Looking Back: The Top 10 CGT News Stories of 2008
January 7, 2008 - The consumer goods industry saw a lot of market-altering news in 2008. Undoubtedly, the mergers, acquisitions, spin offs, technology implementations and business process investments that developed last year will have a lasting impact on our industry, and in many cases, on the global economy in 2009 and beyond. Here is a look back at the Top 10 new stories of 2008, in order of popularity, published by CGT Inside News:
1. P&G Selects SAP for Global IT Transformation
October 29, 2008 - The Procter and Gamble Company signed a global enterprise agreement with SAP AG to create a tighter relationship for collaboration on solution innovation, development and standardization.
2. Analysts Evaluate JDA/i2 Deal
August 13, 2008 - JDA Software Group Inc. signed a merger agreement to acquire i2 Technologies Inc., a global provider of supply chain solutions, for an enterprise value of approximately $346 million in cash. The deal has since been called off, but take a look back to learn how CGT's Research Advisory Board members reacted to the news at the time.
3. Unilever Deploys Master Data Management to Support Global Strategy
May 21, 2008 - Unilever announced its implementation of SAP AG's NetWeaver Master Data Management component to support five countries in the Asia/AMET region. With 400 brands spanning the food, home and personal care industries, a unified view of master data was expected to quickly address changing business needs while maintaining strong local market performance.
4. InBev Makes Unsolicited $46B Bid for Maker of Bud
June 12, 2008 - Following weeks of speculation, Anheuser-Busch finally announced that InBev made an unsolicited buyout offer of $46 billion. Together, they formed the world's largest beer company. Industry analysts and consumers shared their initial reactions in this story.
5. Kraft Masters Data Management
September 10, 2008 - Like Unilever, Kraft announced the deployment of SAP NetWeaver Master Data Management. In less than nine months, Kraft rolled out data repositories focused on customer, product, vendor and materials data, to lay a foundation of comprehensive, real-time data as the company embarked upon a North American rollout of SAP ERP.
1. P&G Selects SAP for Global IT Transformation
October 29, 2008 - The Procter and Gamble Company signed a global enterprise agreement with SAP AG to create a tighter relationship for collaboration on solution innovation, development and standardization.
2. Analysts Evaluate JDA/i2 Deal
August 13, 2008 - JDA Software Group Inc. signed a merger agreement to acquire i2 Technologies Inc., a global provider of supply chain solutions, for an enterprise value of approximately $346 million in cash. The deal has since been called off, but take a look back to learn how CGT's Research Advisory Board members reacted to the news at the time.
3. Unilever Deploys Master Data Management to Support Global Strategy
May 21, 2008 - Unilever announced its implementation of SAP AG's NetWeaver Master Data Management component to support five countries in the Asia/AMET region. With 400 brands spanning the food, home and personal care industries, a unified view of master data was expected to quickly address changing business needs while maintaining strong local market performance.
4. InBev Makes Unsolicited $46B Bid for Maker of Bud
June 12, 2008 - Following weeks of speculation, Anheuser-Busch finally announced that InBev made an unsolicited buyout offer of $46 billion. Together, they formed the world's largest beer company. Industry analysts and consumers shared their initial reactions in this story.
5. Kraft Masters Data Management
September 10, 2008 - Like Unilever, Kraft announced the deployment of SAP NetWeaver Master Data Management. In less than nine months, Kraft rolled out data repositories focused on customer, product, vendor and materials data, to lay a foundation of comprehensive, real-time data as the company embarked upon a North American rollout of SAP ERP.
6. Kraft Merges Post with Ralcorp
June 18, 2008 - Kraft Foods Inc. merged its Post cereals business into Ralcorp Holdings Inc., a company in private-label and frozen bakery products. The transaction was deemed tax-efficient and worth approximately $2.6 billion to Kraft and its shareholders.
7. Smucker Adds P&G's Folgers into Product Mix
June 4, 2008 - The J. M. Smucker Company and The Procter & Gamble Company signed a definitive agreement to merge the Folgers coffee business into Smucker in a transaction valued at approximately $3.3 billion.
8. HP to Acquire EDS for $13.9 Billion
May 14, 2008 - HP and EDS signed a definitive agreement under which HP would purchase EDS at an enterprise value of approximately $13.9 billion. Combined, the companies' services businesses had annual revenues of more than $38 billion as of the end of each company's 2007 fiscal year.
9. Sara Lee and IBM Sign Seven-Year Global Services Deal
December 30, 2008 - Sara Lee Corporation announced that IBM will manage and maintain pieces of the consumer products company's global back office operations. The deal includes the management of a portion of Sara Lee's North American and European Finance and Global Information Services groups, as well as the company's global indirect procurement activities.
December 30, 2008 - Sara Lee Corporation announced that IBM will manage and maintain pieces of the consumer products company's global back office operations. The deal includes the management of a portion of Sara Lee's North American and European Finance and Global Information Services groups, as well as the company's global indirect procurement activities.
10. Congress Votes for Consumer Product Safety Reform
August 6, 2008 - Much to the satisfaction of parents and consumer safety advocates, the U.S. Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act, H.R.4040, which called for established consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products as well as the reauthorization and modernization of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
August 6, 2008 - Much to the satisfaction of parents and consumer safety advocates, the U.S. Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act, H.R.4040, which called for established consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products as well as the reauthorization and modernization of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.