Can your R&D guy even tell you the potency?
Or are they just making guesses?!?
See: in house analytics.
If they are basing their process optimization on following the cadabinoids rather than the cannabinoids, their “insights” are unlikely to be particularly insightful…
Soaking will get you more. Of everything. The ratio of “I wanted that” to “#%^<>^” will depend on the temperature.
Potency, and extraction efficiency (total extracted cannabinoids/total input cannabinoids) are pretty decent optimization metrics. Using raw yield will lead you to extract unwanteds in search of product weight.