IT Integration

Couldn't make it to CGTs inaugural Consumer Goods Emerging Markets Forum this year? No problem! Executive Editor Kara Romanow put together a short list of key best practices that are imperative to succeeding in the BRICS and far beyond.

Daily downstream data, social listening, sentiment analysis, crowdsourced local intelligence, website traffic, hyper-local digital advertising it's all coming together to paint a picture of the individual consumer. Thus, consumer goods executives have a new mantra: "Thou shalt collect, analyze and act on a confluence of data."

Network-based supplier system will synchronize product catalogs, enable electronic invoicing and facilitate a fully automated purchasing cycle.

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are under pressure. The complexity of their businesses has grown, with greater regulation and the pressures of globalization. At the same time, they must reduce cost and become more competitive or otherwise they might quickly become takeover targets.

Legacy can be a fine thing, and Land O'Lakes, Inc. has it in spades. But in the world of technology, legacy has different implications. Land O'Lakes' legacy IT platform was not providing accurate, real-time access to information needed to meet strategic growth objectives. Here's a peek inside Project Bedrock, the IT initiative that will get them there.

Most recently, Brian Gladden was Senior Vice President and CFO of Dell, Inc., the Texas-based technology company.

CGT and Gartner Inc. team up to bring you the latest data on technology spending, adoption and trends in the consumer goods industry. Topics include supply chain analytics and visibility, S&OP, digital marketing, the product portfolio and the retailer's POV on supply chain challenges.

The company is a provider of next-generation promotion optimization software for retailers and consumer goods companies such as Unilever and BIC.