Business analytics for consumer products.

Most large consumer product companies use IBM Business Analytics software to deliver smarter operations and performance.

Business intelligence software lets you consolidate, track, analyse and report on relevant data. Financial performance and strategy management software provides planning, budgeting and consolidation for linking strategy to dynamic plans and targets.

Advanced analytics software gives you the insight to anticipate trends and predict future outcomes. And analytic applications give you a quick start with a particular issue or domain.

Learn more: Download the Picturing Performance: Dashboards for Consumer Products white paper (link resides outside of ibm.com)

Sales and operations

• Use predictive models and association rules to determine which group of products work best for which customers.
• Analyse customer, product, market and channel profitability to optimise customer service and financial performance, including better management of trade spend.
• Manage new product introductions and line extensions to protect and grow market share.
• Drive an effective sales and operations planning (S&OP) process to integrate demand, supply and financial plans.
• Manage product demand by customer and SKU for more accurate forecasts.

Supply chain

• Reconcile sales and demand forecasts with supply chain and production plans.
• Achieve visibility into performance across the supply chain and understand the impact on strategic KPIs.

Financial performance management

• Develop timely, reliable forecasts, budgets and plans.
• Set, measure and monitor key performance metrics based on standard financial statements.
• Develop plans for key financial indicators including returns, cost of goods, supply chain costs and gross profit.
• Align operations around critical revenue and profitability targets; and quickly adjust plans and resource allocations to achieve profitable growth.

Workforce management

• Use predictive models to improve recruitment and optimise staffing decisions.
• Monitor key workforce measures such as headcount and turnover, demographics, compensation, benefits and new talent recruitment using workforce analytic applications.

The fastest methods

Consumer product organisations have no time to waste in implementing software to achieve maximum value and ROI. IBM Cognos Performance Blueprints (US) are free quick-start solutions that address planning and performance management process areas that directly impact your organisation's ability to create business value.