Nestlé: Interaction of R&D and Intelligence Management

Abstract

Through more than 130 years of history, Nestlé has grown from a two-product company focusing essentially on infant nutrition to one of the largest food companies worldwide. The Nestlé portfolio consists of 56 brands worldwide, over 15,000 products sold across the five continents and manufactured in more than 60 countries. Sales amounted to approximately 40 billion Swiss francs in 1996 and represent a 1.5% share of the world market. They are distributed across three geographical areas: Europe, America, Asia, and five categories of products: beverages, dairy, ready meals, confectionery and pharmaceutical products.

This case study was authored by Prof. Dr. Daniel Rouach, at EAP Paris, and Yannick Poivey, Research Associate at EAP Paris. The authors would like to thank H. Traitler and G. Fayard, who shared their experiences at Nestlé.