Snapshot
Catapult client, which began life as a non-allergenic CPG cookie manufacturer, was given an opportunity to become an ingredient supplier for a globally recognized brand.
This expansion from a CPG brand into an ingredient supplier mandated a significant step up in Quality Assurance (QA) procedures and documentation.
The Client
Client began the relationship with Catapult as a small but successful CPG brand. Their offerings were free from the top 9 allergens (wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, fish, sesame and shellfish) line of cookies.
The Challenge
The client was required to have significant increases in their QA procedures and documentation in order to meet the mandates of an ingredient supplier for a much larger brand. These improvements needed to be accomplished expeditiously and then handed off to a newly hired Quality professional.
The Approach
The project began by reviewing the client’s contract manufacturer’s existing quality and process variability. This indicated a need to have ‘boots on the ground’ at the facility in order to quickly address any shortcomings. Once onsight, Catapult’s food scientist and Quality specialist were able to provide immediate food safety improvement recommendations. These new policies and procedures were then executed onsite through trials and the first production run. This allowed the Client’s team to focus on growth opportunities.
Catapult consultants, through their intimate knowledge of the requirements for supplying industrial ingredients, were able to successfully negotiate on behalf of the client with their customer, a large CPG company. These negotiations allowed the client to save money and effort as they were able to negotiate from a position of knowledge and experience.
As the project drew to its inevitable close, the client hired a new head of Quality, who was able to be onboarded using Catapult’s expertise to bring them up to speed almost immediately.
The Results and Benefits
The client, using Catapult’s expertise, was able to meet or surpass the quality requirements they needed to meet inside the timeline. The client was able to successfully close the deal with the larger CPG brand, completing their business model diversification as an industrial ingredient supplier.