Huge Enterra Solutions market breakthrough

I, of course, could not be prouder of the team at Enterra Solutions. While I left the firm nearly a decade ago, I was there for the lean early years. So, to see its development unfold so brilliantly now is very satisfying. My congratulations to all involved.  Magnificent achievement!

Forbes News Coverage

Enterra/Nestlé Business Wire Press Release

Enterra Solutions Artificial Intelligence Video

Nestlé USA and Enterra Solutions Sign Multi-Year Cognitive Computing Agreement

Stephen DeAngelis

July 16, 2019

It is with a great deal of pleasure I announce Enterra Solutions® has signed a multi-year solution-as-a-service contract with Nestlé USA®. The agreement calls for Enterra to provide a next generation analytics and insights platform along with other business applications to Nestlé. Enterra has been working with Nestlé USA for several years and together, the companies have developed and will continue to deploy an industry-leading advanced analytics and insights capability. Our initial efforts are focused on the implementation of an Autonomous Demand Insights module within the Enterra Category Management Intelligent System™ (ECMIS) as well as the application of the Enterra Enterprise Cognitive System™ across the Nestlé USA retail partner network.

This business solution leverages autonomous decision-making and end-to-end optimization (Demand + Supply Insights) capabilities in order to drive growth, increase efficiency, and support Nestlé USA’s efforts to build the foundation for the Nestlé USA Intelligent Enterprise – one that fully leverages data, expert knowledge and advanced technologies to generate insights that automate and optimize business processes and decision-making. This shall be achieved through the utilization of Enterra’s cognitive computing platform, intelligent business applications and advanced analytics services integrated as one solution.

As part of the engagement, Enterra will harmonize siloed areas of the business, including category management and supply chain logistics into one company wide system. Additionally, Enterra will establish a Center for Advanced Analytics at Nestlé USA’s headquarters in Arlington, VA, including an Advanced Analytics team of mathematicians, data scientists, consumer packaged goods experts and data management specialists.

In the press release announcing the contract, Nestlé USA Chief Analytics Officer, Shan Collins, states, “We look forward to leveraging Enterra’s cutting-edge cognitive computing technologies and their scientific methods to generate industry leading advanced analytics and insights that will drive differentiation, accelerate growth and increase profitability across Nestlé USA. Our initial focus will be on creating value and competitive advantage in demand insights through autonomously generated, optimized marketing campaigns. This is the first step in transforming Nestlé USA into an Intelligent Enterprise.”

Enterra is excited to partner with Nestlé USA on the development and deployment of an industry-leading advanced analytics and insights solution. Our objective is to deploy and operate an end-to-end cognitive computing platform that will position Nestlé USA as the most advanced and innovative consumer packaged goods company in the industry. The use of real-time data and autonomous decision-making will give Nestlé USA a unique advantage in a highly competitive marketplace.

Most of the data analytics and modeling will be performed at Nestlé USA in Northern Virginia and Enterra’s offices in Pennsylvania. Enterra’s partner Massive Dynamics™, a leading mathematics and analytics company in Princeton, NJ, will provide advanced mathematics capabilities to support this initiative.

Named among “The World’s Most Admired Food Companies” in Fortune magazine for twenty-two consecutive years, Nestlé USA brands are in nearly every home in the country. With some of the most recognizable food and beverage brands, including Coffee-mate, DiGiorno, and Nestlé Toll House, the largest coffee portfolio in the U.S. with Nescafé, Nestlé Starbucks Coffee, and Chameleon Cold Brew, and category disrupters like Sweet Earth, Nestlé USA makes delicious, convenient products people love. With 2018 sales of $9.7 billion, Nestlé USA is part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland — the world’s largest food and beverage company. For product news and information, visit Nestleusa.com or Facebook.com/NestleUSA.

For additional coverage about the Nestlé USA/Enterra Solutions contract, read the article by David Bloom (@DavidBloom) in Forbes magazine entitled, “Nestlé Selects AI-Driven Analytics Firm Enterra To Build Platform for Marketing, Autonomous Sales.” To comment on the news release, please go the news release on my LinkedIn page. You might also enjoy watching a video about Enterra's Artificial Intelligence.

Enterra's new website launched

Exciting stuff. Find it here.

Enterra continues to expand its pioneering work in supply-chain management, and, despite leaving the company as a part-time employee last summer, I continue to work with CEO Steve DeAngelis in a consulting capacity. So, suffice it to say, I couldn't be happier with how the company has matured in this way.

As the site proclaims, Enterra "is a cloud-based, intelligent supply chain technology company that solves complex supply chain execution problems of consumer products and retail organizations through real-time data sharing and analytic solutions that “Sense, Think, Learn and Act” to continually improve process execution and capitalize on new demand generation opportunities."

Conair talking at big supply-chain management conference about Enterra's solutions

This is an image snapshot of Jon Harding, Global CIO for Conair Corporation, in a taped presentation, talking about how the Enterra Supply Chain Assurance Platform (ESCAPE™) is helping save a substantial percentage of Conair's revenue previously lost in retailer charge back fines and penalties while increasing customer service.

Go here to Enterra's site for the video.  A day-one recap of the big San Diego-based CSCMP (council of supply chain management professionals) conference by Supply Chain Digest's ed-in-chief Dan Gilmore with commentator Jim Barnes (also find that video here and go to 9:20 for the segment) saw Barnes quip that if Enterra's solution "can crack the Wal-Mart nut, they've got a goldmine there." Steve's blog comment to that was:

This informal industry validation proves what we believed all along: Enterra's ESCAPE™ offering provides our clients a real, sustainable supply chain solution.

Needless to say, we're ecstatic about this kind of testimonial being showcased in such a big industry setting, especially from such a demanding customer like Conair, which is famous in the industry for its efficiency- and cost-seeking behavior.  When somebody like that speaks on your behalf, professionals listen.

Steve spoke earlier at the day on the convention about Enterra's work.

For a webinar on Enterra's work on reducing retailer fines for missed shipments, etc., for consumer products companies like Conair, go here.

The graphics from Steve's post that provided an overview of the first module in the ESCAPE™ series and the second one we're working on.  We really think this stuff will revolutionize certain aspect of supply chain management--and industry professionals are starting to agree!