Cadbury has chosen O4 Corporation to deliver an advanced retail execution solution for its stores Australia-wide.
O4’s solution has been rolled out to Cadbury territory managers enabling them to better manage sales, order taking and new product launches. It also allows Cadbury to electronically monitor in-store compliance with promotional activity.
Saving many hours per week in administration time, the solution will enable territory managers in the field to increase productivity and provide real-time reports to head office. In turn, this increased visibility will allow Cadbury management to closely monitor how the field sales force and retail partners are performing.
“We recognised that the need for state-of-the-art software was the number one priority to reignite our field sales team,” said Eddie Anastasi, national sales manager at Cadbury.
“Consumers will continue to buy confectionary in a recession but they are becoming more and more value conscious,” said Angela Lovegrove, O4 Corporation managing director Asia Pacific.
“Vendors like Cadbury have to know exactly what is happening on the shelf and ensure that in-store execution is flawless.
“O4’s mobile software applications are designed specifically for the consumer products industry. Our solution enables Cadbury to be more responsive and sensitive to market fluctuations.”
At any given time, Cadbury territory managers coordinate about 300 products and associated in-store promotions, with anywhere from 30 to 50 new products launched each year, according to Anastasi.
“Ensuring Cadbury’s products are stocked at the right volumes and are compliant with agreed trading terms across all major supermarkets and thousands of convenience outlets on a daily basis is an essential part of their role. The O4 solution will transform how they manage this.”
The initial roll-out started in mid-February and the first ‘whole’ month was completed in April 2009. Cadbury now has 200 territory managers using the application.