Manufacturer

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.

The No. 2 sports apparel and equipment maker in the world, adidas-Salomon Canada, uses the IBM eServer iSeries platform to gain a competitive edge in its market.

The past year was one of struggle and experimentation in consumer goods companies' use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), with lingering standards, product immaturity, cost and return on investment issues clouding the ability to reach Wal-Mart's January 2005 mandate.

Consumer goods firms are only as sharp as the products they release.

A re-cap of the year's must-attend industry event

The Customer Management Award is presented to a consumer goods firm for the successful execution of a sales and/or marketing effort throughout its entire customer base to achieve superior results.

According to AMR Research, trade funds investments can account for 15 percent of a consumer goods (CG) company's revenue, and the total spent on advertising, marketing and promotions by CG companies is an estimated $250 billion annually.

In an effort to get closer to its customers, optimize its supply chain and become a low-cost supplier, Diageo North America tapped into a collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) program with its distributors.