O4 Reignites Cadbury's Field Sales Force With Easy-to-Use Technology

PR Newswire

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SYDNEY, July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadbury today announced it has chosen O4 Corporation, the world's leading provider of mobile sales force automation solutions to deliver an advanced retail execution solution. O4's solution has been rolled-out in record time to some 200 Cadbury territory managers throughout Australia, enabling them to better manage sales, order taking and new product launches, and provide office-based management with access to real-time data from the field.

The O4 solution also allows Cadbury to electronically monitor in-store compliance with promotional activity. Saving many hours per week in administration time, the intuitive 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.

Mr. Eddie Anastasi, National Sales Manager at Cadbury said: "We recognised that the need for state-of-the-art software was the number one priority to reignite our field sales team. A gold standard brand needs a gold standard solution and O4 talked our language from day one. Feedback all round has focused on how easy the O4 solution is to use, plus we now have information at our national office just minutes after it's captured in the field, enabling us to make informed, timely decisions."

Angela Lovegrove, O4 Corporation Managing Director Asia Pacific said: "People still buy chocolate in a recession but consumers are becoming more and more value conscious. 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."

In the search for a reliable system and solution partner, Cadbury reviewed a number of offerings however, the majority of solutions presented were general in their approach and needed extensive customisation.

Mr. Anastasi added, "At any given time, Cadbury territory managers co-ordinate about 300 products and associated in-store promotions, with anywhere from 30 to 50 new products launched each year. Ensuring Cadbury's products are stocked at the right volumes and 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 deployment comprises O4's software running on an HTC's PDA-style device. It replaces a legacy field system that ran on tablet PCs. The time saving benefits and easy-to-use features of the O4 solution will improve productivity and efficiency in the field and at the national office.

Devices with the O4 solution were deployed in mid-February and the first "whole" month was completed in April 2009. Cadbury now has 200 territory managers equipped with the O4 application.

"It was an aggressive deployment but with a committed O4 and Cadbury project team we were confident we could meet the sales team's expectations. O4's solution eliminates the guess work and helps give us a happier and more productive team in the field," concluded Mr. Anastasi.

About O4 Corporation

Established in 1998, O4 Corporation has international offices in

Australia, the United States and United Kingdom and partner networks in Asia Pacific, Europe, and South America to deliver its comprehensive solutions. O4 has attracted numerous industry-leading clients including Procter & Gamble, Simplot Australia, Daisy Brand, Reckitt Benckiser, Foster's Group, Pernod Ricard Pacific, and Suntory. O4 Solutions deliver significant return on investment through efficiency gain and cost reductions. By addressing the needs of both management and mobile workers, they support sound planning and decision making, increased field force effectiveness and excellence in retail execution. The end result is a positive impact on revenue and profits.

About Cadbury

Cadbury is one of the world's largest confectionery businesses with number one or number two positions in over 20 of the world's 50 biggest confectionery markets. It also has the largest and most broadly spread emerging markets business of any confectionery company. With origins stretching back nearly 200 years, Cadbury's brands include many global, regional and local favourites including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Flake and Creme Egg in chocolate; Trident, Dentyne, Hollywood and Bubbaloo in gum; and Halls, Cadbury Eclairs, Bassett's, The Natural Confectionery Co and Pascall in candy.

Contact: Ian Evans Managing Director, EMEA +44(0)1908-843-622 ievans@o4corporation.com

SOURCE O4 Corporation

2009-07-29 04:00:00