Contact:
Suzy Silliman
412-362-2000
ssilliman@msa.com
Management Science Associates, Inc. and Renaissance IT Align to Deliver Best-of-Breed Machine Planogramming and Product Assortment Solutions to Product Suppliers in the Vend Channel
MSA's VendScape™ syndicated data interfaces seamlessly with Renaissance IT's vendView™ and vendView Xpress™ applications to provide an immediate, preeminent solution to vend product manufacturers committed to maximizing their customers' machine real estate
April 15, 2002 - Pittsburgh, PA/Grapevine, TX - Management Science Associates, Inc. (MSA) and Renaissance IT, Inc. today announced a strategic alliance that will serve to integrate MSA's VendScape™ syndicated data with Renaissance IT's Marketplace Proview™ suite. The action will enable product suppliers to practice effectively "VM -Management", a deployment of Category Management tailored to the vend channel. The result is a "VM-Management" offering, available today, which marries the most comprehensive and accurate Vend Syndicated Data source with the gold-standard machine planogram/efficient assortment tool for the vend industry.
"Vend Product Suppliers need more than data alone, they need strategic insights and tactical solutions that drive the manufacturers' profitability as well as the profitability of their vend operator customers." According to Suzy Silliman, Vice President of MSA's Information Management Solutions Division, "The supplier will benefit from this alliance by having the best-of-breed in data and sales applications without the burden of: managing multiple vendor relationships, facilitating activity between vendors, managing data specifications, formats and feeds, and coordinating timelines. In the absence of these burdens, manufacturers can instead focus on developing the right strategies and tactics to impact the bottom line."
VendScape™ is the most reliable machine-level data source available to the vending industry composed of nearly 50,000 unique machines and more than two years of weekly time-series data. Many product suppliers, including four of the top five Beverage and Snack & Candy manufacturers are reaping the rewards of the vend-business intelligence gathered through VendScape™ insights. Through identifying trends and opportunities, revealing and responding to competitive threats, and monitoring new product introductions, etc. VendScape™ subscribers are securing increased product sales and improved customer satisfaction. Incremental benefits can now be realized with Renaissance IT's space management and planogramming capabilities, which complete the Vend-Machine Management process. Learn more about VendScape™ at www.allaboutvending.com .
Renaissance I.T., Inc. offers space management and planogramming capabilities across all CPG channels of business by means of the Marketplace Proview™ suite of software. An integral component of Marketplace Proview™, the vendView™ and vendView Xpress™ applications focus directly on the vending channel of trade by providing preloaded vending machine configurations, 1,800 vending product images, drag & drop product replacement, presentation quality planograms and seamless integration of MSA's VendScape™ syndicated data.
vendView Xpress™ is a streamlined application to create vending machine planograms and requires minimal data to provide high-level reports such as category overviews, manufacturer performances and item rankings. For greater space management needs, the vendView™ application employs MSA's VendScape™ data to the most actionable degree. vendView™ is designed to assist in merchandising the right products, in the right places and in the right quantities. Key features of vendView™ include planograms that prefill products based on merchandising strategies, product assortment comparisons, days of supply analysis, distribution opportunity analysis, product contribution analysis and presentation quality reports.
About Renaissance IT
Renaissance IT has a habit of excellence as demonstrated by its impressive track record of delivering software solutions since 1993. Renaissance IT is committed to empowering Sales and Marketing decision makers in timely acquisition of and access to relevant marketplace information. Renaissance IT has positioned itself as the leading innovator in both Sales and Marketing Information Systems and Category Management Solutions within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Industry. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.RenaissanceIT.com.
About MSA
Management Science Associates, Inc. has been a leader in the development of analytical software and information-based systems since it was founded in 1963. MSA specializes in business analysis and consulting services, media solutions, data mining and integration services and information automation services for more than 300 clients worldwide. MSA is headquartered in Pittsburgh, with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, High Point, NC, Toronto, Cardiff, Wales and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The privately held company has 900 employees and has enjoyed nearly 40 years of uninterrupted growth. More information about MSA can be found at www.msa.com.
© 2002 All Rights Reserved. Management Science Associates, Inc.
VendScape is a trademark of the Validata Computer & Research Corp. All product names are trademarks of their respective company
