SaBMiller Powers Global Innovation Process Initiative

SABMiller plc will deploy Sopheon's Accolade product life cycle management system to support the company's new standardized process for managing initiatives within the business. The new process is part of a broad strategy aimed at improving knowledge sharing and product pipeline management across SABMiller's operating hubs around the globe. "SABMiller's organic growth depends upon the creation of strong, locally driven brand portfolios," says Neil MacGilp, group technical director at SABMiller. "Accolade will help us overcome the challenges of our decentralized approach to innovation across regional hubs." In addition to providing an efficient, unified process structure, the system's features are expected to guard against duplication of effort and allow cross-functional teams responsible for product innovation to more easily share their knowledge. Its capacity to aggregate regional data will also provide corporate executives with essential support in making strategic portfolio decisions. "Accolade gives us a common, coherent way of looking at innovation, and a more effective way of making it happen," says MacGilp. //