The Most Promising TPx Solutions Providers, 2022.pdf

September
ISSUE : 05
2022
Advanced Analy cs
Execu ng Trade
Promo ons Eﬃciently
Up and Above
The Role of TPx in
Boos ng Organiza ons’
Growth

editor
Bhushan Bhad
Managing Editor
nside any business community, there are many
Ichallenges faced, and into such a rollercoaster ride that
has to take care of the cutthroat completion and along
the trail, it is the innovative zeal that gets the ball rolling to
the advantage of the entrepreneur. Knowing these factors, it
is important for business leaders to look at the forefront of
the business future and develop strategies that are favorable
to business and hopeful for industry growth.
With such a business mantra, the digital age entrepreneurs
have found technology leadership to be a harbor to all the
issues. Today, the industry has not just been limited to
production, services, and its supply. Furthering into the
business niche, corporate gurus have found that good
marketing guided by research data and future-proof hacks
helps an organization boost its brand identity and also helps
to proliferate its message across the market.
One such marvel that sprouted from the contribution of tech
gurus and modern innovation has been a Business-to-
business promotion of organizations’ products. As far as
organization is concerned, success is rated in terms of
increasing the supply in the market. But, for this
phenomenon, it is also required to incorporate proper
utilization of marketing hacks.
Skyrocketing
Organization’s
Growth!

To facilitate such an impeccable impact, TPx solution
providers came to the forefront of the market and
spearheaded the revolution of Trade promotion that
ultimately resulted in a high growth curve and satisfying
revenue report.
Knowing these advancements, we at Insights Success came
up with our latest edition, “The Most Promising TPx
Solutions Providers 2022.” Dwell into the inspiring story
of CPGvision and know the inspiring story that has turned
the trade promotion industry for the better.
While you ﬂip through the pages, ensure to read the
insightful articles opined by our In-house editorial team. I
hope you have an insightful read.
Happy reading!
, ,
The Value of an Idea Lies in implementing
it, Thus giving rise to innovative Solutions
and Inspirational Stories.
- Bhushan Bhad

H
I
G
H
L
I
G
H
TS
CPGvision
Ensuring the Success of CPG Companies
Through Best-in-Class TPx Solutions

32
Jordan Meinster
Julian Durand
Raj Kapoor
Zuleka Kaysan &
Ivan Palomino
Executing Trade Promotions
Efficiently
Advanced Analytics
Up and Above
The Role of TPx in Boosting
Organizations’ Growth
CxO’s

sales@insightssuccess.com
September, 2022
Circulation Manager Tanaji Fartade
Research Analyst Eric Smith
Editor-in-Chief Merry D’souza
Anish Miller
Senior Editor
Kelly, David
Business Development Executives
Managing Editor
Sherin Rodricks
Business Development Manager
Bhushan Bhad
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Visualiser David King
Co-designer
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Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza
Technical Consultants Prachi, Rajeshwari
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Assistant Technical Head
SME-SMO Executive Gemson
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Renuka Kulkarni
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Paul Belin

Every other industry is going through a technological
transformation, and digitization has opened doors
of opportunity for companies to enhance their
operations, maximize their revenues, and reduce the
unnecessary loss of resources. One industry that can
strongly utilize the data insights gained from digitization is
the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry.
CPG companies need to stay active round the clock and 365
days to provide for the consumers' needs. Due to the vibrant
nature of the industry, they stand to gain the maximum
beneﬁts from the digitization of its operations.
Investing in trade remains a top priority for consumer goods
manufacturers. Well-organized TPx digital transformation
programs can equip CPG companies with the right
foundational pillars, capabilities, and plasticity to adapt,
grow revenues, and protect trade margins even in times of
uncertainty. COVID-19 has brought permanent changes to
the marketplace, owing to which it has become imperative
for CPG companies to push for long-delayed digital trade
initiatives.
With the vision of providing CPG companies with an all-
rounder solution for their trade spend management,
optimization, and revenue growth management solutions,
CPGvision came into existence.
The company oﬀers decades of industry knowledge and
hands-on TPM experience combined with its quick-to-learn,
user-friendly solutions. CPGvision is built on the world's #1
CRM platform, Salesforce.
The company proudly provides a dedicated customer
resource to every client to ensure post-implementation
success. Its solutions include CPGvision Foresight, and
OptimizerCG, all of which can be fully integrated to create
a seamless and transparent solution for its clients' business.
At the driving seat of CPGvision's success in delivering
top-notch TPx solutions to its clients is its CEO, Mike
Mellin. With his 16+ years of Salesforce experience, he
ensures that every client of the company gets a satisfactory
solution to their business needs.
The Most Promising TPx Solu ons Providers 2022

Let's explore the success story of CPGvsion in delivering
the game-changing TPx solution to CPG companies.
A Premiere TPx Solution
CPGvision (now a division of PSignite) was founded in
2012 as CPGToolBox. It provides a premiere Trade
Promotion Management solution on the Salesforce
Platform. CPGvision is the next-generation platform,
incorporating Trade Promotion Management, Trade
Promotion Optimization, Forecasting, and Revenue Growth
Management solutions.
Speaking about the user-friendliness as well as the high
serviceability of the company's platform, CEO Mike Mellin
says, “The CPGvision platform is awesome. The UI is at the
same time amazingly user-friendly and powerful.”
Built on the World's #1 CRM - Salesforce
CPGvision is built on the world's #1 CRM platform,
Salesforce. The company makes sure to bring the best
features of Salesforce into its solutions so that its clients are
provided with the maximum benefits of its solutions.
“We leverage everything Salesforce has to offer. Our
application is highly configurable, extremely user-friendly,
reliable, and secure, all thanks to Salesforce,” says Mike.
Laser-focused on the CPG Industry
CPGvision delivers a simple, easy-to-use TPx solution that
helps consumer goods companies drive their revenue
growth by increasing the efficiency of their trade spend
budgets.
The mission of the company is in line with enabling CPG
companies to realize maximum growth through its
solutions. “Our mission is simple. We are laser-focused on
the Consumer-Packaged Goods industry - on helping our
clients achieve profitable revenue growth,” Mike
emphasizes.
A Timely Solution for the CPG Industry
The COVID-19 pandemic has set so many shifts across the
marketplace. As the most important segment of the
consumer market, CPG companies must adapt to changing
conditions.
The CEO, discussing the importance of CPGvision
solutions, expresses, “While we are addressing issues that
have plagued the CPG industry for decades, the COVID era
- with all the cost and supply chain pressures-has magnified
these issues, and manufacturers have a need to be more
agile in their response. Now, add in inflation and a
potentially serious economic downturn, and our solutions
are more in demand than ever.”
CPGvision solutions are designed to optimize clients' trade
spending in an efficient way. “Trade is the second largest
spend line on a CPG company's P&L (after COGs),
optimizing that spend and managing price are the two key
solutions clients ask for, and of course, they need a TPM
(trade promotion management) solution that is lightning
fast and user-friendly for the sales team,” says Mike.
Speaking about the efficiency of CPGvision's solutions,
Mike says, “The data science behind our solutions is what
makes everything more accurate, powerful, and
actionable.”
Prioritizing the Clients' Success
Client satisfaction is regarded as one of the crucial aspects
of a business. Many companies are incorporating the core
values into their workings, which are directly related to
prioritizing the fulfillment of their clients' needs.

When Mike was asked about the practices followed by
CPGvision in its daily operations, he replied, “We really
believe that we succeed when our clients succeed. We don't
consider ourselves just a vendor, we are a trusted business
advisor.”
“We have invested in the talent to implement and support
our clients on an ongoing basis. Our people have combined
decades of CPG and TPM experience that we leverage with
all of our clients,” he added.
Overcoming the Challenges
Challenges are part of the growth process. That is why,
when looking for growth in a certain industry, looking at
challenges is the same as looking at opportunities within
that space.
Talking about the existing challenges in the TPx solutions
space, Mike says, "One of the biggest challenges is the
sheer amount of data. TPx solutions are data-hungry, and
the data needs to be clean, harmonized, integrated, and
modeled in a way that enables the user to interact with it in
a pragmatic and ongoing manner as they run their
business."
Further, expanding on the solutions that CPGvision is
working on to solve the above challenges, Mike says, “We
are working on establishing a center of data excellence to
give our clients the tools they need to capitalize on all of the
data at their disposal.”
Advice to Budding Entrepreneurs
To know what the industry is all about then, now, and in the
future, seeking advice from that industry's leader is the best
go-to option. When we asked Mike what advice he would
like to provide to the budding aspirants in his industry, he
oﬀered them to come and work with him.
“I would invite them to work for or partner with us. We are
always hiring the best and enabling them to run their own
business. Our echo system is also booming,” he said.
Envisioning Bright Future
Making plans to enhance the company's
solutions and expand its reach is always on
top of the mind for any leader. Talking about
the plans that CPGvision is currently
implementing within its operations, Mike
says, “We have invested in a completely re-
imagined UI, a partnership with Salesforce
on TPO, and we have scaled up our data
science, development, delivery, and customer
success teams to keep ahead of our growth.
Our product roadmap is robust.”
Proof of Excellence
The best way to know that the client is satisﬁed with the
solutions provided by the company is when they seek its
services again and again and also recommend them to
others. This is the kind of feedback CPGvision gets on a
regular basis.
The company recently presented at POI (Promotion
Optimization Institute) and provided a living testimonial
from PANOS brands, which are using its full suite of RGM
solutions.
When asked about the kind of testimonials that clients have
provided to the CPGvision, Mike says, “I think the biggest
testimonial though is the number of clients we have gained
from people taking a position at a new company and pulling
us in there - if they want you twice, you know you are
good.”

www.insightssuccess.com
|
14 September 2022

|
15 September 2022
Jordan Meinster
CEO and Founder
PickUp

|
16 September 2022

The
Role of in
TPx
Boosting
Organizations’
Growth
Presumably, the modern retail industry could be
in crisis.
There’s no ‘disaster’ or ‘famine’ taking place. But
the word “crisis” certainly reflects businesses
inability to break even on their trade expenditures.
When it comes to sales of a product, customer preferences
are changing. New channels have come up. Competition
has risen, and choices have multiplied. For this reason,
manufacturers have shifted from advertising to trade
promotions in an attempt to improve sales.
From a business perspective – it could be a conflict – as
retailers and manufacturers are spending millions of dollars
promoting their products yet getting little to nothing in
return.
Here’s what the evidence has to say.
A Case on Trade Promotion
“Over the last ten years, companies have doubled their
expenditure on trade promotions, i.e., around $1 trillion
annually, with no plans to pull back,” suggests a report on
Trade Promotions. Tactics like product display,
demonstrations, price discounts, and value-added bonus
programs are all being incorporated into it.
Despite their efforts, more than two-thirds of these trade
promotions that take place, in the U.S. do not break even.
It’s true that a large number of retailers struggle with trade
promotions as they rely heavily on the frequency of
promotions, offering discounts and cutting costs. However,
without a specific tactic in place, companies continue to
remain stuck in the promotion loop.
|
18 September 2022

Up and Above
|
19 September 2022

Advertisements are yet another side of the coin, which
companies have flipped aside for trade promotions. They
rely on 19% of their revenue on trade promotions, with only
7.5% on advertising. Interestingly, there is still uncertainty
that exists when evaluating an actual return on trade
spending in comparison to measuring the effectiveness of
advertisements that involve no unexpected surprises.
Seeking Areas of Opportunity
A 2015 analysis by Nielsen conducted a trade promotion
survey on retail businesses who promoted regularly with the
objective of identifying what drives their performance. It
addressed around 211 categories, 13 departments, and $213
billion in retail sales.
The report found that the retail business, as its first step to
executing trade promotions, relied on category efficiency
rates and areas of opportunity. For instance, although 73%
of its promotion weeks for the grocery department did not
break even, the coffee department sought the strongest
revenue within the store. For every $1 that was spent on
promoting coffee, retailers got more than $1 in return 70%
of the time, which highlights the necessity of establishing a
categorical system rather than a general range for trade
promotions.
Comprehending Where Efficiency Lies
“There is no relationship between the size of a category and
the effectiveness of a promotion,” suggests the findings
from Nielsen’s study. For instance, salty snacks, a $10.5
billon category, doesn’t break even in trade promotions,
despite customers’ love for pretzels and chips. In contrast,
dips for salty snacks, which is a comparatively smaller
category, i.e., $331 million, managed to break even in its
trade promotions, as reflected in the study. Clearly, there’s
no way that category size would dictate the promotion
performance.
When and How to Promote?
Often, conducting more events does not always equate to
more returns. It is essential to know how much and when to
promote. For example, it makes sense to conduct
promotional activity during Black Friday and Thanksgiving.
But the retailers would be at an advantage by knowing how
effective it would be to take up the holiday approach.
In addition, businesses make mistakes by using the deep
discount approach (where the price is 25% lower than
usual) in an attempt to lure customers towards their
products. Although it is still beneficial to consider the
strategy during holiday seasons, several retailers prevent
themselves from being a victim of such promotional
pitfalls.
Taking the Next Steps
Nielsen, in its 2015 report of trade promotions, points out
that – while the frequency of product promotion is
increasing, its effectiveness – is declining. Hence, the key
takeaway relies on the fact that it is not sustainable for the
retailers to align their operations in such a space.
However, such a scenario can be resolved by taking the first
step, i.e., by comprehending that a majority of promotional
efforts do not break even. Efficiency, hence, could be
improved by eliminating 22% of the promotional efforts
overall.
The next step is to know where to begin and where the
business’ current efforts are netting out. For instance, if
your products are delivering less than $1 in return of
spending every $1, then identifying gaps towards where the
efforts are lacking behind.
Moreover, if your promotional activities return you more
than $1 for every $1 that you spend, there could be some
room to improve. This may involve learning different
customer segments that could drive differential performance
and improve efficiency rates by shifting strategies.
|
20 September 2022
- Saloni Agrawal

Government
Why a U.S.
Standard
Can Help Protect IoT
he number of IoT devices in the field continues to
Tincrease, and many of them are becoming
important parts of our critical infrastructure, such
as electrical grids. However, as we’ve seen time and time
again, botnets and other cyberattacks are also on the rise
and are a very real threat to IoT devices and the services
that depend on them. The good news is that the U.S.
Government’s National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) has developed an IoT cybersecurity
standard called NISTIR 8259A IoT Device Cybersecurity
Capability Core Baseline, and it’s playing an important role
in helping to keep IoT devices and services safe. As
companies look to meet this NISTR 8259A, Implementing
device authentication and data integrity are critical steps for
compliance and, of course, securing IoT.
There are many threats and hacks to IoT devices, but the
one I focus on is what are called botnets. Botnets are
networks of devices that have been hacked by a bad actor
who then can use them for nefarious purposes such as
cyber-attacks such as denial of service attacks. When
botnets first reared their ugly heads, they used to consist
mainly of desktop PCs as they were a common device to
target. Now, cybercriminals typically target video cameras,
set-top boxes, and anything with insufficient security that
can be quickly taken over. Those worrisome botnets are
also on the rise. A Fortinet report showed that botnets
detected within organizations had risen from 35.1% in
January 2021 to 51.4% in June 2021.
While many types of botnet malware are actively operating
in the field, an interesting one is the Mirai malware. One of
the first serious botnets targeting IoT devices, Mirai is not
sophisticated, but it has been around for a long time.
Essentially Mirai works like this. First, an attacker uses a
server to scan for devices with known vulnerabilities that he
can exploit. The attacker then abuses those vulnerabilities to
place the Mirai malware on the devices he finds and
controls them from a command and control server. From
this server, he can launch his attacks from these infected
devices at will. Exploitable vulnerabilities range from
software with known vulnerabilities that haven’t been
updated to devices whose operators are still using the
default security credentials they were shipped with.
Unfortunately, these default credentials are no secret. They
are well known amongst bad actors and sold cheaply on the
Dark Web.
Botnets and other hacks have risen to the point where they
are no longer bothersome nuisance but are major threats to
|
22 September 2022

our economy and livelihood. This was unfortunately
directly demonstrated by two attacks in the 2010s, the
“Black Energy“ attack on the Ukrainian electrical grid in
2015 and the “Not Petya“ attacks of 2017. While
cyberattacks on IoT devices promise to continue and
become even more sophisticated, there is some good news.
Many of these attacks can be avoided simply by following
some basic and well-established security practices. Some
important ones include making sure that each IoT device is
properly identified using secure identification techniques
common in the industry and the software on the device can
only be updated by entities with proper authorization.
The U.S. Government acts to secure IoT
With the number of threats to IoT devices on the rise along
with the potential severe consequences of these attacks, the
U.S. Government recognized the necessity of establishing
policy responses to these threats. One of the first concrete
steps was the publishing of an Presidential executive order
in May 2017. It was then followed by the U.S. Congress
passing the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement
Act of 2020. One of the the results of this activity is NIST
publishing and promoting the NISTIR 8259A standard
noted above.
Julian Durand is an accomplished product owner, team
leader, and creative inventor with more than 25 years of
success in bringing breakthrough products to market
at a massive scale. He is a named inventor in Digital
Rights Management (DRM), Internet of Things (IoT),
and virtual SIM technologies. He was the technical lead
for the rst music phone and pioneered vSIM and IoT
businesses at Qualcomm. Julian has also productized
SaaS and PaaS offerings in construction telematics,
real-time child tracking, and cyber risk data analytics
and is currently a CISSP (Certi ed Information System
Security Professional). He can cover topics ranging
from IoT security for clean energy, IoT tracking with
sensors, and how to ensure data can be trusted in OT
IoT applications, to name a few. He also has worked
with the UN Refugee Agency, giving him a unique
understanding of the human need and costs associated
with cybersecurity.
Julian Durand
CISO,Vice-President
Product Management
Intertrust
Author – Bio
|
23 September 2022

Why does this standard from an admittedly obscure
government agency matter? Well, the U.S. Government is
required to only buy devices that comply with NISTIR
8259A and the U.S. Government is a very large customer
for many companies. Given the size of the U.S.
Government and its power in the market, previous NIST
security standards have been broadly adopted by the
industry and there is no reason to think that NISTIR 8259A
will be any different. Accordingly, it has the potential to be
a real game changer and one the industry should pay close
attention to.
As shown in the graphic below, NISTIR 8259A requires the
implementation of a number of security measures to protect
IoT devices. Some of the solutions for these are already
well known and adopted by the technology industry and
others are starting to climb the adoption curve.
Two key technical measures called out by the NIST
Baseline should be noted. One is the need for secure device
authentication. Devices can be “spoofed.“ Authenticating
devices is one effective way to stop spoofing. Device
identification using PKI-based certificates, such as the ones
offered by Intertrust PKI, is an industry-standard and
market-proven method of device authentication. They are
also a bedrock security technology that other measures such
as secure boot and secure software updates are built upon.
We should think beyond the simplest scenarios. To further
increase security, companies should explore using expanded
or rich identities that can authenticate any number of the
capabilities of a device.
Another one is secure data integrity. A wide variety of
critical actions could be taken based on data coming from
IoT devices. Accordingly, the data stored by the device, as
well as the data transmitted by the device needs to be
secured and trusted. Device authentication is needed for
data authentication measures such as data encryption.
Device authentication is also necessary for adding
additional capabilities to maintain data integrity since data
can travel over untrusted networks and devices on its path
to its final consumer.
IoT device manufacturers, their customers, and other
ecosystem partners are well-advised to add NISTR 8259A
compliance to their product roadmaps. Intertrust PKI and
Intertrust Platform are useful tools to do so.
|
24 September 2022

Blockchain is a revolutionary disruptive technology
and represents a change of cultural paradigm for the
way in which information is shared. Companies are
rushing to understand how they can use blockchain
distributed ledger technology to innovate processes,
products, and transactions. In a globalized world where
environmental sustainability is a critical success factor,
what is the role of the blockchain?
I’m truly passionate about blockchain’s potential to create
positive system change. Add to the above the power to
incentivise a circular economy and revolutionise the
distribution of charitable donations – and we’re still seeing
only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of world-changing
applications that will be enabled by blockchains.
Having said that, we all are aware that most concerning
implication of blockchain technology for the environment
relates to its energy consumption and, therefore, its possible
negative impact on climate.
However, bitcoin and other similar public blockchains have
one huge flaw – they use an extremely large and growing
amount of energy. The way in which transactions are
secured on the blockchain is highly energy intensive. In
fact, blockchains currently account for 0.58% of global
electricity consumption, whilst Bitcoin mining alone
consumes almost as much energy as the entire U.S. federal
government!
This means that today, when it comes to discussing
sustainability and blockchain tech, we have to balance the
longer-term systemic benefits against today’s urgent need to
reduce fossil fuel consumption. Blockchain has reached a
critical mass of complaints about its sustainability issue.
Although surrounded by virtuous intentions to upend the
status quo and offer an alternative to an unjust global
financial system controlled by central banks and politicians,
blockchain is facing severe criticism from environmental
proponents for its high energy use.
Like other emerging ICT-based technologies, blockchain
also raises concerns about electronic waste (e-waste).
Competing miners require more and more efficient mining
hardware, leading to quick obsolescence, roughly every 1.5
years
The key is to make a transition towards green recovery and
co-exist with nature. Anything short will not suffice. In fact,
this should be a prerequisite for a global sustainable
development pathway.
|
28 September 2022

About the Author
Raj is the Founder of India Blockchain Alliance and
an Advisory Board Member at several blockchain
companies like 5ire, Floyx and Chainsense UK and
the Founder and Chairman of the India Blockchain
Alliance, the largest Indian emerging technology
tech think tank.
He is a global, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency &
FinTech Educator, Certied Bitcoin Professional
(CBP), Blockchain Solution Architect, and friend
of disruptive ideas, protem Chairman for
Organization of Blockchain Technology Users
(OBTU). He is also the Asia Lead, Technology &
Innovation at Blockspace Technologies Ltd.
Raj has helped organize India's biggest Blockchain
and Cryptocurrency events across major cities.
Raj has also spoken at several international
seminars and conferences in Boston, LA,
Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Singapore, Durban,
Nicosia and Vienna, Dubai, and Singapore
Raj regularly speaks in Tech events in India, UK,
USA, Africa, Malaysia, and Canada and is also a
TedX speaker. Besides blockchain, Raj is skilled in
AI, Robotics, Cyber Security. IoT, and Cloud
Computing. He has spoken in over90
international and national events. Raj has also
authored over 15 courses in Blockchain and
crypto and is soon publishing a series of books in
the blockchain domain.
Raj is also a regular contributor to several
technology publications including Times Tech
India, NDTV Prot, Daily Tribune, Business
Standard and more. Raj was also selected this
year as a top cryptocurrency and blockchain
inuencer by Asian Market Cap. Raj is also
mentoring 20+ blockchain start-ups across the
globe.
Raj has designed and worked on 4 Blockchains, 5
Centralised Exchanges, 3Swaps and 3 DEX's.
He is now working with his team on India's own
indigenous blockchain with Chainsense Ltd. Raj is
also working on the world’s rst sustainable
blockchain 5ire, which is aligned with the UNS
sustainable Development Goals.
consensus mechanism which does away with the
energy-intensive mining process required by ‘Proof of
Work’, relying instead on network actors staking financial
assets on their own future trustworthiness. The Ethereum
community, users of the world’s second-largest
cryptocurrency, have already invested close to $9bn in
transferring to Proof of Stake reducing costs by over 90%.
There’s also a conscious drive amongst the crypto
community to address the type of energy being consumed
(or better, to use the technology to accelerate adoption of
greener energies). Last month, the newly launched Crypto
Climate Accord—including Ripple, World Economic
Forum, Consensys, Coin Shares and Energy Web
Foundation—announced its goal for all of the world’s
blockchains to be powered by 100% renewables by 2025.
The Shifting Paradigm
The current standard process of transaction verification,
based on the proof-of-work algorithm, is ‘extremely energy
hungry’. And this is definitely harmful for the environment.
As the adoption of blockchain technology gains
momentum, it could counteract climate change mitigation
efforts, as electricity remains largely generated from fossil
fuels worldwide.
Bitcoin was claimed to be 20 000 times more energy
intensive than Visa. Nevertheless, Bitcoin is only one
cryptocurrency, which is only one application of
blockchain. We can only imagine the impact going forward.
The “greening” of the blockchains kicked off with one of
the most promising solutions – ‘Proof of Stake’, a
From the Expert
|
29 September 2022

The Solutions for Today
In fact, there are some blockchains that have been ahead of
this curve and are actually making that impact. One that
catches the eye is 5irechain. Not only does 5irechain run on
a Sustainable Proof of Stake algorithm that does not require
mining, but also its consensus algorithm quantifies and
assigns its nodes based on a node’s Environmental, Social
and Governance (ESG) score. This slings seamlessly with
the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
It is important to note that there are other versions of the
Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus algorithm that do not
require mining for transaction validation such as the pure
PoS, the Delegated PoS, and the Nominated PoS, however,
the flaw in those algorithms is they have no consideration
for a transaction validators’ sustainability reputation, and
they inadvertently support cartelisation of consensus by
awarding transaction validation to those that stake the most.
This way, the largest holders of that particular
cryptocurrency will end up always winning the contest,
scoring even more of the rewards and keep getting richer.
The 5ire’s Sustainability Proof of Stake (SPoS) considers
the validators ESG score as 20% of the weight in selection
of node and include other factors to make the node selection
fairer. And it’s heartening to know that the Founders are
Indian and are aligned to the Indian Government’s
sustainability and climate impact initiatives.
I am particularly impressed with the 5irechain which calls
its consensus protocol the sustainable proof of stake
(SPoS). SPoS has been made more democratic by
considering multiple factors beyond the staked amount
when a node is assigned based on Stake, Reliability,
randomized voting, sustainability score (ESG), and
previous nomination.
This way, the SPoS provides major advantages over other
consensus algorithms. These advantages go beyond what
proof of stake (PoS) consensus mechanism provides over
proof of work (PoW) consensus mechanism.
This chain is the 5th generation of distributed computing
web 3.0 solution, a decentralized ecosystem that embeds
ESG metrics in the consensus level and aims to bring a
paradigm shift from a for-profit to a for-benefit economy.
Their goal is to create user-centric sustainability-driven &
interoperable public, private, and hybrid solutions. By
embedding sustainability both in the network’s base layers
and in the upper decision-making that democratically
commands the network forkless upgrades.
Their ecosystem also democratically empowers
self-governed DAOs that are actively working towards the
2030 UN SDGs Agenda implementation and provides them
the infrastructure to accelerate this vision. Now this should
be the fundamental premise of the blockchain technology if
it is to be sustainable and scalable.
5irechain is also aligned with the United Nations’ 17 global
goals. 5ire directly addresses social issues like education,
financial inclusion, poverty, education, climate, renewables,
solar amongst others and possibly the world's first
sustainable blockchain ecosystem. Not only is it aligned,
5ire has tokenized 17 SDG Goals and scraped data from
600 ESG points. Now that is innovation!
Going Forward
Today, we cannot afford to ignore blockchain’s growing
carbon footprint. However, with ambitious changes and
blockchains like 5ire both the volume and the type of
energy the technology uses, we could soon unleash tools
with the power to incentivise social and environmental
progress at scale. As with any new technology, blockchain’s
path from concept to practical enterprise solutions is not
always straight line.
Blockchain applications beneficial to renewable energy
diffusion, energy efficiency and the reduction of energy
consumption are also being explored. In fact, IBM and
Energy-Blockchain Labs are experimenting with a
blockchain-based green asset management platform for
trading carbon assets in China in a more efficient way.
EnergiMine has developed a blockchain-based rewards
system that uses digital tokens to incentivise consumers to
save energy. The issue remains whether these niche
initiatives will scale up and whether their benefits are offset
by blockchain’s own energy consumption.
But with incredibly exciting applications emerging every
day, and serious thought and investment going towards
reducing blockchain’s energy consumption, we can never
ignore the value it could bring. Blockchains have an
emerging role in sustainability by helping foster
collaborations between consumers and producers, by
assisting people in adopting more sustainable lifestyles, and
by helping companies improve their sourcing and recycling
practices.
With growing innovation in the blockchain space, India is
primed to make a major impact. ESG will be an essential
part of next-generation finance operations. ESG will drives
long-term returns. COP26 and the decisions around ESG
will bring a green innovation in blockchain and would place
India, at the forefront in aligning with the UN SDG’s. That
is a matter of pride, and we are happy to be a part of this
green tech revolution.
|
30 September 2022

Manual “excel sheets” -- manufacturers still use
them, to date, for promotion planning. Clearly,
they have no customer-specific plans.
But there’s still a little room for improvement.
At an operational level, several companies are lagging
behind in scenario planning and their use of analytic tools.
It is either that they have limited access to analytic tools or
that they simply do not use them at all.
Consequently, none of them could forecast customer data,
despite it being an essential factor in optimizing trade.
For their best performance, below is how companies are
able to fix trade promotions.
Seeking Transparency to Inform a Plan
Companies are often unaware of whether their promotions
have actually been successful. In addition, even if they
increase their investments in trade promotions, transparency
regarding specific promotions remains limited. With such a
lack of transparency, companies are unable to budget for
profitable promotions.
Reflecting on the need for transparency, “It is essential for
companies to conduct an overview of their existing
promotions,” suggests a 2020 Deloitte report on Trade
Promotions Optimization. Hence, the first step in promotion
planning involves creating a list of all promotions.
30% of the respondent companies in the Deloitte survey do
not have any means to compare forecasts with actual
results. Even if they did, companies lack the tools required
Executing
TradePromotions
Efficiently
“How do you structure your trade promotion strategy?”
to analyze why certain promotions succeed or fail. For this,
“Companies must link data on forecasts vs actuals and
further integrate data with category teams and customers,”
suggests the Deloitte report.
With respect to the budget, it must be aligned in a way that
best supports the growth of categories and in alignment
with the company’s strategy. For this, different objectives,
i.e., volume, ROI, or profit can be picked, to align
optimization efforts for each promotion.
Shifting Paradigms Through the Eyes of a Retailer
For trade promotions to run efficiently, goods manufacturers
must reach out to the retailers for tracking success and
aligning actions with trade promotions. Secondly,
“manufacturers must attempt to understand the retailers’
pain points, further using the suitable promotion mechanics
for the retailers,” as the Deloitte study suggests.
The following factors must be considered when setting up
promotions:
• Understanding how successful promotions have
worked with consumers.
• Whether retailers are using this information for their
own interests.
• The way retailers are able to view these promotions.
• Gathering evidence for the above factors could create a
win-win situation for both the retailers and companies.
|
32 September 2022

Advanced Analy cs
|
33 September 2022

Introducing Scenario Simulations and Analytics
Optimizing the way promotional programs are designed and
using post-event analysis to develop promotional guidelines
is essential. It will allow companies to thrive if they engage
in scenario planning and identify the best parameters.
The 2021 Deloitte report suggests a few key steps to
engaging in scenario simulations, as follows:
• Companies must begin by comprehending consumer
demand based on historical data. They could then apply
analytics to evaluate total sales into base volumes.
• Predictive forecasts of baseline sales can be
implemented to automate planning processes. In
addition, promotional uplift could be derived from
applying discount depth.
• Decision-making within the companies must be
facilitated by engaging in promotion scenarios, further
finding the “best” promotions.
• The “what if” analyses could also be enabled by
stimulating different scenarios.
• The design of promotional programs could be
optimized using data-driven insights.
Getting the Right Technology
“Companies could, of course, keep using excel sheets. But
this will only prevent them from evaluating and forecasting
promotions in their daily business,” as the 2020 Deloitte
report suggests.
For this reason, it is essential that they have the right tools
and systems. This would allow the companies to build a
flexible plug-and-play network of applications and further
optimize individual promotions.
Wrapping Up
Responding to changes in consumer behavior is essential
for companies in the modern era. For this reason, they must
aim to make their promotion success more transparent and
digitalize their market environment.
To attain the objective, companies could, for starters, assess
their status quo and then progress into developing a vision,
building a roadmap, and assigning responsibilities
accordingly.
|
34 September 2022
- Saloni Agrawal

An organisational culture based on ethical practices,
meritocracy, and a shared sense of purpose is
difficult to achieve, but when organisations undergo
a business transformation, a healthy culture is often de-
prioritised over processes and systems.
And while many specialists talk about the importance of
having employees onboard with transformation projects,
why isn’t it also exploited as an opportunity to improve
company culture?
Generally speaking, transformation projects become a focal
point when businesses re-evaluate their goals. They’re
usually either triggered by external factors, substantial or
abrupt shifts to the business model and how value is
created, or a recognition that the business needs to
gradually evolve over a significant period.
When companies undergo change, it is the perfect
opportunity to improve or redefine the organisational
culture or mindset. However, organisational culture is often
not central to the change agenda.
Transformation As a Response to Business Crises
As a result of the pandemic, 78% of executives are looking
to transform their companies within the next three years. In
an ideal scenario, companies would adjust their strategy to
adapt to their business needs as part of business as usual.
However, the reality is that many transformation projects
are a response to the company hitting a crisis point – the
culmination of the sum of its parts not working.
At this point, organisations facing pressure from their board
or investors, hire prominent consultants to ‘fix things’. This
is usually done through ‘re-strategizing,’ unilateral
communication with senior leadership teams, or buying
expensive technology solutions (before understanding
whether the solution fits the company’s needs).
What are the risks of a faulty start in a transformation
project?
The Impact of The Wrong Start in Transformation
Execution and organisational culture are pivotal in moving
from the need to transform to becoming a part of the overall
strategy and modus operandi.
Zuleka, Founder of The Cornerstone Advisory, highlights
an example of a company she worked with. Her client
shifted their strategy three times in just two years to
mitigate the crisis they faced. The strategic direction wasn’t
the problem; it was the execution:
Ÿ Objectives and KPIs were contradictory between
departments. They served a territorial and self-serving
culture.
|
36 September 2022

Zuleka Kaysan is a Founder and Managing Director of The Cornerstone Advisory. She works directly with business
leaders and founders to position their businesses for success by connecting people, processes, and systems to results.
Ivan Palomino is a Learning Strategist and Behavioural Designer who helps people change the way they think, feel, and
behave at work. He is the founder of Bessern.
About the Authors
Ivan Palomino
Learning Strategist and
Behavioural Designer
Bessern
Zuleka Kaysan
Founder and Managing Director
The Cornerstone Advisory
|
37 September 2022

Ÿ Burgeoning processes and systems were implemented,
which meant that employees faced frequent hurdles in
getting their core work done.
Ÿ Employees were disengaged, overworked, and met
with inconsistencies, resulting in duplicated efforts
and a constant change of direction.
When the primary reason for the change is in response to a
crisis, already demoralised and demotivated employees will
only view that change with scepticism. Introducing change
to people in this environment simply doesn’t work.
How To Transform While Building an Improved Business
Culture
The example above is quite common and usually requires
an experienced outsider’s perspective to make it right. In
this example, Zuleka worked with the leadership team to
switch from short-term patch fixes to long-term solutions.
Firstly, by building clarity and structure into the business.
She embedded strategic direction through OKRs (objectives
and key results), enabled change through improved and
purpose-built processes and systems, and gave leadership
control through data and analytics.
While these enablers are necessary to the success of
transformation projects, the defining element of success was
involving employees throughout the journey; engaging with
them to co-create solutions. Because who better knows
what’s happening on the front line than employees? And in
doing so, she created advocates, built support for the
change, and developed a culture focused on collaborative
problem-solving.
The value of this approach is two-fold:
1. Creating structures and a company culture that enables
the now,
2. Fostering an innovation mindset and culture that helps
the business evolve over time.
How does this help leaders? This translates into a positive
employee experience that increases effectiveness,
productivity, and willingness to embrace change and lead it.
But most importantly, this creates an in-built mechanism of
self-sufficiency that adds immeasurable value to a
business’s future.
The First Collaborative Business Transformation Hub in
The Middle East
The variety and size of the challenges businesses face in the
Middle East are unique. Companies are confronted by fast-
paced, transient, and multicultural environments that
typically prioritise short-term gains. These challenging
environments require a cohesive business culture that
propels business transformation and prepares the company
for the long haul.
In 2022, Ivan Palomino, Co-Founder of Bessern, and
Zuleka co-created the first Business Transformation Hub,
combining their experience in organisational behavioural
change and operational business transformation. The goal is
to lead business change from both a structural and a human
perspective.
Why is this so important today? Building robust business
foundations minimises the need for crisis-led business
transformations. Making the effort today means that
companies are in a position to innovate better and faster in
the future. But more than that, transformation and
innovation become an ongoing part of the business and
company culture and not as a last-resort response to crises.
|
38 September 2022

The Most Promising TPx Solutions Providers, 2022.pdf

The Most Promising TPx Solutions Providers, 2022.pdf

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