The impact of innovation in the technological process on quality. Improvement: a case study of the bakery industry

Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the impact of innovation in the technological process on the improvement of bread quality, using the bakery industry as an example. Design/methodology/approach: The literature research and the critical analysis of both, the national and foreign subject literature have been used as the research methodology. Findings: In response to the transformations occurring within the bakery industry and considering the growing demand in Poland for bread that meets consumer quality expectations, research was conducted to examine the impact of innovations in the technological process on the improvement of bread quality. The indicated survey research was carried out between 2020 and 2023, involving 51 bread producers from the Pomeranian Voivodeship, where 56 innovations implemented in the bread production technological process were identified. The analysis and evaluation of the research results were carried out in individual groups of innovations. The attempt undertaken in this article to determine the impact of the implemented innovations on improving the quality of bread indicates that the implemented innovations in the technological process had a noticeable impact on improving the quality of bread in all groups covered by the study, both for the producer and the consumer. Practical implications: Practical implications include presenting the impact of innovation in the technological process on improving the quality of bread using the bakery industry as an example. This will be an important solution in making a number of decisions by managers and bakery owners in terms of strategic use of them. Originality/value: The article may be a recommendation for manufacturing companies. The structure of the suggested management functions allows for manufacturing companies optimization, process control and manufacturing quality. Keywords: bread quality, the essence of product innovations in the technological process, the classification of innovations within the technological process, the hierarchy of the impact of innovations in the technological process on the improvement of bread quality. Category of the paper: research paper.