Hurray! Applause! BABOOM! Thank YOU!

Posted on January 6, 2011
in CEO Speaks, Merchandising, Product Innovation, Retail
by Sue Welch

Yes, we are VERY proud that we were the first (and only) Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) / Merchandise Lifecycle Management (MLM) technology company to be ranked by retailers as a Top 10 RIS Leaderboard provider to the retail industry. And of course, we were unlikely to hide our light under the proverbial bushel basket. Hence the press releases, email campaigns, phone calls to customers, celebratory party, fireworks and parade. But really, it did mean something that a PLM company finally made it on to Leaderboard.

As most people know, RIS Leaderboard is considered the Olympics of retail technology – with a slight flavor of Dancing with the Stars. An independent organization retained by RIS magazine asks executives from all major retail segments to rank the best software companies serving their industry. For this year’s survey, nearly 300 retailers voted on 847 vendor valuations.

But why is TradeStone’s recognition as a Top 10 supplier (in six categories!) so important? It means that PLM technologies are gaining momentum and have achieved critical mass in retail. Technology that unifies the design, sourcing and delivery of private label and global brands has taken its rightful place alongside ERP, SCM, Price Optimization and other core technologies for retailers and brand companies.

As Joe Skorupa, editor-in-chief, RIS News said “The RIS LeaderBoard has never had high placements by PLM / MLM providers in the past. TradeStone’s solutions, which help businesses in these areas, were consistently cited by retailers for their performance, reliability and return on investment. The strong customer satisfaction ratings made TradeStone a standout in this year’s group of top software vendors.”

So thank you to our customers who voted for us, our employees who delivered such outstanding software and our competitors (the beloved Triplets) for their heartfelt – albeit silent -appreciation of TradeStone’s contributions in getting PLM / MLM technology recognized as a MUST have technology for retailers that strive to maintain and gain market share and consumer loyalty. It’s a big win for everyone!

Tags: Leaderboard, MLM, PLM, Retail, RIS, software