Coke, Colgate, Clorox Deemed Top IT Innovators
September 16, 2009 - For over 20 years, InformationWeek has identified and honored the nation's most innovative users of information technology (IT) with its annual 500 listing. The rankings are unique among corporate rankings as they spotlight the power of innovation in IT, rather than simply identifying the biggest IT spenders.
In 2009, nine consumer goods companies ranked within the top 250 companies due to their proven ability to harness technology to improve efficiency, boost productivity, drive revenue and establish a competitive advantage. Listed by rank, they are:
8 - The Coca-Cola Co.
57 - Colgate-Palmolive Co.
76 - Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.
114 - E.&J. Gallo Winery
148 - Pacific Coast Producers
166 - Chiquita Brands International Inc.
190 - Jarden Consumer Solutions
206 - The Clorox Co.
247 - Product Partners LLC
Commenting on his company's placement, Jean-Michel Ares, senior vice president and chief information officer for The Coca-Cola Co., says: "The recognition by InformationWeek is the latest testament to the tremendous results achieved by the Global IT team at Coca-Cola. It has been the endeavor of the Global IT team at The Coca-Cola Company to act as a catalyst in enhancing the productivity and efficiency of the way we do our business across geographies. The team has strived hard to provide technology solutions which are not only relevant but also make a difference in the way we connect, manage, and operate our business in over 200 countries.
A corresponding InformationWeek survey found that within the consumer goods industry:
- 1.5 percent of their annual revenue is spent on IT on average
- 35 percent of that IT budget is dedicated to new projects on average
- 35 percent of companies expect 2009 IT spending to exceed 2008
The survey also identified two top IT strategies for the industry. For example, 73 percent of the consumer goods companies surveyed identified business intelligence (BI) tools as the most effective technology implemented; 68 percent say that they plan to make BI available to more employees more quickly. This percentage is substantially higher than the average figure of 37 percent for all InformationWeek 500 companies.
In addition to BI, upgrades to Web operations were identified as a priority. Among InformationWeek 500 survey respondents, consumer goods companies as a group (32 percent) show more interest in improving Web operations than the average (26 percent).
To be ranked in the InformationWeek 500, companies with revenue of $250 million or more must complete a rigorous application on their technology strategies. The process includes quantitative and qualitative assessments of business tech innovation. Completed applications are reviewed by a panel of InformationWeek editors, who determine the ranking. The data is aggregated for all 500 companies and by industry; individual company data isn't disclosed without permission.
Additional details on the InformationWeek 500 can be found online at www.informationweek.com/iw500/.