Troubleshooting Innovation

S2E2: Innovating Sustainably

Engineering expert Rich Berger talks about the ways a bakery can innovate sustainably, which leads to tangible benefits like cost savings and reduced waste ... but also some intangible benefits yet to be considered.

Hosted by Joanie Spencer, Commercial Baking editor-in-chief.

S2E1: Innovation in the Community

Welcome to season two! We're teaming up with food operations and manufacturing expert Rich Berger to discover new ways to operationalize values into the manufacturing space.

 

In this episode, Berger and Joanie Spencer, Commercial Baking editor-in-chief,  explore how food manufacturing facilities can become good stewards of their surrounding community.

Episode #6: Listener Questions

Dave Van Laar speaks directly to the audience, responding to questions they've submitted throughout the series. He touches on topics like what to look for in a supplier, how to innovate in the midst of supply chain disruptions, what the evolution of trends will look like in the future and beyond.

Episode #5: Data Collection

Dave Van Laar shares what bakers need to know about identifying, collecting and analyzing trending information (for the product and the equipment).

Episode #4: Achieving What You Can’t See

In this episode, Dave Van Laar reveals his tips for troubleshooting the baking curve and managing variables beyond the oven.

Episode #3: Knowledge Transfer

While automation has helped commercial bakers streamline production, there's much more to the process than just pressing a button. In this episode, Dave Van Laar explains what old-school bakers need to teach the incoming generation.

Episode #2: Scaling Up From the Lab to the Line

In this episode, Dave Van Laar shares how commercial bakeries can achieve a smooth handoff from R&D to operations.

Episode #1: Bakery Trends Overview

Dave Van Laar's experience in the baking industry spans several decades, and includes roles in production, engineering, packaging, QA and marketing.

In this episode, he explores the modern landscape of the baking industry and how we can learn from the trends — past and present — that have the most staying power.