Fast-moving consumer goods front-end product innovation

Optimizing innovation governance and team structures through cross-industry benchmarking and expert-led insights

CHALLENGE

A global Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) corporation sought to refine its approach to the front-end  of innovation – the critical early stages of the product development lifecycle. The client needed to understand how leading organizations across multiple sectors structure their innovation teams, manage governance, and identify high-impact practices that are often overlooked in traditional FMCG models.

THE GLG APPROACH

GLG facilitated a qualitative benchmarking study led by a Project Lead with over 15 years of senior management experience and a track record of 400+ successful research engagements. This expertise ensured that the interviews moved beyond surface-level descriptions to uncover the underlying operational mechanics of successful innovation hubs.

The research leveraged a diverse panel of experts to provide a 360-degree view of modern innovation practices.

  • Methodological Benchmarking: Identifying the specific approaches used during the front-end of innovation across CPG, technology, e-commerce, and food & beverage
  • Governance Models: Analyzing whether top-performing companies utilize centralized or decentralized innovation management and how they maintain oversight.
  • Team Composition: Mapping the functional teams responsible for innovation and how cross-functional collaboration is structured to drive speed.
  • Best-in-Class Gap Analysis: Pinpointing next-generation practices that innovation leaders recommend but have yet to become industry standards.
  • Expert Insights: Conducting seven in-depth interviews with GLG Network Members from globally recognized innovation leaders.

OUTCOME

Within three weeks of kick-off, GLG delivered a strategic 10 page report. This deliverable synthesized the findings into an executive summary and actionable recommendations, supported by specific insights that highlighted the how behind cross-industry innovation successes. The client also received full interview guides and recordings to support internal workshops.

GLG guided a transformation in innovation strategy through cross-industry benchmarking, senior-led consulting, and rapid qualitative insights.

Why GLG?

Cross-Industry Perspective: By sourcing experts from paper goods, technology, and e-commerce in addition to CPG, GLG provided the client with a broader set of best practices that challenged standard FMCG thinking.

Senior Project Leadership: The project was overseen by a lead with 15+ years of experience and a history of conducting thousands of primary research interviews, ensuring the highest level of insight extraction.

Operational Agility: The transition from project kick-off to a final recommendation-heavy report in three weeks allowed the client to implement changes to their innovation function without losing market momentum.

Actionable Process Adjustment: The findings directly enabled the client to adjust their own innovation function and governance processes, aligning their internal capabilities with other successful organizations.

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As The World’s Insight Network, GLG connects clients to the subject-matter experts who can provide real-world insights to make informed decisions. Our team of professionals work with you to create a tailored approach that identifies, assesses, and answers your questions on your timeline. We bring the power of insight to every great professional decision.