Q&A with John A. Steinert, Chief Marketing Officer at TechTarget

Media 7 | April 22, 2020

Cameron Worth, CEO & Founder of SharpEnd leads the company’s mission to help brands move closer than ever to consumers by connecting packaging, retail and experiential activity. He is a regular speaker and writer on how to build brands in a connected world. He has spoken at Cannes, the Festival of Marketing, LuxePack Monaco and New York, Ad:Week Europe and New York, DMA, the Connected Consumer Conference, Mobile World Congress and the IoT World Forum. MEDIA 7: How did the idea of “the agency of things” come to your mind? CAMERON WORTH: SharpEnd was created in 2015 as the world’s first Internet of Things focused agency, so there is a slight play on words when we say we’re the Agency of Things. I think the idea of giving things their own agency is an interesting concept, and the strapline fits our capabilities on multiple levels. M7: In what way does technology drive the association of SharpEnd with global brands? What approaches are followed to enable sustainability? CW: Our simple proposition is to help build brands in a connected world, and to do that you must always start with identified consumer needs or pain points and look at technology as just an enabler to deliver an appropriate solution (when appropriate).  Take the issue of sustainability, which is often a pain point for brands that grapple with issues such as how we can reward sustainable behaviour change. One of our approaches to this could be to look at communicating the recycling credentials of the different products. Whilst the consumer can engage with a product as part of a wider consumer experience, the same technology could also house content that could tell you whether the product is recyclable, which type of bin it goes in etc. SharpEnd’s work with Unilever is a case in point. We built a digital product that incentivised recycling through gamification but also served to educate through informing people how and where to recycle in a clear fashion. All users had to do was simply scan their packaging to have all this information at their disposal.

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MEDIA 7 | March 9, 2020

Rachel Gabato, COO at ripe.io is a highly experienced and proven Product Management executive and advisor with experiences in designing, developing and delivering enterprise SaaS solutions for start-ups, mid-size and large companies. I have demonstrated success is managing solutions across all stages of the software lifecycle. Deck 7: What is your favorite part of working at ripe.io? RACHEL GABATO: My favorite part of working at ripe.io is the diverse background of people that ripe.io has brought together. We’re a blockchain technology company with a mission to build long-lasting trust and confidence in our food supply chain through a platform where everyone can access transparent and reliable information on the origin, journey and quality of their food.  Our co-founders originate from the fintech space, so they were very familiar with blockchain as a technology. They assessed multiple industries and identified the food supply chain as a industry which could be transformed by leveraging this technology. I didn’t have any knowledge of agriculture and the food supply chain, but I had a background in retail supply chain technology. However, we also have food scientists, data scientists, farmers, sustainable agriculture specialists, flavor specialists, blockchain technologists on staff;  it’s a diverse group that has their own specialty but when we have ideation sessions, the education and sharing that happens is tremendous. This is one of my favorite parts of ripe.io – seeing us all educating, supporting and working together to work on our common mission. If you would have asked me two years ago if I would be visiting farms, I would have said no. However, much has changed, and I’ve been on hog farms, produce and citrus farms, sugar cane farms, etc. and visited all participants involved in the supply chain. I find this space incredibly fascinating and interesting. I now have a much better understanding where food comes from, how it gets to us, how it’s grown and handled. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from our team and it’s the intersection of technology and solving the challenges of the food supply chain which I’m incredibly passionate about.

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Media 7 | November 15, 2021

We had the opportunity to interview the data-enthusiast and the former first Chief Data Officer in Sweden, Vanessa Eriksson, SVP, Chief Digital Officer at Zenseact and Board Member at Fidesmo, where she explored the different features of the autonomous vehicle. Read on to find out more about the Zenseact protects critical business and company information.

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Supply Chain

PR Newswire | November 03, 2023

Baxter Planning, the leading provider of Service Parts Management technology, today announced that Siemens Healthineers, a leading medical technology company, has selected Baxter Planning as their long-term Service Supply Chain partner. Siemens Healthineers will be leveraging Baxter Planning's BaxterPredict, an end-to-end predictive platform to support the global Service Supply Chain at Siemens Healthineers Customer Services. After an extensive evaluation, Siemens Healthineers selected Baxter Planning based on their leading Service Parts Planning solution and domain expertise. Through Baxter's advanced support system and Center of Excellence (CoE), their customers have access to professional input from the most qualified experts in the space, earning Baxter Planning the tagline, "Your Partners in Planning" and multiple industry awards. Another feature that set Baxter Planning apart for Siemens Healthineers is BaxterPredict's Total Cost Optimization capability, which enables companies to plan for low volume, intermittent demand patterns, ensuring the right mix of parts are stocked at the correct location. Healthcare Service Business is also a space where emergency situations demand partners like Siemens Healthineers to act fast, with the potential to result in excess shipping expenses. BaxterPredict's Automated Replenishment will help them minimize freight shipping costs and burn down excess inventory throughout their global Service Supply Chain with a replenishment strategy that prioritizes stocking from the smartest location. To help Siemens Healthineers reach even more of a strategic edge, Installed Based Planning can allow them to plan according to the growth or decline of their equipment base and highlight critical client contracts for enhanced coverage. With this dynamic feature, they will be able to drive better service levels and higher first-time fix rates for technician visits, improving service operations, and enhancing the customer Net-Promoter-Score. Operating in more than 70 countries, 90% of leading hospitals work with Siemens Healthineers around the globe to support their patients. With over 15,000 granted patents, Siemens Healthineers is focused on pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare and delivering world-class support to their clients. "With such a sprawling operation, our requirements can get too complicated for most planning platforms quite quickly. We needed a powerful, dynamic solution that gives us actionable insights based on a massive amount of data, and we found that in BaxterPredict", stated Klaus Rueth, Senior Vice President, Customer Service Managed Logistics, Siemens Healthineers. "BaxterPredict is becoming an industry standard in the medical technology field, which is exciting because of the huge impact medical technologies can have on individuals' lives. I believe our partnership with Siemens Healthineers will help improve healthcare as a whole and bring life-preserving efficiency to emergency situations," added Mårten Gustafsson, Chief Revenue Officer, Baxter Planning. The Baxter Planning Predictive Service Supply Chain Platform solution connects disparate workflows and teams with predictive insights that drive significant productivity gains, cost savings, and customer satisfaction. This new, predictive approach to inventory planning, demand forecasting, product-lifecycle planning, operations-workflow monitoring, reverse logistics, and customer-escalation management unlocks significant new value for Service Supply Chain organizations. About Baxter Planning Baxter Planning is the world leader in Service Parts Management technology. Global customers rely on their software to better manage their service supply chain. The company's BaxterPredict™ end-to-end predictive platform transforms Service Supply Chain management, driving cost reduction, resiliency, optimization, and end-to-end visibility control, reducing inventory, logistics, and operations costs, while helping customers improve services revenue and better manage service outcomes. Customers using Baxter Planning's software manage $11B in inventory across 35,000 locations in 120 countries. Baxter Planning is a portfolio company of Polaris Partners, a private investment firm with offices in Boston, San Francisco, and New York.

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Supply Chain

Trimble Inc | November 08, 2023

Ferguson joins Trimble Supplier Xchange, streamlining the construction supply chain. Trimble's Supplier Xchange handles 10,000+ digital connections, 18B in monthly quotes. This integration automates pricing info to purchase orders, reducing errors and streamlining workflows. Trimble, a leading technology, software, and services solutions provider for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, and Ferguson have recently announced a significant development in the construction supply chain. Ferguson locations nationwide have officially joined the Trimble Supplier Xchange digital pricing and procurement network. This development marks a pivotal step and further digitalizes and streamlines construction supply chain operations, benefiting both mechanical and commercial customers. Furthermore, it enhances efficiency between construction teams and their most crucial business partners. Trimble's Supplier Xchange network currently facilitates over 10,000 digital connections between specialty subcontractors and their preferred suppliers. It handles an impressive average of 130,000 quote requests every month, with an average total value of USD 18 billion per month. The integration between Ferguson and Supplier Xchange enables contractors to access up-to-date, contracted pricing information and seamlessly convert it into a purchase order (PO). This PO flows directly into the contractor's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, ensuring that the order is placed and financially accounted for in the ERP system without delay. This streamlined process significantly reduces the time required and minimizes errors typically associated with manual data entry, thanks to the automatic synchronization of the purchase order. By becoming a part of the Supplier Xchange network, Ferguson, a prominent commercial mechanical distributor in the United States, is proactively addressing the common pain points faced by contractors in their day-to-day workflows. Tom Sullivan, Commercial Construction Services and Technology Director at Ferguson highlighted that prioritizing digital connections with their customers was of utmost importance. He explained that as their customers are increasingly looking for ways to cut costs and enhance efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness, Supplier Xchange would empower them to offer real-time customer-specific information. This would effectively reduce the manual processes and time needed in the workflows related to estimating, Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), purchasing, project management, and accounting. The official announcement took place at Trimble Dimensions 2023, where both Ferguson and Trimble are showcasing the Supplier Xchange network. Trimble Construction Management Solutions' Vice President and General Manager Lawrence Smith emphasized that it had never been more crucial to integrate technology solutions to enhance the speed, accuracy, and seamlessness of information sharing across the construction supply chain. He stated that the data collaboration between Ferguson and Trimble was delivering increased efficiency, precision, and swiftness in their customers' workflows, encompassing estimating, procurement, purchasing, accounting, and project management.

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Transportation

Business Wire | October 30, 2023

UPS announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Happy Returns from PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL). Happy Returns is a U.S.-based software and reverse logistics company that enables frictionless, no-box, no-label returns for merchants and consumers. “We know that returns have long frustrated shoppers and retailers looking for quick and easy solutions,” UPS CEO Carol B. Tomé said. “By combining Happy Returns’ easy digital experience and established drop-off points with UPS’s small package network and footprint of close to 5,200 The UPS Store locations, box-free, label-free returns will soon be available at more than 12,000 convenient locations in the U.S.” “Joining the UPS team is a win for both our employees and our customers,” said Happy Returns CEO and co-founder David Sobie, who will continue to lead the business for UPS after the deal closes. “In recent years, the growth of Happy Returns has accelerated, and we’ve built an enterprise-grade solution. This new chapter is a natural next step for Happy Returns and allows us to harness the power of the UPS network to transform the returns industry.” Happy Returns offers a full stack of returns solutions, powered by software and fully scaled reverse logistics operations that facilitate frictionless returns. In a few simple steps, users can access a returns portal, make a box-free return at the most convenient location and have their item shipped, sorted and returned to the merchant. With more than 800 merchant customers, Happy Returns has a strong track record of providing hassle-free, no-box returns, reducing the cost of e-commerce for all players and creating a more efficient, sustainable supply chain. The acquisition of Happy Returns is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

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