What we do
Product Evaluation and Development
The process of developing a new product can be time consuming and expensive. It is essential to ensure that the process is carried out as smoothly as possible with as few distractions and false starts as possible. Working with partner organisations that bring specific expertise and knowledge can often assist companies as they work to develop new products. The Dairy Group is uniquely positioned to provide independent support to commercial companies as they develop dairy industry related products. As well as many years of experience of the dairy industry, The Dairy Group consultants collaborate closely with a number of partner organisations including laboratories, to providing both analytical and microbiological analysis.
Experience of the industry and an independent, un-biased approach has ensured that The Dairy Group can provide advice and guidance to commercial companies from the inception of an idea through to the final product launch. Our contacts throughout the industry ensure that we can access views and opinions on products from policy makers and legislators right through to end users, helping to smooth the development process.
The Dairy Group has recently been working with Ambic Equipment Ltd based in Witney, Oxfordshire on the development of their PeraSpray cluster disinfection system.
Ambic Equipment Ltd is a world leading specialist in the development and production of a comprehensive range of dairy hygiene and livestock health management products which are sold all around the world.
The concept of the PeraSpray cluster disinfection system is to provide a cost effective alternative to the fully automated cluster back flushing systems. Efficacy trials were undertaken on the device to establish how effectively the system disinfected a milking liner. Initial results were extremely encouraging although it was felt that with some subtle changes to the delivery system, further benefits could be obtained. Additional testing confirmed this was the case.
Mr Colin Kingston, Managing Director of Ambic Equipment Ltd said of The Dairy Group’s involvement, “The Dairy Group provides Ambic with a unique combination of technical resource and commercial expertise to complement its own research and development capability. This service is invaluable to Ambic both in providing independent confirmation of perceived market needs, when defining and prioritising its product development programme, and subsequently in validating its product designs in scientifically robust farm trials prior to final product release.”
Once a product has been developed, the next stage is the evaluation of the product.
The Dairy Group was invited to work closely with IceRobotics, based near Edinburgh, Scotland in the evaluation of their new online dairy cow monitoring system, known as the CattleGrid. IceRobotics uses proprietary electronic sensors to gather objective activity related information to enable the automated health, welfare and behaviour monitoring of livestock.
The CattleGrid system takes data from a novel sensor attached to the cow to monitor activity and behaviour patterns, and from this data makes informed tactical and strategic decisions on the management of the cow and herd. As the system develops, it is important to ensure that the algorithms are at least as robust and the management decisions as accurate as other well recognised systems. The Dairy Group were heavily involved in evaluating the first generation of CattleGrid algorithms.
Mr Robert Boyce, Commercial Director of IceRobotics commented “It is vital to us as we develop our products that they are robustly tested and that the performance levels claimed are independently verified and replicable. In this way we know that our customers will have their expectations fully met and can engage with us with confidence. We chose to work with The Dairy Group partly due to their extensive knowledge and reputation within the dairy sector and partly because of their enthusiasm to see new products and services develop, whilst remaining grounded in the reality of what will offer real and sustainable value to the dairy farmer.”
With a wealth of practical experience within the dairy industry and an un-rivalled network of contact, The Dairy Group is ideally positioned to assist companies in the development and evaluation of new products before they are launched into the market place.
Email: enquiries@thedairygroup.co.uk
Tel: 01823 444488