International Foodservice Manufacturers Association and The Partnering Group to Create Foodservice Best Practices for Chain Operator/Manufacturer Joint Business Planning

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May 15, 2015, 10:00 ET

CHICAGO, May 15, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA), with the resources of The Partnering Group (TPG), announced today an industry-wide Joint Business Planning (JBP) initiative to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of foodservice operator and manufacturer collaboration.

In 2014 IFMA, TPG and a committee of 30 chain operators and manufacturers championed the development of a new best-practice model for collaboration called the OCM – Operator/Manufacturer Collaboration Model. The framework included a set of tools to help manufacturers work more collaboratively and effectively with national account customers, and for operators, with suppliers. With this important foundation in place, the OCM has now moved onto Phase II of its evolution: Joint Business Planning.

"IFMA's Joint Business Planning is a natural extension of the OCM work we began 18 months ago," said Larry Oberkfell, president and CEO of IFMA. "Foodservice operators and manufacturers agree there is a significant opportunity for stronger, more structured collaboration in the industry, and they called for the JBP initiative as part of their ongoing work. We are excited to be launching this initiative to help bring planning best practices to these channel partners."

"The success of the OCM project and the interest it has generated in the industry has highlighted the need for a best practice for Joint Business Planning (JBP) between manufacturers and chain accounts," said Doug Morrison, partner and category leadership director at The Partnering Group. "JBP will create a roadmap for how channel partners will create plans together to build corporate-to-corporate alignment. TPG is excited to be part of this important industry initiative."

A group of leading operators and foodservice manufacturers will join together to create the process, language, tools and metrics required to facilitate collaboration between supply chain partners. Their collective knowledge and skills will be utilized to create more efficient and effective planning processes for the foodservice industry.

"On behalf of myself and the several other chain operators already committed to this effort, we applaud IFMA's leadership in this opportunity-rich and much-needed initiative," said Matt Riddleberger, VP Supply Chain Services at Firehouse Subs."

About Next Steps for OCM Phase II: Joint Business Planning
OCM Phase II: Joint Business Planning meetings are scheduled to take place in Chicago on June 25, Aug. 20 and Sept. 24. Interested manufacturers and foodservice operators can contact Mike Schwartz, IFMA's Sr. Director, Centers of Excellence, email: [email protected], phone: 312-540-4403.

About International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)
IFMA is the leading trade association comprised of the world's most prestigious food, equipment and supply manufacturers in the $600 billion foodservice industry, as well as related marketing service organizations, trade publications, distributors and brokers. IFMA's Vision is to provide our member community and industry partners the opportunity to enhance the consumer's enjoyment of the foodservice choice. For more information, visit ifmaworld.com. Follow IFMA on Twitter: @IFMAWORLD or join our group on LinkedIn.

About The Partnering Group
Founded in 1990, The Partnering Group (TPG) is an international strategy and general management consulting firm. Our mission is to provide proven enterprise-wide collaborative solutions for multiple business sectors worldwide. TPG led a major shift in the CPG industry with its focus on driving value through collaborative marketing, merchandising and fulfillment of products across the entire value chain and is recognized for Best Practices in Category Management & Assortment. An industry leader in the Retail sector, TPG also successfully leads consulting projects in the business-to-business (B2B) sector, including Foodservice, Club/Cash and Carry, Medical Products and the Home Improvement channel. For more information, visit thepartneringgroup.com. Follow us on Twitter: @TPGConsulting or on LinkedIn at: linkedin.com/company/the-partnering-group.

SOURCE IFMA