Commercial Production Guide
Client Trials: From Intake to Production Quote
A client trial is a small, paid, documented batch that answers the questions a production quote depends on: does this product freeze dry well, what does it yield, how long does it take, and how should it be packaged? This guide lays out the 13-step trial workflow and provides a printable intake form, adaptable to your own operation.
Category: Client Trials
Choose your regulatory region: Panama | United States then open the matching guide.
Use this form at intake, before any trial work begins. Fill one line per field; add notes for anything the form does not cover.
The 13-Step Trial Workflow
Run the trial in this order, documenting each step:
- Intake Capture client and product facts on the intake form before any work begins.
- Product information Ingredients, form, origin, any known water or fat content, and how the product is currently used.
- Goal What the client wants: crisp snack, rehydrating ingredient, powder, shelf-stable meal, pet treat?
- Risks and concerns High sugar, high fat, dairy, allergens, or anything that suggests shorter storage or special handling.
- Test quantity Agree the trial batch size, small enough to be affordable, large enough to answer the questions.
- Preparation agreed Decide and record exactly how the product will be prepared: cut size, cooking, pre-freezing, tray loading.
- Batch run Run the batch per the written plan, noting machine, cycle, times and observations.
- Results documented Record fresh weight, dry weight, appearance, texture and any issues during the run.
- Yield calculated Compute dry yield from the measured weights, and label it as a trial result for that batch.
- Rehydration tested if required If the goal involves rehydration, test it and record water behavior and texture.
- Packaging discussed Recommend packaging options, absorbers and storage expectations based on the finished product.
- Report issued Hand over the results in a clear report; the test report guide provides the standard structure.
- Production quote prepared Build the production quote from the measured trial data, not from guesses.
Client Trial Intake Fields
The printable intake form below collects everything a trial needs. It is a framework, not a legal document: adapt it to your own business, your language and your market.
Fields on the intake form:
- Client: name, company if applicable, contact details
- Product: exact product name and description
- Ingredients: anything the client declares, especially fat, sugar, dairy or allergens
- Fresh weight: quantity provided or planned for the trial
- Moisture if known: declared or estimated water content
- Fat if known: declared fat content
- Product form: fresh, frozen, cooked, raw, liquid, purée or solid
- Desired final form: crisp snack, rehydrating ingredient, powder, meal, treat
- Package size: target net weight per finished package, if known
- Rehydration goal: how the client plans to use the rehydrated product
- Storage goal: expected shelf life and storage conditions
- Commercial volume: approximate monthly production if the trial leads to production
- Notes: anything else that affects preparation, cycle or packaging
No guarantees before testing
A trial is specifically the step where unknowns get measured. Do not guarantee that a product will work perfectly, or promise a specific shelf life or yield, until the trial and any appropriate testing say so. The client communication guide covers how to set these expectations.
Lab integration
Client trials are documented like the Lab runs the site publishes, but private client tests stay private: nothing publishes without the client's approval. The Lab methodology explains how measurements and observations are recorded, and the confidentiality guide explains the privacy framework.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should trials be charged?
That is a business decision, but a paid trial is the honest model for unknown products: the client pays for the machine time, labor and report, and the results de-risk the production quote. Charging also separates serious clients from casual inquiries.
How much product should a trial use?
Enough to load a meaningful set of trays at the agreed preparation, small enough to stay affordable. The exact amount depends on the product and the questions; agree it in writing before the run.
What if the trial fails?
Failing honestly is the trial doing its job: the client learns the product's limits before committing to production. Document what happened, what changed, and whether a modified preparation deserves a second trial.
Key Takeaways
- The 13-step workflow turns a trial request into measured results: intake, run, document, report, quote.
- The printable intake form captures client, product, form, goals, packaging and commercial volume.
- Nothing is promised before testing; the production quote is built from measured trial data.
Related Guides
Continue through the Commercial Production Center with these related guides.