2013 Readers' Choice: Demand Data Analytics

CGT’s readers rank the top 10 technology companies that provide a point software solution or a software suite for the cleansing, analysis and integration of downstream data.

Download the full Demand Data Analytics Report

For today, the companies on this list should come as no surprise. But in the near future, applications must evolve to meet new needs of consumer goods companies. Supply Chain Insights Founder Lora Cecere reveals how demand data analytics will soon change.


Can you comment on technology adoption in this area?

Cecere: The traditional categories of marketing analytics and category management planning are still very dependent on the syndicated data providers, like Symphony/IRI and Nielsen, but neither company has successfully built a deep demand analytics tools for the market. This has given rise for the market opportunity for the new forms of predictive analytics for point-of-sale data.

As a result, we have marketing professionals using syndicated data weekly and monthly for category analytics and traditional market share reporting, and new forms of predictive analytics evolving for the sales account and supply chain teams to do shelf sensing. We are also in the early days of T-log analysis for market basket analysis.

How will the use of demand data analytics change in 2013 and beyond?

Cecere: The true evolution of demand analytics to power solutions that can sense and shape demand is still four-to-five years in the future. It will happen when companies map their processes outside and discover that new forms of analytics allow them to power cross-functional analytics. Our surveys say that 2013 is all about demand. Companies are looking for new approaches and spending is increasing.

Tomorrow’s demand analytics are a strong contrast with today’s approach where these new data forms are stuffed into traditional applications for category management, sales reporting, market-share analysis or demand management and companies wonder why they don’t work very well. When these new forms of data are forced into these traditional analytics, it is like putting a square peg into a round hole. It will be the innovators that pave this step-change in the design and implementation of demand applications. This next generation of analytics will allow companies to test and learn in market and translate the impacts across the supply chain from the customer’s customer to the supplier’s supplier decreasing demand latency and reducing the impact of the bullwhip affect.

BREAKOUT FAVORITES


Customer Experience Leader: Shiloh Technologies

“The service and leadership we’ve received from Shiloh has been invaluable. Their analytic tools and expert guidance have led us to smarter decision making, faster execution, and ultimately greater profits. We couldn’t be more pleased!”
— Confidential source



SMB Market Leader: The Nielsen Company

“Retail customers don’t see a lot of other marketers bringing this kind of information to the table in this category… When they see the category growing through better product selection, it certainly increases our value.”
—Walt Wdowiak, Director of Research and Innovation, Starkist (Source: Starkist/Nielsen Case Study, 2011)