Goodman Fielder New Zealand(MIS100 2009)

By CIO staff | Friday, July 24 2009

2008 ranking: 54

Senior IS executive: Cherie King, IT manager
Reports to: Managing director NZ
Size of IS shop: 100

PCs: 405
Mobile PCs: 540
Terminals: 1865
Hand-held devices: -
Total screens: 2810

Industry: Manufacturing
PC environment: Windows 2000, XP; IBM
Server environment: IBM; AIX; HP UX; Windows 2000, 2003
DBMS: Lotus, Oracle, SAP
Address: 65 Main Highway, Ellerslie, Auckland
Website: www.goodmanfielder.co.nz
Key IS projects this year: Not disclosed.

Goodman Fielder Ltd operates around 20 production sites producing FMCG goods and employs almost 3000 staff. The company comprises four operating units: Goodman Fielder Home Ingredients, Goodman Fielder Fresh Baking, Goodman Fielder Fresh Dairy and Goodman Fielder Commercial.

In 2008, Goodman Fielder reported ongoing work to rationalise its manufacturing base, with operations being consolidated into the more efficient plants. Earlier this year, amid speculation the company could offload businesses, Goodman Fielder chief executive Peter Margin told The Australian Financial Review the subdued environment for asset sales will negatively affect any investments the company pursues.

He said Goodman Fielder is conducting a strategic review stretching across its entire industrial and retail portfolio. Margin told investors he does not envisage significant restructuring costs from the outcome of the review. The strategic review is aimed primarily at improving profitability, rather than divesting assets to raise funds for debt reduction or acquisitions.

In the same story, The Australian Financial Review reported that analysts believe Goodman may also consider selling the underperforming New Zealand dairy operations. Milk prices are falling sharply in New Zealand, where Goodman Fielder competes with and buys its raw material from industry giant Fonterra, and new products are gaining traction with consumers.

Goodman Fielder is spending $40 million a year on research and development and has a strong pipeline of new products to release over the next 12 months, the report stated.
The Asia-Pacific business has been one of the better performers in Goodman Fielder’s portfolio over the past year, with sales up 37 per cent in the first half.