Danone Highlights Recent Exclusive Cooperations
The German company COGNIS dedicates 5 research workers to DANONE. With Danacol, Danone has become the leader in the segment of fresh dairy products contributing to reduce bad cholesterol level.
14/01/08 Groupe DANONE involves strategic suppliers at an early stage in the development of its key products, in order to insure innovation and efficiency. In 2007, Groupe DANONE signed exclusive cooperation agreements with 10 suppliers.
18 months ago, DANONE started a complete renovation of its Purchasing function by setting up a structured partnership strategy. Innovation platforms have been created, with multidisciplinary teams combining Group’s Marketing, R&D and Purchasing functions, as well as DANONE-dedicated teams within the suppliers’ organisation. This collaboration is a major differentiating factor. Innovation processes require increasingly specialized human and material skills. It has become necessary to involve the R&D departments of certain of our suppliers in product development. Each supplier in its particular area, is in a position to draw on specialised R&D resources.
In 2007, several concrete results of these collaborations:
- Ingredients adaptation to the DANONE processes. The specific expertise of POLARIS (a small French company) has contributed to the launch of Essensis.
- Packaging reduction. GRAHAM, an American packaging company, supports DANONE’s commitment to reduce down packaging by 10% between 2000 and 2010. Since 1996, the packaging weight of a bottle of Actimel has been cut in half.
– Health ingredients development. The German company COGNIS, ingredients supplier, contributes to the development of DANONE’s health expertise, and dedicates 5 research workers to DANONE. DANONE becomes therefore with Danacol leader on the segment of fresh dairy products contributing to reduce bad cholesterol level.
"This partnership based on collaboration at a very early stage of the product development, opens up a new innovation path. Because we were involved at the very beginning of the process, we manage, altogether with DANONE, to define accurately & rapidly the right solution for the identified benefit.”, declares Antonio Trius, CEO, COGNIS.
“This new relationship with suppliers enables us to build our strategy on the long run, and thereby to focus on innovation, a key element for the company’s competitivety,” says Philippe Bassin, Purchasing Director, Fresh Dairy Products, Groupe DANONE.
