Procurement á la carte - Kraft Foods chooses IBX for US and Canada purchasing initiative

Chicago/Stockholm, December 21, 2009 - Kraft Foods, USA’s largest food and beverage producer selects IBX e-Procurement solution for efficient purchasing to streamline and integrate procurement processes, gain transparency and fuel future spend control. The agreement is a break-through for IBX in the North American Market.

Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT), USA’s largest food and beverage producer, has selected IBX, the pioneer in e-Purchasing, to streamline and capture its entire indirect spend in the US and Canada. The food and beverage industry faces quick changes in customer preferences with trends such as low-fat, low-budget and functional foods. This makes it vital for Kraft Foods to have a flexible e-Procurement solution. IBX specific business processes for managing indirect spend will support Kraft Food’s, while providing an open infrastructure for future growth and expansion into new markets.

The IBX SaaS (Software as a Service) offer, with its breadth of functionality, ease of use, speed of implementation and IBX procurement knowledge is consistent Kraft Foods’ recently launched multi-year, company–wide initiative to transform the way its buys all materials and services externally. Kraft plans to optimize the value of our supply chain, evolving to a Best in Class sourcing organization, without compromising quality or food safety.

It is essential for Kraft to get an easy-to-use solution in place for the whole North American organization that also can be utilized in other regions in the future. With the IBX solution approach it is ensured, that employees orders from qualified, contracted suppliers.

“We are very satisfied and proud to have reached this major agreement in a short period of time, and expect to further develop our business in the US. “, says Leif Bohlin, CEO of IBX, “with Kraft as a customer, and with our proven solution approach, we are very confident to continue to grow in the North American market, right in line with our strategic future plans.”

The IBX e-Procurement solution is based on SAP SRM. The solution provides end-users with invaluable support for submitting requisitions. Users can place orders with a click of the mouse, simplifying the entire procurement process. By eliminating unnecessary steps, transaction costs are slashed and spend is under better control, as all orders go through one central channel. The solution is enriched with the IBX developed Search Engine, to ensure that Kraft’s employees can find and order products and services in the most convenient way. The complete solution will be delivered in the SaaS model, making it scalable and rapid to deploy across the enterprise at a low total cost of ownership.

The solutions Kraft Foods selected from IBX includes IBX eProcurement based on SAP SRM, IBX Content Platform, IBX Content Services, IBX Invoice Process automation, IBX Business Intelligence and access to the global IBX Supplier Network.

About IBX
As a pioneer in the field of e-purchasing, IBX delivers measurable impact to client’s bottom lines through its comprehensive Efficient Purchasing framework. IBX serves blue chip corporations globally through proven purchasing expertise, with a high value supplier network and best of breed e-sourcing and e-procurement technology. The company enables its customers to generate sustainable cost savings through better spend visibility, increased spend under management and contract compliance. IBX offices are located in Stockholm (HQ), Antwerp, Chicago, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Milan, Oxford, Oslo and Paris. www.ibxgroup.com

For more information, please contact:

Leif Bohlin, CEO IBX, Phone: +46 8 5030 4321, e-mail: leif.bohlin@ibxgroup.com
Eva Svensson, Marketing Communication Manager, IBX, phone: +46 8 5030 4242, e-mail: eva.svensson@ibxgroup.com