Monthly Archives: December 2011

Glorified Cash Registers? Not so fast…

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Smarter Commerce

Fresh off receiving $1.2M in seed capital, Rajeev Viswanathan, CEO of Own, a San Francisco via Detroit start-up, had the following to say: “Point of sale systems have under-served retailers because, until now, they’ve simply been glorified cash registers. …

Posted in Commerce | Tagged point of sale systems, retail, smarter checkout | Leave a comment

Special Sneak Peek Alert: Watch first-ever IBM Smarter Commerce commercial before it airs

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Alisa Maclin

On January 1, 2012, IBM will unveil its first TV commercial for Smarter Commerce during the ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown and on January 2nd during the Fiesta Bowl. But in the spirit of the holidays (and because we think it’s …

Posted in Commerce | Tagged commercial, Fiesta Bowl, New Years Day, Smarter Commerce | 3 Comments

Supplier Management – Top of Mind for Some (but is it core to their procurement function?)

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Russell Johns

I recently had the opportunity to observe an excellent Procurement Leaders executive roundtable in London which Emptoris sponsored.

Held in the sublime surroundings of the recently refurbished Savoy Hotel, 11 leading CPOs from diverse industries and iconic global brands, came …

Posted in Procurement | Tagged risk, supplier lifecycle management | Leave a comment

Join us at NRF in New York- Jan 15-18

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Jace Davis

If you are attending the retail industry’s largest conference, the NRF show in New York, stop by and visit us. Within the IBM booth, we will be highlighting how our supply chain products can help you re-design your supply …

Posted in Commerce | Tagged Ilog, nrf, retail, Supply Chain Visibility | Leave a comment

Mid-December: How Online Retail Sales Are Shaping Up

Posted on December 19, 2011 by John Squire

Here we are, December 19^th. Just five business days until the Christmas weekend. And everyone wants to know how online retail is doing.

The answer is that consumers are out shopping in force (at least online). Consider that …

Posted in Commerce, Smarter Marketing | Tagged holiday retail, ibm holiday benchmark, m-commerce, mobile-commerce | 1 Comment

Smarter Commerce Continues Momentum with Emptoris Acquisition

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Craig Hayman

What a year! As 2011 comes to a close, I’m reminded again of the power customers hold in reshaping businesses around the world. The era of mobile and social networks has changed the commerce equation, shifting control from the seller …

Posted in Commerce | Tagged acquisition, Analytics, Smarter Commerce | Leave a comment

New Analytics Software Makes Smarter Supply Chain Network Decisions

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Michael Watson

As companies seek to achieve smarter commerce and put their customers at the center of their commerce processes, one of the primary challenges they face is dealing with complicated and extended supply chains. With the complexity and volatility of today’s …

Posted in Commerce | Tagged Analytics, Optimization, Smarter Commerce, supply chain | Leave a comment

Using technology to understand unique on-line shopping markets

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Kimberley Messer

Understanding your consumer’s on-line shopping behavior is essential in the new age of the empowered customer. Culture, geography and demographics contribute significantly to on-line shopping behavior. Smarter Commerce helps you understand your market and serve it better.

To embrace Smarter …

Posted in Smarter Marketing | Tagged Analytics, Canada, ecommerce, international, shopping | Leave a comment

De-Risking the Supply Chain – Thoughts for 2012

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Richard Douglass

At the CSCMP conference in Philadelphia recently, we spoke about what companies can do to “de-risk” their supply chains. In the following video, Stephen Dean of Ryder and I spoke to Supply Chain Brain magazine about this topic. The chief …

Posted in Commerce | Tagged supply chain, volatility | Leave a comment

Holiday Retailing Frenzy: How IBM Spots the Trends

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Steve Hamm

When it comes to mobile shopping this holiday season, there will be no place for the makers of smartphones and tablet computers to hide. Analysts will be able to detect not just the brand of the device from which a …

Posted in Smarter Marketing | Tagged Analytics, IBM Coremetrics Benchmark, mobile-commerce, Smarter Marketing | 1 Comment

IBM Named a Leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Integrated Marketing Management

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Smarter Commerce

It’s my great pleasure to announce that IBM has been named to the “Leaders” quadrant of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Integrated Marketing Management, Kimberly Collins, Adam Sarner, October 26, 2011. This recognition comes on the heels of our also …

Posted in Smarter Marketing | Tagged analysts, leader, Smarter Marketing | Leave a comment

Are your reverse logistics processes ready for the holiday returns season?

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Richard Douglass

Last year, an estimated $584.3 billion was spent on merchandise in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Consumer Reports estimates 20% of Americans returned at least one holiday item or gift. Customers come into the stores, tired from the holidays …

Posted in Commerce, Uncategorized | Tagged holiday returns, order management, reverse logistics, Smarter Commerce | Leave a comment