History of Trade Promotion Management Vendors & TPM Vendor Comparison

CPG TPM Industry Overview

The following table shows an overview of the trade promotion software industry and software applications over the past four decades.  

Terms: 
            TPM is short for Trade Promotion Management
            CPG is short for consumer products goods
            DMS = Deduction Management System
            Closed-loop TPM = All aspects of trade promotion management are tightly linked to ERP and other systems.  Functionality must include post-promotion analysis, planning budgeting, and settlements with payments and deduction resolutions.

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TPM Vendor History and TPM Vendor Comparison

Use the following tables to compare the software vendors that have sold and supported trade promotion software applications for CPG manufacturers in the United States marketplace.  These tables compare TPM vendors by trade promotion functionality. 

Synectics Group is proud to be an important part of the TPM vendor landscape over three of the past four decades.  Synectics Group software is called Account Review, and is still a leading provider of closed loop trade promotion software and services for consumer goods manufacturers, brokers and retailers.  Synectics Group is located in Allentown Pennsylvania.  Synectics Group started with Post-promotion analysis in the 1980’s, and closed the loop by 2000.   Based on our long history of TPM for the CPG industry, we believe we have the largest refenceable base of CPG clients in the USA in live, closed-loop TPM production.

www.tradepromo.com         www.synecticsgroup.com

Gelco is located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and has provided TPM services to the CGP industry since the 1980’s.  Gelco still provides closed-loop TPM services today.

• TMS division of Gelco Information Services
• Note:  Gelco partnered with Crossmark, a national food broker
  
  www.gelcotrade.com           www.crossmark.com

SPAR, and later know as SPAR Marketing Services, was perhaps the first TPM vendor that focused on post-promotion evaluation and analysis.  SPAR utilized both shipment data and POS data from Wegmans to generate the SPARLINE, which was an estimate of base sales excluding the influence of short-term trade promotions.  SPAR did not provide closed-loop trade promotion software.

• SPAR purchased Burgoyne and is now focused on retail merchandizing, not on post promotion analysis.
  
  www.sparinc.com

AIM, short for Applied Information Marketing, and was based in Connecticut.  Like SPAR, AIM was an early TPM vendor that included baseline analytical modeling.  

• AIM was purchased by MMA
• AIM Web site no longer available

MEI, based in Montreal Canada, is a recent entry into the CPG industry.  MEI chose to abandon the banking industry and create SFA/CRM software for the CPG industry.  After many years of SFA/CRM successes, MEI added closed-loop trade promotion software to its SFA/CRM software. 

• Includes Verisync

Verisync was formed as a partnership between Acosta, MEI and ISS to provide TPM and other services in the ASP format.  

• Verisync partnered with and was financed in part by Acosta, a national food broker
• MEI’s share of ownership of Verisync increased after MEI’s 2005–2006 insolvency / bankruptcy.  
  
  www.Verisync.com              www.acosta.com

Chicor was an early leader in DMS.  (Deduction Management Software) 

• Chicor was sold to I-Many  (DMS = Deduction Management System)
• Web site no longer available

I-Many sold it’s TPM software to Adesso Solutions.

• I-Many sold DMS (Deduction Management System) component to Adesso Solutions
  
  www.I-Many.com
  
  

Adesso is a provider of closed-loop trade promotion software.  Its software base and code was purchased from I-Many, which was purchased from Chicor.

• Note: Adesso has partnered with and has been partially funded by Advantage Sales & Marketing (ASM), a national food broker
  
  www.adesso-solutions.com           www.asmnet.com

In the 1990’s, Vista was known for its ability to create trade promotion bulletins.  After financial difficulties, Vista was sold to JDA. 

The Vista web site no longer available

JDA continues to list the Vista TPM software on its web site.

• JDA purchased Vista Technologies after its bankruptcy
  
  www.jda.com

CAS is a recent entry into the complex TPM space. 

www.cas.com

Siebel is a recent entry into the complex TPM space.

• Now owned by Oracle
  
  www.oracle.com      www.siebel.com

SAP is a recent entry into the complex TPM space. 

www.sap.com

Demantra is a recent entry into the complex TPM space.

* Now owned by Oracle
www.oracle.com      www.demantra.com

9Ci is a recent entry into the TPM space.  9Ci’s client base is CG.  (Not food, but other CG verticals such as clothing and apparels.)

www.9Ci.com


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