Evaluate and quantify current and future food and drink business environment

This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to evaluate current and future food and drink business environment. Gathering information around the factors affecting the whole food and drink business environment is important in aiding the development of business plans. Evaluating the current and future food and drink environment is important in influencing decision making around developing a business with respect to expansion or reduction plans, mergers and acquisitions and the receptivity of consumers to changes, costing and new products. The food and drink business environment operates at different levels and includes information from global, national, local and sectoral influences. You will need the skills and knowledge to gather information and evaluate it, making informed decisions about its validity and relevance. You must also have the skills and knowledge to summarise the information to help support the development of a food and drink business development plan. This standard is for you if you work in food and drink manufacture and/or supply operations and are involved in the evaluation of the current and future food and drink environment.

Gather information

1. identify sources of information relevant to the current and future

   food and drink environment

2. gather information from a number of forms of information including

   web based sources, social media and trade fairs

   Evaluate information

3. evaluate the benefits and risks of using each source of

   information

4. confirm any gathered information is relevant, sufficient, valid and

   reliable

5. use informed decisions to identify the specific data and/or

   information of most relevance and importance

6. determine key data and/or information points relating to the

   current and future food and drink environment

7. summarise the specific data relevant to the current and future

   food and drink environment

8. collate specific data and/or information

   Consult

9. produce a summary document distinguishing between current and

   future food and drink environment

10. conform to organisational requirements for the presentation of the

    summary document

11. consult with colleagues to confirm the validity of any assumptions

    and informed decisions

12. amend summary document after consultation, if needed

1. the sources of information, internal and external to your

   organisation, available to help develop a view of the current and

   future food and drink environment

   2. how to access internal and external sources of information

   3. the different sources of market information available, including

   internet, social media, trade fairs, market research, publications

   and government agencies

   4. the importance of using up-to-date information when gathering

   information

   5. why it is important to determine the relevance and validity of data

   and information and how to do this

   6. how to use your own and colleagues knowledge and experience

   to identify the most relevant data and information

   7. why it is important to liaise with colleagues and stakeholders to

   help determine the relevance and validity of data and information

   8. how to remain discrete when gathering certain sources of

   information and why it is important to do so

   9. how to use recognised analytical techniques to evaluate current

   and future food and drink business environment

   10. how to use a variety of analytical methods to determine the

   importance of gathered information

   11. how to use your own and colleagues knowledge and experience

   to identify the most relevant data and information

   12. how to evaluate data and information relating to the performance

   of a food and drink business

   13. why it is important to quantify data and information relating to the

   performance of a food and drink business and how to do this

   14. the different ways in which qualitative and quantitative data can

   be presented

   15. how to evaluate risks associated with gathering information and

   applying findings

   16. how to obtain feedback from colleagues about the usefulness of

   the gathered information and why it is important to do so