News Briefs

PVH Europe is leveraging low code to improve to ability to manage and track a range of enterprise applications, including marketing budgets, project calendars, customer service, and workforce management.

The company, which includes the Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein brands, has tapped Siemens-owned Mendix and Mendix partner MxBlue to make budgets more transparent and provide clear spending insights to optimize planning in a more visually appealing way. The Global Unified Budget Information (GUBI) app is also designed to provide more timely and accurate information.

The organization leverages the platform to create a suite of applications to more efficiently manage and track marketing budgets, chargeback, on- and off-board temporary and external employees, manage project calendars and streamline customer service.

[See also: For PVH, Driving Innovation Means Ditching the Playbook]

The Recertification Third Party Accounts (RTPA)) app, meanwhile, is designed to help HR work more closely with freelancers and contractors, while providing a streamlined on- and off-boarding process directly within the app to create more engagement with external workers. It also enables accounts and certificates to be renewed using the app.

Finally, the Chargeback app, which was built in just four months, manages chargebacks to wholesale partners and streamlines end-of-season returns and markdowns automatically, improving customer satisfaction. PVH Europe integrated the new solutions with SAP system of record, such as the Sample Sale app, an internal app to streamline invitations, registration, and crowd control for sample sales which integrates SAP with the Mendix platform.

Leveraging the experience with the Mendix platform, the PVH Europe development team was able to build and launch two additional apps, according to Mendix, and within six weeks they launched Prop Shop, an internal webshop for stores to order in-store promotional materials.

Reckitt is investing in its consumer research and insights management capabilities so it can more quickly access and act upon them.   

The No. 28 consumer goods company has tapped enterprise insights platform provider Stravito with the goal of creating a central hub for its market and consumer insights. The ultimate goal of the partnership is to simplify internal research discovery, increase engagement, and boost productivity.

The technology leverages artificial intelligence within personalized search to help Reckitt marketing users identify the exact pieces of research they need by highlighting relevant sentences and paragraphs. Doing so is expected to help the company uncover and use critical information for such things as customer behaviors and preferences across multiple verticals and markets.

[See also: Reckitt Establishes Improved Data Infrastructure, Optimizes Cloud and Analytics]

Machine learning auto-categorizes files with Reckitt's own taxonomy on upload to prevent the need for manual storage, while users are pushed personalized content on the home page via notifications and in search results. The platform also enables data visualization tools and third-party research firms to be directly integrated so users can search for content across multiple sources in a single view.

Stravito also works with such consumer goods brands as Danone, Electrolux, Danone and Carlsberg.

Reckitt is transforming its marketing and supply chain by launching a global cloud optimization initiative that will reportedly lead to enterprise-wide best practices regarding data residing in the cloud. 

By leveraging a new tech platform, the company will be able to access high quality data, enhance cloud performance, and improve visibility and predictability of monthly expenses. 

The company has tapped AI firm Sigmoid, using their solution and custom dashboards to improve visibility into planned projects and discover any anomalies or fluctuations in billing patterns to ensure cost efficiency. 

[More from Sigmoid: Win More Loyal Customers with Consumer Insights and CPG Analytics]

Reckitt was looking to improve its access to data, particularly as data volumes increased and multiple teams were relying on the insights garnered. The company already reports improvement in query performance by 97% and cost saving by 54%.

Thomson Iruthayaraj, global lead data strategy and operations of IT at Reckitt, said the new technology will allow the company to “have a clear view on cloud usage and continuity of key analytics initiatives.” 

Leveraging best practices in monitoring, guard railing, and optimization, the company has been able to optimize data infrastructure on multiple cloud platforms, which has decreased cloud costs by more than 50% BAU projects in GCP, said Iruthayaraj.

"We are happy to work with Reckitt in their cloud enablement and optimization. Our association with leading cloud service providers combined with our experience in data management enabled us to develop a highly cost efficient solution with real-time monitoring and notification system that drives business critical use cases for Reckitt," said Mayur Rustagi, Sigmoid's CTO and co-founder.

Tableware brand Fable Home is leveraging AI to dig deeper into performance, drive marketing scalability, and cut customer acquisition costs. 

With the help of data analytics company Conjura, Fable Home will be able to improve visibility into performance across the organization, helping the company understand how to better manage resources and unlock opportunities and minimize risk. 

The technology will provide Fable Home with a comprehensive view into operations, providing real-time analysis across fulfillment, supply chain sources, transactions, and customer behavior. 

Ian Cruickshank, head of financial planning and analysis at Fable, stated that the online furniture and homeware market is growing at a rapid pace, and best-in-class technology allows the company to meet consumers’ evolving expectations. 

“As the complexity of our operation increases, and we look to expand our business beyond North America, Conjura’s unique business insights and approach will enable us to identify our customers’ changing needs and adapt accordingly in order to deliver the same quality experience at scale,” he said

“Fable’s commitment to responsible design, ethical sourcing and accessible pricing adds an important layer to their analytic needs, and we are thrilled to bring our technology to such a popular brand,” said Fran Quilty, CEO of Conjura. “A key component of our work with Fable will be to provide them with greater visibility and insights into their current operations across the board on a single cloud-based platform. We will also be identifying areas of opportunity for growth, enabling the company to optimize their approach and ultimately enhance customer experiences."

Tracey Massey has been named chief operating officer at NielsenIQ, a new role for the company.

Massey will oversee all of NielsenIQ’s commercial and product aspects, as well as its revenue, product development plans, business units’ strategies, and all market-facing aspects.

Most recently global president and CEO of Mars Pet Nutrition, Massey led the company’s pet food business and revamped its product portfolios for growth. Prior to that role, she was regional president of Mars Confectionary Americas, where she led her team through the integration of Mars Chocolate Americas with the Wrigley Co. Americas.

“Tracey will play an integral role in the continued transformation of NielsenIQ, placing even more emphasis on sustainable growth through the execution of our strategic initiatives,” said Jim Peck, executive chairman and CEO of NielsenIQ. “She brings more than 30 years of industry experience and a successful track record in growing and expanding global business, but most importantly her passion for serving customers and nurturing highly engaged teams will be key in our evolution.”

See more leadership news here.

The co-founders of Honest tea intend to fill the gap exposed by the brand’s upcoming discontinuation.

The Coca-Cola Company announced last month it will phase out the Honest brand by the end of this year in order to focus on brands with more growth potential, including the Gold Peak and Peace Tea brands.

Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff, who founded Honest in 1998 and now lead healthy snack startup Eat the Change, announced they will bring a line of organic bottled tea to market by the end of this year under their new venture. Joining with chef Spike Mendelsohn, the group intends to enlist many of the same key team members who launched Honest Tea.

[See also: Goldman on CPG Innovation]

Goldman, who had called the discontinuation a “gut punch” on social media, said in a statement that the overwhelming response on LinkedIn have demonstrated several things: “The first is a true commitment to the values underlying Honest Tea really counts – it makes a difference to our consumers, our suppliers, our employees and our partners in the natural foods world,” he said. “The second learning is that the community of people who Honest Tea touched and inspired was even larger, and more passionate, than we hoped.”

Adding that organic and Fair Trade suppliers deserve better treatment, Goldman said the upcoming line will be both organic and Fair Trade certified.