Gartner

In the consumer goods community, leaders know that keeping your success a secret can be a detriment to your business. Luckily, many are more than open to not only sharing but celebrating the best practices of their peers. Case in point: CGT received more than 50 nominations for its annual Business & Technology Leadership Awards. In the end, only nine companies were named winners. Find out who they are after the jump.

It is fair to say that there is universal agreement that we could all do a better job in driving benefit through our strategic investments in IT. Organizations must understand that strategic initiatives require a different recipe for success, an approach that considers the alignment of the organization, an agreed upon definition of success, and engagement of the stakeholders throughout.

Using simple spreadsheets, Brown-Forman found it nearly impossible to manage the vast amount of information that consumers now expect and demand. Director of Product Development and Innovation, Jimmy Bookstore, reveals how Brown-Forman was able to implement a PLM solution for its innovation transformation.

CGT Executive Editor Alliston Ackerman gives you a sneak peek into the trends and topics discussed in this month's issue.

VMI programs have been in place at CG companies for years, but leaders are just now asking: How can I gain more value? The Dannon Company Inc. seems to have the answer as it pursues VMI as a strategic initiative to strengthen retailer relationships and grow sales. Get the inside scoop here.

The Top 8 providers of a point solution or an enterprise software suite specific to Customer Relationship Management, including marketing, salesforce automation, customer service, mobile technology, category management, etc.

There's no doubt that quickly and accurately unlocking insights from retailer data can yield enormous benefits for consumer goods firms. Here, the manufacturer of stationary products, lighters and shavers, explains how it had put an enterprise DSR to good use.

Both retailers and suppliers see the value of data sharing, but there is still a long way to go before benefits are realized. Proving there are exceptions to this rule, Kraft Foods, Delhaize America and Bozzuto's gathered to lend real-world context to the findings of the first annual Shared Data Study. Learn about their winning data sharing programs here.