’s not just NPD’s job: Why Stage-Gate is a business process 10:07 – The chaos of poor systems: too many spreadsheets 11:23 – The industry’s slow adoption of technology 12:45 – Workshop revelations: Realising the true complexity of launches 14:25 – The knock-on effects of a broken process 15:50 – What needs to change: Reviewing and modernising Stage-Gate 17:23 – Making frameworks flexible and people-focused 18:59 – Investing in soft skills and ongoing support 19:28 – Embracing tech and AI as tools, not threats 20:39 – Top takeaway: Systems + people = successful innovation 21:30 – Audience questions: Leadership buy-in, off-the-shelf systems, AI worries 24:54 – Training the next generation and the need for mentorship 26:55 – Wrap up and calls to action Links and Resources: Website Link: https://ohforfoodssake.co.uk/ FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/ohforfoodsake LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oh-for-food-s-sake/ You can follow us here on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oh_forfoodssake/ For industry consulting from Lucy, connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn. Find her on Instagram or LinkedIn for further support with industry coaching and facilitation from Amy. Oh For Food's Sake is sponsored by Microsearch Laboratories https://micro-search.co.uk/ and Point 74 https://www.point74.co.uk/ See you next time!