Short answer
Map your product's supply chain and identify where changes to ingredients like sugar might face resistance or receive support, then tailor your strategy accordingly.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- City Research Online (City University London) (2017)
- Method
- Supply chain analysis
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Understanding the incentives and disincentives at each stage of the food supply chain is crucial for developing effective strategies to reduce sugar in manufactured products. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2017 study published in City Research Online (City University London). Using Supply chain analysis, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Map your product's supply chain and identify where changes to ingredients like sugar might face resistance or receive support, then tailor your strategy accordingly.
Supply chain analysis reveals key levers for sugar reduction in manufactured foods
Understanding the incentives and disincentives at each stage of the food supply chain is crucial for developing effective strategies to reduce sugar in manufactured products.
City Research Online (City University London) · 2017
Key Findings
- 01Specific incentives and disincentives for sugar reduction exist at different points in the supply chain.
- 02Opportunities exist to strategically enhance incentives and lessen disincentives to encourage sugar reduction.
Application
Design takeaway
Map your product's supply chain and identify where changes to ingredients like sugar might face resistance or receive support, then tailor your strategy accordingly.
How to apply
Before launching a new product or reformulating an existing one with reduced sugar, conduct a supply chain analysis to identify potential bottlenecks and opportunities for collaboration.
Project actions
- 01When researching a product, think about who supplies the materials and how they might react to changes.
- 02Consider how different regulations or consumer trends might affect your chosen materials or ingredients.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a novel supply chain perspective on sugar reduction.
- +Draws on the views of entities within the supply chain.
Limitations
It can be difficult to get detailed information from all parts of a complex supply chain.
Reliability & validity
The validity of the findings relies on the representativeness of the perspectives gathered from entities within the supply chain. Reliability would depend on the consistency of responses across similar actors.
Think critically
How might a company leverage its position within the supply chain to either encourage or resist sugar reduction efforts by its partners?
Design Principles
"Incentivize innovation by aligning product development goals with supply chain realities and stakeholder motivations."
Designers and product developers often operate within complex supply chains. By mapping these chains and identifying points where incentives or disincentives for ingredient modification exist, teams can proactively address barriers and leverage opportunities for product innovation that aligns with public health goals.
What This Means for Your Design
To make foods with less sugar, you need to look at everyone involved in making and selling food, from the farmers to the shops, and figure out what makes them want to use less sugar and what stops them.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify why you investigated specific supply chain factors for your design project.
- 2.Reference this study when discussing how market forces and stakeholder incentives influenced your design choices.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights the importance of a supply chain perspective in product development, indicating that understanding the incentives and disincentives at each stage is critical for successful ingredient modification, such as sugar reduction in manufactured foods.
Source
City Research Online (City University London)
Incentives and disincentives for reducing sugar in manufactured foods: An exploratory supply chain analysis
journal · 2017
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about supply chain analysis reveals key levers for sugar reduction in manufactured foods?
- Map your product's supply chain and identify where changes to ingredients like sugar might face resistance or receive support, then tailor your strategy accordingly. Evidence: City Research Online (City University London) (2017).
- Why does "Supply chain analysis reveals key levers for sugar reduction in manufactured foods" matter for design?
- Designers and product developers often operate within complex supply chains. By mapping these chains and identifying points where incentives or disincentives for ingredient modification exist, teams can proactively address barriers and leverage opportunities for product innovation that aligns with public health goals.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Map your product's supply chain and identify where changes to ingredients like sugar might face resistance or receive support, then tailor your strategy accordingly.
- What were the main findings?
- Specific incentives and disincentives for sugar reduction exist at different points in the supply chain.. Opportunities exist to strategically enhance incentives and lessen disincentives to encourage sugar reduction.
- What research method was used?
- Supply chain analysis.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2017 journal from City Research Online (City University London).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- Before launching a new product or reformulating an existing one with reduced sugar, conduct a supply chain analysis to identify potential bottlenecks and opportunities for collaboration.
- What are the limitations?
- The study is exploratory and may not capture all nuances of every supply chain or market.