FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GMA Taps Accenture, IRI to Study Product Lifecycle Management Processes
Contact:
Scott Openshaw, Director, Communications, 202-295-3957
Brian Kennedy, Director, Communications, 202-639-5994
February 5, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) today announced the selection of Accenture and Information Resources Inc. (IRI) to conduct an in-depth study of successful product lifecycle management (PLM) processes as a means of fueling brand innovation and growth. The study, sponsored by the GMA Information Systems Committee, will examine the entire lifecycle of a product, from conception through discontinuation, and the importance of working across departmental lines in winning PLM strategies.
“In an economy that is undergoing profound transformation, where all manufacturers must revisit every business approach, it is critically important to focus on what consumers will buy and why,” said GMA President and CEO Pamela Bailey. “An effective PLM strategy enhances company performance by ensuring that CPG makers are delivering the products consumers want and scaling back or retiring items that are no longer in demand.”
Accenture and IRI will conduct both online surveys and in-depth interviews with experts in consumer and market research, research and development, manufacturing, marketing, IT and category management. The study will also consider what new product introductions were most successful in recent years and why. Based on analysis of this data and the collective insights of Accenture and IRI, the final report will recommend successful PLM practices and cross-functional collaboration models specific to the CPG industry. The study will also identify solution-based roles that IT professionals can play in the successful conception, launch, development and completion of the overall PLM process.
“The IT function is an essential cog in the PLM machine in that many of the tools and services IT departments provide help facilitate the process,” Gerrit Schutte, CIO and senior vice president, ConAgra Foods and GMA IS Committee member. “If we can more fully understand the collaborative role all departments play in PLM, we will be better equipped to serve them.”
The report, tentatively titled CPG Innovation and Growth: The Impact of Product Lifecycle Management Processes and Information Technology Strategies, is slated for release in March of this year with the major findings scheduled for presentation at the GMA Information Systems/Logistics Distribution Conference (www.gmaisld.org), April 5-8, 2009 in Miami, Florida.
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Based in Washington, D.C., the Grocery Manufacturers Association is the voice of more than 300 leading food, beverage and consumer product companies that sustain and enhance the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people in the United States and around the globe. Founded in 1908, GMA is an active, vocal advocate for its member companies and a trusted source of information about the industry and the products consumers rely on and enjoy every day. The association and its member companies are committed to meeting the needs of consumers through product innovation, responsible business practices and effective public policy solutions developed through a genuine partnership with policymakers and other stakeholders. In keeping with its founding principles, GMA helps its members produce safe products through a strong and ongoing commitment to scientific research, testing and evaluation and to providing consumers with the products, tools and information they need to achieve a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. The food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry in the United States generates sales of $2.1 trillion annually, employs 14 million workers and contributes $1 trillion in added value to the economy every year.
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