Usually, discussion and analysis of a particular subject is a matter of bringing in a number of viewpoints, weighing them and making a case for the most likely futures.
As the retail sector consolidates and the larger players grow stronger, a rising number of consumer goods (CG) firms, such as Adolph Coors Company and Molson Inc., Hershey Foods Corporation and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. are executing merger or acquisition strategies.
Business Intelligence (BI) wasn't the hottest topic of conversation amongst IT types in 2004, and to be perfectly honest, it likely won't be the belle of the ball in 2005 either.
Technology that helps consumer goods (CG) manufacturers manage promotions and get a clearer picture of consumers who use their products are the hot CRM items of the moment, say analysts, who also predict expanding investment in CRM technology by CG companies in 2005.
Even though the growth of supply chain software has cooled significantly since the hey day of the explosive growth seen in 2000, there is still a huge opportunity for vendors to adjust offerings to better suit the needs of clients, according to a 2004 AMR Research report.
It was a sunny, autumn day, perfect driving weather to soak up the picturesque country scenery of Concord, Massachusetts, the locale of this months cover story with Welchs.
