The poultry processing industry is facing increasing pressure to innovate in order to meet evolving consumer demands, improve sustainability, and stay competitive. This maturity model provides a framework for poultry processors to assess and enhance their innovation capabilities. It identifies five levels of maturity with clear criteria and action plans.
This model will directly benefit the following specialist roles in poultry processing:
- Research and Development Scientists
- Product Development Managers
- Engineering and Maintenance Managers
- Sustainability and CSR Managers
- Consumer Insights Analysts
- Marketing Managers
- Supply Chain Managers
- Production Managers
- Quality Control Managers
- Food Technologists
- Regulatory Affairs Specialists
Underlying Principles for Innovation in Poultry Processing
This Maturity Model for innovation in poultry processing is driven by five founding principles, as follows:
- Consumer-centricity: Innovation should be grounded in consumer insights and aligned to evolving needs and preferences.
- Sustainability: Innovation should enhance environmental and social sustainability across the value chain.
- Collaboration: Open innovation and partnerships accelerate progress.
- Agility: Nimble systems and culture enable rapid experimentation and implementation.
- Value Creation: Innovation should unlock new value propositions and revenue streams.
Example Model for Innovation
| Maturity Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Level 1: Basic | Ad hoc innovation efforts, limited organizational support |
| Level 2: Developing | Processes and metrics being defined, some organizational alignment |
| Level 3: Defined | Formal innovation process, aligned strategy and metrics |
| Level 4: Advanced | Data-driven approach, agile testing and implementation |
| Level 5: Exemplary | Fully embedded culture of innovation, drives competitive advantage |
Level 1: Basic
Assessment Criteria
- Innovation activities are ad hoc and reactive
- No formal processes or governance
- Minimal organizational support or alignment
Progressive Elements
At this level, poultry processors should focus on building a foundation for innovation by identifying consumer and market trends, assessing internal capabilities, and gaining leadership commitment to invest in innovation.
Suggested Benchmarks / Metrics
- % of revenue from products launched in past 3 years (aim for >10%) Formula: Revenue from new products/Total revenue Example: If total revenue last year was $50M, and $2M was from new products launched in the past 3 years, the % of revenue from new products would be 2/50 = 4%
- Annual investment in R&D as % of revenue (aim for >1%) Formula: Annual R&D spending/Total revenue Example: If R&D spending last year was $500K and total revenue was $50M, the % of revenue spent on R&D would be 500,000/50,000,000 = 1%
- Leadership commitment (aim for dedicated innovation executive sponsorship)
Action Plan
- Conduct market research on consumer trends
- Assess internal innovation capabilities
- Identify opportunities through competitive benchmarking
- Pitch innovation investment case to leadership
- Assign executive sponsorship and accountability
Level 2: Developing
Assessment Criteria
- Early stage innovation processes and governance
- Metrics and KPIs defined
- Some organizational alignment and support
Progressive Elements
At this level, poultry processors should focus on building repeatable innovation processes, forming cross-functional teams, and tracking progress with metrics.
Suggested Benchmarks / Metrics
- Innovation pipeline (aim for 5+ active projects)
- Time-to-market for new products (aim for <12 months)
- Employee engagement in innovation teams (aim for 10%+ participation)
Action Plan
- Document end-to-end innovation process
- Establish governance model
- Form cross-functional innovation teams
- Set pipeline targets and launch metrics
- Provide training on innovation methodologies
Level 3: Defined
Assessment Criteria
- Formal innovation process and governance model
- Aligned innovation strategy and portfolio
- Dedicated resources and budgets
Progressive Elements
At this level, poultry processors should focus on strengthening alignment of innovation to strategic priorities, building capabilities, and fostering a culture of experimentation.
Suggested Benchmarks / Metrics
- Innovation portfolio alignment to strategy (aim for 80%+ projects)
- Employee innovation training (aim for 20+ hours/year for key roles)
- Ratio of experiments to launches (aim for 10:1+)
Action Plan
- Develop multi-year innovation strategy
- Align portfolio to strategic priorities
- Establish innovation skills training
- Introduce rapid prototyping sprints
- Incentivize experimentation and measured risk-taking
Level 4: Advanced
Assessment Criteria
- Data-driven innovation approach
- Agile testing and rapid implementation
- Robust metrics and forecasting
Progressive Elements
At this level, poultry processors should focus on accelerating innovation through data insights, agile development, and integrating innovation into operations.
Suggested Benchmarks / Metrics
- Innovation driven by customer analytics (aim for 100% projects)
- Speed from prototype to launch (aim for <6 months)
- Forecast accuracy for innovation pipeline (aim for ± 10%)
Action Plan
- Develop customer data architecture and analytics capabilities
- Implement agile product development processes
- Integrate innovation into production systems
- Refine innovation metrics and forecasting
- Cultivate partnerships with startups and academia
Level 5: Exemplary
Assessment Criteria
- Seamless integration into operations
- Breakthrough innovations and new business models
- Reinforcing culture of innovation
Progressive Elements
At this level, poultry processors should focus on sustaining an innovation culture that delivers breakthroughs and drives competitive advantage.
Suggested Benchmarks / Metrics
- % of revenue from innovations < 3 years old (aim for >25%)
- New business models or ventures created
- Employee engagement in innovation (aim for 25%+ participation)
Action Plan
- Maintain focus on breakthrough innovation
- Continuously improve systems to support innovation
- Develop and nurture innovation culture
- Drive open and collaborative mindset
- Celebrate and reward innovation at all levels
How can poultry processors make innovation an invaluable competitive strength?
In summary, this maturity model provides a roadmap for poultry processors to advance their innovation capabilities. By progressing through the five levels, companies can evolve from ad-hoc efforts to sustained excellence in innovation. This ultimately enables them to meet consumer demands, improve operations, and maintain their competitive edge through a culture of agility, collaboration and constant value creation.
