AAK – The Co-Development Company
The Co-Development Company. What is really in that brand promise from AAK? In a
simplified way you could say that AAK collaborates with its customers – from idea
to product launch – to create value-adding solutions. But how does it work? Insight
asked some of AAK’s teams around the world to share some recent successful
co-development stories.
Customer Co-Development in Europe
AAK saved customer £1 million by giving pastry longer shelf life
Last year, AAK was approached by an important customer
within the bakery segment who had a problem with one
of its products. A popular sweet baked product, stocked
throughout the UK by our customer’s retail customer, had
a shelf life of three days before its pastry became too soft.
For the retailer, this meant products going to waste when
not sold to consumers in time. Meanwhile, the baker was
working six days a week to keep putting fresh stock on the
shelves.
The AAK team joined forces with our customer’s specialists
to co-develop a solution. We trialed several different fat
combinations, eventually reaching a solution with a new
product, Akobake 122. The result? Two additional days’ shelf
life for the product, reduced labor costs for the baker, and
reduced waste for the retailer. And, ultimately, a consumer
who could enjoy crispier, firmer pastry.
Over a 12-month period, our customer has saved around
£1 million in labor, production and waste costs, as well
as potentially strengthened the relationship with its own
customer. For AAK, the results have been just as rewarding,
with the addition of a new product to our range of valueadding
solutions and, best of all, earning our customer’s trust
by helping to fulfil their ambitions.
This was a really great example of our co-development
approach at work. It pooled our knowledge, skills and
capabilities to help meet our customer’s challenge and truly
add value to our products.
Jill Ellis
Customer Innovation Manager, AAK UK
Tracey Moss
Key Account Manager, AAK UK
Customer Co-Development in Europe
All taste, no waste – how innovation helped an AAK customer
These are increasingly challenging times for the food
industry, with health targets, new legislation and rising costs,
all while having to keep loyal consumers happy and win new
ones.
A breakfast cereal manufacturer found that meeting sugar
reduction targets meant excess waste. A proportion of the
product was sticking to production equipment, leaving the
manufacturer with 40 percent waste compared with original
standards.
Through a process of analysis and experimentation, our
AAK team developed an innovative solution: a release agent,
Rolloff 200 Sun, that would be applied to the customer’s
14
plant. The result was outstanding, and the customer now
experiences no waste as a result of sugar reduction, with
efficiencies back to normal.
This project shows how AAK innovation can win great
opportunities to help customers maintain the quality of wellloved
products without affecting business efficiency.
Mike Edson
Customer Innovation Manager, AAK UK
Gary Chapman
Senior Account Manager, AAK UK