Transora, the global initiative of currently nearly 50 leading food, beverage, and consumer products companies, is creating a global, open, standards-based business-to-business e-Marketplace for the breadth of the consumer products supply chain. Today, Transora opens its European Headquarters in Amsterdam, at the World Trade Centre, Schiphol Airport.
The equity investor companies already committed nearly EURO 260 million (US$ 250 million) to build the infrastructure, using best-of-breed technologies and platforms, and fund start up operations. Among the investor companies are Cadbury Schweppes, Unilever, Sara Lee, Procter & Gamble, Heineken, Parmalat, Coca-Cola Company, Diageo, Kellogg and Kraft Foods. Since Transora is an open, neutral and collaborative initiative for buyers and sellers, all companies in the food, beverage and consumer products supply chain are invited and encouraged to participate.
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The goal of participating companies is to leverage new business process improvement opportunities available through the Internet. Transora will enable its members across the world to streamline business transactions in a way that will increase the overall quality of service delivery to customers and the value delivered to consumers.
The investor and participating companies together represent more than half of the global consumer product industry (approximately US$ 1.3 trillion). Also more than half of the European turnover in this industry is represented.
Transora’s services will span the breadth of the supply chain and include procurement, vendor and product catalogues, online order management, supply chain collaboration and financial services. Moving at ‘Internet speed’, Transora is already engaged in pilot transactions with a number of companies and market places and will publicly launch its first service offerings – procurement and product catalogue – in the fourth quarter of 2000.
“The sheer number of companies from Europe and the Americas joining forces to create a business-to-business e-Marketplace is unmatched in the industry”, says Judy Sprieser, Executive Vice President, Sara Lee Corporation and Chairwoman of Transora’s Steering Committee. “With this venture, so called ‘old economy’ companies evolve into ‘new economy’ leaders.”
Rudy Markham, Strategy and Technology Director, Unilever NV and Board Member of Transora, says: “Transora will offer a single connection to a broad array of services and exchanges on the Internet, providing ease of connectivity and associated cost-efficiencies. In order to benefit multiple players in the supply chain, we use best-of-breed, proven technologies and platforms. We are free to choose amongst the best of the vendors because we did not lock in with any one player on an equity basis.”
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By GlobalDataEstablishing strong linkages with the retailer community is also a key Transora strategy. Member companies are currently undertaking pilot transactions with members of the Global Net Exchange, a major retailer marketplace which represents key customers such as Carrefour, Sears and Metro. “GNX is very interested in linking our supply chain with Transora’s in order to maximise the efficiency of the entire chain,” says Joe Laughlin, acting CEO of GNX. “Our 2 exchanges are united in a common vision for communications standards and elimination of non-value-added business processes.” Transora is also engaged in similar partnering activities with the Worldwide Retail Exchange, which represents retailers such as Royal Ahold and Safeway.
Consumer products companies across Europe are dedicating human and financial resources to make Transora a success for all of their businesses. Roelf Duursema, Corporate Director E-Business, Heineken International and member of Transora’s European Advisory Committee, says: “Heineken fully committed itself to the Transora’s initiative since we are convinced that, in addition to the actions Heineken has already initiated, this global e-Marketplace can add value to the whole supply chain, to the customer, to the supplier and to our company, our shareholders and our employees.”
John Sunderland, Chief Executive Officer of Cadbury Schweppes plc, added, “Transora.com has the potential to become the definitive ‘one-stop shop’ globally for business-to-business e-commerce activity in the consumer packaged goods sector. It also offers the most efficient interface with the rapidly developing retailer e-markets to which several of our major customers belong. This is a strategically significant development not only for Cadbury Schweppes but also our industry.”
“With such a large base of customers and potential customers in Europe, we are pleased to launch our Amsterdam office and our European Headquarters,” explains Judy Sprieser. “Even in the Internet World, it is very important for us to be close to our customers.”
