ARMONK, N.Y. and SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 10,
2011 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and SignalDemand today
announced that ConAgra Mills, a Commercial Foods brand of
$12.3 billion ConAgra Foods, Inc.
(NYSE: CAG), is using IBM's Smarter Commerce-based solution and its
predictive analytics capabilities to increase supply chain
efficiency and help bakers and other small businesses succeed in
today's fast changing economic climate.
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Today's small food producers and bakeries face significant
challenges from the current economic climate and the consumer's
shifting dietary patterns. These changes are forcing businesses to
identify ways to operate at a lower cost while maintaining the high
level and quality of service their customers demand. For many of
these businesses, ConAgra Mills is the answer.
ConAgra Mills, the third largest miller in North America and a grain industry leader,
offers the most comprehensive selection of premium multi-use flours
in the industry. The business is also at the forefront of
ingredient development, price risk management and customer service.
Aware of the challenges facing its customers, ConAgra Mills sought
to enhance its overall customer experience by developing a solution
capable of more efficiently delivering these businesses a greater
variety of products but at a fraction of the cost.
ConAgra Mills needed a tool with predictive capabilities in
order to be more responsive to both market changes and customer
needs up to 18 months in advance. Turning to a joint offering that
combines IBM software with SignalDemand's EnterpriseOptimizer
solution, this Smarter Commerce-based supply chain solution allows
ConAgra Mills to deliver customers the products they need, when
they need them and at a price they can afford to ensure their
continued business success.
"Our customers operate in an increasingly complex and volatile
market environment," said Bill
Stoufer, president of ConAgra Mills. "The solution from
SignalDemand and IBM is part of our effort to use science-based
solutions for our customers so that we can eliminate pain points
and allow them to succeed in the new economic realities of today's
market."
IBM's Industry Solutions group was first introduced to
SignalDemand through the IBM Venture Capital Group in 2010. IBM and
SignalDemand's relationship gained momentum late that year, thanks
to the Venture Capital Group which helped to deepen this
partnership through cross-IBM alignment and execution across the
Software Group industry solutions and Services groups.
"We have worked closely with IBM for many years to identify
trends and partnerships. Given IBM's deep understanding of the
value of predictive analytics and optimization, it was clear that
there were natural synergies between IBM and SignalDemand that
could make a difference to the markets they serve," said
Mark Gorenberg, managing director at
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners. "Introducing early stage
high-growth companies like SignalDemand is a part of our ongoing
collaboration with IBM."
"The increasing verticalization of Venture Capital investments
in business analytics is directly relevant to IBM's analytics
solutions and roadmap," said Claudia Fan
Munce, managing director of IBM Venture Capital Group.
"IBM's relationship with Hummer Winblad and early access to
SignalDemand's predictive analytics capability is a great example
of working with an innovative venture-backed company to align them
with the IBM industry strategy and operationalize the execution of
the partnership."
With today's announcement the two sides expand a relationship
that has allowed SignalDemand solutions to achieve certification on
the IBM Consumer Products Industry Framework and has resulted in
new joint client opportunities including Fonterra, a global leader
in dairy nutrition. Announced in January
2011, the IBM Framework addresses consumer products
companies' need to work smarter, providing innovative
industry-driven solutions that help accelerate business
performance.
"We believe that the consumer products industry is poised for a
transition, as volatility and other factors send shock waves
through its traditional price, mix and supply decision making
processes," said Mark Tice, CEO of
SignalDemand. "This partnership provides SignalDemand with
the benefits of enormous scale that IBM can provide. Strategic
partnerships like this will make it possible for SignalDemand to
continue on our high-growth trajectory while not compromising on
the value we create for our customers."
About SignalDemand
SignalDemand provides predictive analytics and optimization for
commodity based value chains. Through on-demand software and
services, SignalDemand delivers real-time recommendations to help
make complex price, mix, supply and purchasing decisions across
products, customers, channels and suppliers.
SignalDemand's recognition includes being named a "Cool Vendor"
in Gartner's "Cool Vendors in Manufacturing" Report and was the
only on-demand pricing company recognized by JMP Securities' "Hot
100" list of private companies. Companies such as Wal-Mart,
Cargill, ConAgra, Fonterra, JBS, Sobeys, Sysco, Teys Brothers, BJs,
Farmland Foods and Hormel rely on SignalDemand for immediate and
ongoing improvement of financial performance. For more information,
please visit www.signaldemand.com. For more information on the IBM
Frameworks or for details on how IBM is helping retail and consumer
products clients and Business Partners to make smarter, faster
decisions, visit:
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/industry/consumerprods/framework/.
More information about IBM Venture Capital Group is available at
www.ibm.com/venturecapitalgroup.
Note: All statements regarding IBM's plans, directions, and
intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice.
IBM, the IBM logo, ibm.com, WebSphere, Rational, Tivoli, Lotus,
Smarter Planet and the planet icon are trademarks of International
Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions
worldwide. Other product and service names might be trademarks of
IBM or other companies. For a current list of IBM trademarks,
please see www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.
All other company, product or service names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks of others. Statements concerning IBM's future
development plans and schedules are made for planning purposes
only, and are subject to change or withdrawal without notice.
Reseller prices may vary.
*SignalDemand is a registered trademark of SignalDemand.
Media Contacts:
Doug Fraim
External Media Relations
(617) 501-6376
dfraim@us.ibm.com
SOURCE IBM