When R&D and Production clash, innovation stalls. 💡 To bridge the gap: ✅ Host regular cross-functional huddles ✅ Align KPIs around shared product goals ✅ Encourage “walk-a-mile” days — R\&D on the line, Production in trials ✅ Celebrate joint wins, not siloed success **Open communication isn't a soft skill — it's a strategic tool.** Great products are born where science meets execution, *together*. 🤝

I have used a “Formulation Alignment Lab”—a workshop where both teams co-create formulations. The lab uses live data visualization tools to transparently display formulation parameters, production constraints, and quality metrics side-by-side, fostering shared understanding. Team members temporarily shadow the other department to experience their challenges, building empathy. Add a digital collaboration platform that captures feedback, and action items in a central, database to prevent miscommunication. Finally, embed a “failure-friendly” culture encouraging experimentation and regarding setbacks as learning opportunities. In this way, we break down silos and create a continuous feedback loop that aligns both teams toward common goals.

Regular meetings where both teams can share their thoughts and concerns directly would be a good start. Making sure everyone understands each other's pressures and priorities can also help smooth things over. Having some shared goals and ways of measuring success could also encourage them to work together rather than pulling in different directions.

One thing I’ve learned from strategic work with gastronomy: when teams share a strong, external-facing vision, everything gets easier. In formulation work, the issue often isn’t just technical—it’s directional. Before development begins, define a culinary “north star.” Not what each team member wants the product to be but what it needs to achieve for the eater, the context, the purpose. Create a shared vocabulary. Even basic terms like “mouthfeel” don’t mean the same to everyone. This shift from personal preference to shared ambition, makes communication clearer and disagreements more useful. Asking “what should it feel like to eat this?” encourages empathy plus reduces more technical and ego-driven debates.