Contract Win
Sopheon PLC
16 October 2007
Embargoed Release: 07:00hrs Tuesday 16 October 2007
Sopheon plc
('Sopheon')
Beiersdorf Implements Sopheon System in Support of
Product Innovation Strategy
Accolade(R) Helps Skin Care Market Leader Integrate Management
of Global Product Development Process
Sopheon, the international software and services company, announced today that
Beiersdorf AG, a leading manufacturer of skin and beauty care products, has
deployed Sopheon's Accolade product life cycle management (PLM) system to
support the company's implementation of an enhanced, integrated process for
developing and launching new products. The solution is also being used to
strengthen product portfolio decision-making and reporting.
Founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1882 by pharmacist Carl Beiersdorf, Beiersdorf's
original product patents were for bandages and wound coverings. By the turn of
the century, the company had expanded into consumer skin care and beauty
products. Today Beiersdorf is a $7B global producer of regionally branded
consumer goods with approximately 100 locations and more than 17,000 employees.
The company has a reputation for strong customer and product focus, an
orientation that has helped, for instance, make NIVEA(R) the best-selling body
care brand in the world.
Cosmetics is a highly competitive, global industry. It is also among the
fastest-moving markets in the consumer goods sector. The life of a typical
cosmetic product is only about four years, which means that ongoing, rapid
innovation is a prerequisite to achieving sustained business growth. Beiersdorf
is addressing this imperative as a core aspect of its consumer business
strategy, labeled 'Passion for Success.' The strategy calls for the company to
focus on fewer but more significant innovations and deliver them to market
faster. Beiersdorf has long regarded continuous improvement of its new product
development processes as a key factor in maintaining brand superiority.
Beiersdorf's adoption of Accolade has allowed the company to advance not only
its processes for product creation, but its portfolio management capabilities as
well. One principal benefit of the system is that it has given the
cross-functional teams engaged in product development across the Beiersdorf
organization a common platform through which to access and share project data.
The result has been greater transparency and an improved ability to track the
progress of projects in the developmental pipeline. Accolade has also helped to
raise the efficiency and accuracy of portfolio reporting and strengthen the
company's portfolio management and decision-making processes.
Sopheon partners Sopheon Vertriebs GmbH and Sopheon Business Applications GmbH
were responsible for the sale, implementation and support of Accolade at
Beiersdorf. Dieter Jaeger, chief executive officer of Sopheon Vertriebs GmbH,
said, 'Beiersdorf has commanded a top position in the international personal
care market for many years, and innovation-led product development has been a
hallmark of their success. When we were introduced to Beiersdorf, they already
had in place a standardized, global product development process anchored in best
practices. With Accolade, we were able to give them a single, user-friendly
software system that integrated the management of that process with portfolio
management and comprehensive decision-support. Beiersdorf chose Accolade
because it could match their specific, demanding process requirements. They
have subsequently embraced it because it has proven that it helps to ensure
superior process performance.'
Accolade(R) is a registered trademark of Sopheon plc.
NIVEA(R) is a registered trademark of Beiersdorf AG.
All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the sole
property of their respective owners.
About Beiersdorf AG
Founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1882 as a small pharmacy, Beiersdorf has grown to
become a global company of branded consumer goods with approximately 100
affiliates. Since its founding, Beiersdorf has concentrated on skin and beauty
care. Beiersdorf is focused on dynamic regions that have above-average
developmental potential, including Asia, South America and Eastern Europe.
Beiersdorf is particularly focused on China, Russia, Brazil and India.
Beiersdorf products include NIVEA(R), Eucerin(R), Curad(R), Labello(R), 8x4(R),
JUVENA(R), la prairie(R), atrix(R) and FUTURO(R). For more information, please
visit www.beiersdorf.com.
About Sopheon
Sopheon (LSE:SPE) is an international provider of software and services that
help organizations improve the business impact of product innovation. Sopheon's
solutions automate and govern the innovation process, enabling companies to
increase revenue and profits from new products. Sopheon is listed on the AIM
Market of the London Stock Exchange and on the Euronext in the Netherlands. For
more information, please visit www.sopheon.com.
- Ends -
For further information contact:
Barry Mence, Chairman Sopheon plc Tel : + 44 (0) 1483 685 735
Arif Karimjee, CFO
Andrew Tan Hansard Tel : + 44 (0) 207 245 1100
+ 44 (0) 7957 203 685
Floor van Maaren Citigate First Financial Tel : + 31 (0) 205 754 010
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange