Publication
Perfect Pizza: Using a Digital Customer Research Tool to Measure Taste
https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/ecommerce/customer-research-tool
Anna is available for hire
Hire AnnaAnna Shcherbakova
Verified Expert in Product Management
Product Manager
Location
Tbilisi, Georgia, Georgia
Toptal Member Since
January 28, 2022
Anna is an innovative, award-winning product manager in the technical and physical world with 14 years of experience in the food and beverage sector, including PepsiCo and Mars. After starting her career in brand management, she shifted to product management for FMCG, food production, restaurants, delivery, and retail. Anna has an MBA in international economics and a professional product management education. She achieves big goals, negotiates well, learns fast, and speaks four languages.
Project Highlights
Research Platform in a Delivery App
Developed a groundbreaking research management platform and mobile app for an international chain of 1,000 QSRs and the largest retail group in Russia with 18,000 stores and ten million users.
Expertise
Work Experience
Product Manager | Business Analyst
2023 - 2023
Deloitte/BAL
- Worked with the stakeholders to collect requirements and build the product map.
- Launched two big features and more than ten enhancements.
- Helped to organize all the Agile routines and artifacts.
Interim Senior Product Manager
2022 - 2023
Dandelion Chocolate
- Created and launched over five new products for online eCommerce.
- Helped roll out a new product launch tracking and management system.
- Contributed to the digital marketing of the products.
Product Owner
2022 - 2022
Refound, LLC
- Developed product strategy for B2B and B2C, added new products, and helped relaunch existing products.
- Helped relaunch the site's UI/UX based on research.
- Developed analytics and a system of metrics for product evaluation.
Innovation Product Manager
2021 - 2022
X5 Retail Group
- Introduced new ways of collecting customer feedback. Increased performance on key metrics, including the number of users, conversion rate to feedback, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and customer satisfaction scores.
- Built a research platform based on mobile applications and big data.
- Won a tech competition in 2022 among 364 teams by introducing new features to a mobile app.
Product Manager
2019 - 2021
Dodo Brands
- Launched a new research system—as a mobile application—based on big data in 2020. Contributed to marketing, pricing, taste, and NPS.
- Utilized my business process management (BPM) skills and improved performance on all the key metrics, including retention, LFL, NPS, and delivery time.
- Won an innovation competition with the research system we created.
New Product Developer
2018 - 2019
Mars
- Relaunched the entire Korkunov brand in 2018, including products and packaging. Oversaw communications, storytelling, and content for the brand.
- Researched and launched four new products in 2018: Dove Tablets, M&M Tablets, Korkunov Pralines, and Snickers Crispy. Created the marketing strategy and tactics.
- Increased awareness of the Korkunov brand by 6% in one year.
New Product Developer
2016 - 2018
PepsiCo
- Managed brands and landed six innovations in Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA). Took responsibility for strategy, marketing, communications, storytelling, and content for the brand.
- Conducted negotiations and established ways of working with Unilever on a joint venture for the Lipton brand to land projects in Russia. The first Lipton flavor launched in Russia in Q1 2017, and two launched in Q4 2017.
- Won the Idea Challenge, an innovation competition inside PepsiCo.
- Received a Bravo award in 2016 for creating timeline efficiencies for ESSA projects.
Head of International Business Development
2014 - 2015
GreenMe AG
- Drove business growth and development for the product, closing a €2 million gap in the 2016 budget and ensuring positive net revenue.
- Achieved the Product of the Year 2016 innovation award for Laimon Fresh in Spain.
- Increased sales in existing markets from 2015 to 2016 by 40% in Spain and 5% in the United Kingdom. Also, negotiated price increases with 80% of the clients.
Head of Brand Management
2012 - 2014
MBG Wine Group
- Doubled revenue for the Spanish profile from 2013 to 2014 by adding new brands and increasing awareness through successful marketing campaigns.
- Increased Freixenet brand awareness by 23% from 2013 to 2014.
- Created the communication strategy for the Freixenet brand, repositioning it to a party brand and driving marketing through digital channels.
Project History
Research Platform in a Delivery App
https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/ecommerce/customer-research-toolDeveloped a groundbreaking research management platform and mobile app for an international chain of 1,000 QSRs and the largest retail group in Russia with 18,000 stores and ten million users.
I wrote an article about it:
https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/ecommerce/customer-research-tool
Retail, restaurant, catering, and food delivery companies usually measure and research taste on a simple five-point or similar scale. The problem is that this doesn't tell them exactly what they should improve or keep the same in the taste or which factors influence the taste.
Comments don't help either because a small percentage of customers leave comments, usually when they are disappointed. The businesses don't know if those few comments represent the taste or the food quality in general.
I built classic food sensory research into a mobile app and collected 600,000 questionnaires in 2020. We used this data to build a taste management platform for a chain of 1,000 quick-service restaurants (QSRs).
Then I developed a new online research system for the app to research pricing, NPS, and marketing. This allowed us to work with customer feedback deeply, effectively, and inexpensively.
I won innovation competitions with this food delivery system and mobile application in two companies:
• Dodo Pizza, a chain of 1,000 QSRs.
• The largest retail group in Russia, with 18,000 stores and ten million users.
https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/ecommerce/customer-research-tool
Retail, restaurant, catering, and food delivery companies usually measure and research taste on a simple five-point or similar scale. The problem is that this doesn't tell them exactly what they should improve or keep the same in the taste or which factors influence the taste.
Comments don't help either because a small percentage of customers leave comments, usually when they are disappointed. The businesses don't know if those few comments represent the taste or the food quality in general.
I built classic food sensory research into a mobile app and collected 600,000 questionnaires in 2020. We used this data to build a taste management platform for a chain of 1,000 quick-service restaurants (QSRs).
Then I developed a new online research system for the app to research pricing, NPS, and marketing. This allowed us to work with customer feedback deeply, effectively, and inexpensively.
I won innovation competitions with this food delivery system and mobile application in two companies:
• Dodo Pizza, a chain of 1,000 QSRs.
• The largest retail group in Russia, with 18,000 stores and ten million users.
Restaurant Chain: IoT, Equipment Automation, and Data Research
Helped automate the equipment in the chain of 800 restaurants and created the system of remote equipment management.
Helped automate coffee machines in the chain of 800 restaurants, so extracting technical information from all the machines in real time is possible. The effort led to understanding and improved remote management of the equipment. Based on the data collected from the coffee machines in real time, it was possible to improve taste, quality, customer satisfaction, and turnover.
Innovation Project and Product Management Processes
Organized the innovation processes in the company, helping launch more than ten products and creating a consistent innovation workflow.
Anna was able to organize the innovation processes in the company, Anna based her project management and innovation consultancy on the Stage-Gate process, Agile application, and Design Thinking. Anna helped to identify and enhance the processes, which led to a pipeline of successful launches.
Other Experience
Education
2022 - 2022
Course in Startup and Product Launch
Y Combinator - Online
2022 - 2022
QA and Software Bootcamp in QA and Software Testing
Udemy - Online
2022 - 2022
UX and Web Design: Strategy, Design, Development Course in UX and Web Design: Strategy, Design, Development
Udemy - Online
2021 - 2022
Professional Education (JavaScript, OOP, Asynchronous JavaScript, TypeScript) in JavaScript
Udemy - United States
2012 - 2013
Certification in Brand Management and Product Management
National Research University Higher School of Economics - Moscow, Russia
2003 - 2008
Master's Degree in International Economics
Russian Foreign Trade Academy (VAVT) - Moscow, Russia
Certifications
MARCH 2023 - PRESENT
Venture Capital Course
Techstars
DECEMBER 2022 - PRESENT
Process Communication Model Certified Trainer (PCM)
Kahler Communications, Inc.
NOVEMBER 2022 - PRESENT
The Complete Digital Marketing Guide - 22 Courses in 1
Udemy
JULY 2022 - PRESENT
How To Write User Stories That Deliver Real Business Value
Udemy
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