Research & Development Historically, R&D has been a key contributor to Procter & Gamble's success in the marketplace and there is no doubt that technical innovation will be critical to the company's future success. Procter & Gamble technologists have been responsible for several historic "firsts" which revolutionized their product categories and spawned many imitators. You're undoubtedly familiar with Tide, the first heavy-duty synthetic detergent; Crest, the breakthrough cavity-prevention toothpaste; Pampers, the disposable diaper which revolutionized caring for babies; and Pert Plus, the first 2-in-1 product for cleaning and conditioning hair in one step. More recently, we've introduce "new-to-the-world" products such as Dryel, Actonel, Febreze, and Crest Whitestrips, among others. To deliver these kinds of results, we have more than 1700 scientists and researchers worldwide; many of those have PhDs. We hold more than 29 000 patented technologies for products that are on the market and continue to register patents on a daily basis. Innovation is all about connecting "what's needed" with "what's possible" - pairing superior consumer understanding with leading edge technology. Superior consumer understanding doesn't just happen - and we have recognized long ago the need to understand consumers' habits and attitudes deeply. That's why R&D has a dedicated function we call products research. Together with our marketing and market research colleagues, these scientists observe consumers using our products at home, looking for ways to improve and simplify the overall in-use experience. With their product and technical background, they can make connections between what the consumer needs and what our products can deliver. With an opportunity identified, our product development team develops prototypes in our labs, working with our technologists in product, process and packaging design, and of course, with the scientists from our human and environmental safety organisation. These prototypes are tested with consumers to check that the product design works. The cycle of learning is iterative.. We design … test with consumers … modify the design based on what we learn, and then test the modified product again until we get it right, as judged by the consumer. We frequently get surprises that our own in-house testing did not predict. There is a huge difference between the simplified protocols used in our laboratories and the multiplicity and complex range of conditions experienced by consumers in the real world.   Interesting Web Link