strictlysupreme Chapter 575 New Product Development
Chapter 575 New Product Development
The three-month observation period passed quickly.
Li Xiangyang was generally satisfied with the performance of the trainees, but also found some areas that needed improvement.
“Jianjun, you have a strong sense of responsibility, which is good. But sometimes you need to learn to let go and trust the people below you,” Li Xiangyang said in a one-on-one conversation.
"Xiujuan, you've done a great job sticking to your principles, but you also need to pay attention to your communication style to make it easier for people to accept your views."
"Xiaoming, you are very meticulous in financial management, but you need to learn more about business operations so that you can better serve production."
After careful consideration, Li Xiangyang decided to formally appoint these individuals as department heads.
The day the news was announced, the whole factory was bustling with excitement.
"Congratulations, Supervisor Zhang!" the workers congratulated Zhang Jianjun one after another.
Zhang Jianjun was a little embarrassed: "Please don't call me that, I'm still the same Zhang Jianjun."
“That won’t do. Rules are rules,” Li Xiangyang said with a smile. “But Jianjun is right. My position may change, but my fundamental principles as a person cannot.”
The effects of the new management structure began to appear after a month of operation.
Production efficiency improved, quality became more consistent, and workers' enthusiasm increased. Most importantly, the company began to have its own management team and no longer relied entirely on Li Xiangyang alone.
"It seems the decision we made back then was right," Ma Qingfu said at the monthly summary meeting. "We are now not only a manufacturing company, but also a modern, organized, and well-structured enterprise."
Li Xiangyang nodded, but he was already considering the next development plan in his mind.
With the steady growth of international orders, companies are facing new challenges. Simply engaging in OEM manufacturing can no longer meet their development needs; they must have their own products and brands.
"We can't be OEM manufacturers for others forever," Li Xiangyang stated at a management meeting. "To truly grow and become stronger, we must have our own proprietary technology."
“But independent research and development requires a lot of investment, and the risks are not small either.” Ma Qingfu was a little worried.
"Where does development come from without taking risks?" Li Xiangyang said firmly. "Besides, we now have a stable cash flow, making it a good time to invest in the future."
Liu Wanshan agreed, saying, "Director Li is right. I've seen this before when I worked in state-owned enterprises; those companies that were content with the status quo were eventually eliminated by the market."
After discussion, everyone decided to establish a product development team to be specifically responsible for the development of new products.
Li Xiangyang thought of someone—Manager Chen, who had come to discuss outsourcing cooperation.
Although he rejected the collaboration proposal at the time, Li Xiangyang remembers that this person had a deep understanding of the market and products.
"Perhaps we could invite him to be an advisor," Li Xiangyang thought to himself.
The next morning, Li Xiangyang called Manager Chen.
"Manager Chen? This is Li Xiangyang from Sanheshan Treasures."
A somewhat surprised voice came from the other end of the phone: "Director Li? What made you decide to contact me?"
"Here's the thing, our company is looking to establish a product development team, and we hope you can come and be our consultant," Li Xiangyang said, getting straight to the point.
Manager Chen was silent for a moment, then said, "Director Li, to be honest, I didn't quite understand why you rejected our cooperation proposal at first. But after observing things for the past few months, I've realized your judgment was correct."
“Oh? How do you say that?”
"The market changes too fast. Those companies that blindly expanded by taking on orders are now running into trouble. On the contrary, those like you who take a steady and pragmatic approach are developing more healthily," Manager Chen said with a hint of admiration. "I would love to cooperate with someone as visionary as you."
A week later, Manager Chen officially reported to the factory.
Li Xiangyang personally led him on a tour of the production line and introduced the company's current situation.
"Your quality management system is indeed excellent," Manager Chen said, carefully observing the production process. "However, I think you might need to strengthen your technical capabilities in product development."
What suggestions do you have?
"I know a few technicians, all from large companies, with extensive product development experience," Manager Chen thought for a moment, "but to hire them, the compensation might have to be..."
“As long as they are truly talented, salary is not an issue,” Li Xiangyang said without hesitation.
Soon, the research and development team was established.
In addition to Manager Chen serving as the team leader, three technicians and two assistants were also recruited.
Although the team is small, it is full of elite personnel.
"What will our first product be?" Li Xiangyang asked at the first R&D meeting.
"I suggest we start with what we know best," Manager Chen suggested. "For example, we could develop high-end products specifically for urban consumers through the deep processing of mountain produce."
Technician Xiao Wang added, "City dwellers are increasingly focused on health and wellness, and there's a huge demand for natural, green products. We could develop some functional health foods."
"That's a good idea," Li Xiangyang nodded. "But we must be careful not to exaggerate the claims; quality must be the top priority."
After a month of market research and technical breakthroughs, the first product was finally decided – dried wild blueberries.
The process for this product is not complicated, but the key lies in the selection of raw materials and the control of processing technology.
"Our advantage lies in our high-quality raw materials," Li Xiangyang stated at the product positioning meeting. "Wild blueberries from Northeast China have a much higher nutritional value than cultivated ones."
"Moreover, we have stable acquisition channels and controllable costs." Ma Qingfu also agreed with this choice.
While developing products, Li Xiangyang was also considering the issue of sales channels.
While OEM orders are stable, our own products need to explore new markets.
"Manager Chen, you are familiar with market channels, what suggestions do you have?"
"I think we can approach this from two directions," Manager Chen analyzed earnestly. "First, we should take a high-end approach, entering boutique supermarkets and specialty stores in major cities; second, we should develop direct sales, leveraging our quality advantages to build a strong reputation."
How does direct selling work?
"We can start locally, setting up exclusive stores in county towns and surrounding cities," Manager Chen explained. "Letting consumers see, touch, and taste our products makes it easier to build trust."
Li Xiangyang thought this was a good idea and decided to pursue both paths simultaneously.
Soon, the first batch of dried wild blueberries was produced.
The deep purple dried fruit is plump and has a faint sweet aroma.
"The taste is indeed quite good," Li Xiangyang said after tasting one. "It's just that the packaging needs some improvement."
"I've already contacted a design firm and they're working on a new packaging plan," Manager Chen said. "It needs to reflect key elements like 'wild,' 'natural,' and 'Northeast China.'"