DB Breweries

Innovation process design for Heineken International subsidiary – DB Breweries

DB Breweries had achieved several years of growth by getting back to a focus on beer and was now looking to extend this growth by building its innovation capability. A key capability gap identified was the establishment and use of a modern process for innovation.

DB Breweries had an existing innovation process in place that was based on the old stage-gate approach, which ignored the front end of innovation. The existing process was also not fully documented or universally followed by all teams and projects.

We worked alongside a core cross-functional team to redesign a new approach to innovation that could give DB an innovation advantage in the market. This new approach included a front-end to their innovation process.

The final output was the design and delivery of an Innovation Manual for innovation teams. Through strong leadership and innovation champions, the new process has been well adopted and is being universally followed across the organisation. Tangible results have included: stronger, more well thought through, consumer-centric concepts entering the innovation funnel, weak ideas being culled earlier, and alignment and unity in teams and departments creating a smoother and faster process to market.