Introduction
Bel Group, a global leader in portioned dairy, fruit, and plant-based snacks, has long placed innovation at the center of its business. With a presence in more than 120 countries and 11,000 employees, the company’s Research & Innovation (R&I) division drives the development of new, sustainable products.
To meet growing regulatory requirements and scale pilot operations effectively, Bel needed a better way to manage its assay lifecycle. Legacy spreadsheets and disconnected tools created inefficiencies and limited traceability. The R&I team sought a centralized solution to plan, track, and scale assays from concept to production.
The Challenge: Scaling Assays Without Visibility
Bel’s pilot production sites are critical to new product development. However, managing these high-volume, high-precision operations was increasingly difficult with outdated tools.
The core challenges included:
- No centralized system for managing assays and inventory
- Limited traceability of materials, products, and processes
- Manual workflows using spreadsheets and emails
- Rigid legacy systems that lacked flexibility for dynamic pilot testing
- Time-consuming audit and reporting preparation
With over 1,800 assays run annually, Bel needed a platform purpose-built for R&D teams operating at scale.
The Solution: Deploying newLab® Across Pilot Facilities
Bel implemented newLab® to streamline its assay workflows, from initial planning through execution and reporting. The R&I division adopted two core modules — Notebook and Resources — supported by seamless system integrations.
Key platform capabilities included:
Assay Planning and Resource Scheduling
- Collaborative campaign design using the Notebook module
- Automated scheduling of technicians, materials, and lab equipment
Inventory Management and Traceability
- Centralized inventory control with barcode-based tracking
- Label printer integration for raw materials and finished product identification
Systems Integration
- Connected to Bel’s internal application for managing analysis requests
Integrated with existing LIMS for quality control and biochemical testing
Results: Unified, Scalable, and Efficient Assay Operations
With newLab®, Bel achieved a fully digital, traceable assay workflow across its R&I pilot sites. What was once a fragmented, manual process is now a coordinated, high-visibility operation.
Key results included:
- More than 1,800 assays per year managed in a single system
- Full traceability from raw materials to final products
- Centralized scheduling, inventory, and team coordination
- Faster internal collaboration through shared access to assay data
- Reduced administrative burden for regulatory reporting and audits
Ready to Optimize Your Pilot Testing?
newLab® enables food and beverage companies to simplify complex R&D operations with centralized scheduling, inventory management, and traceability. Built on ServiceNow, it integrates easily with your existing lab ecosystem.
