SPE.L Regulatory News (SPE)

24 Jan 2006 07:01

Sopheon PLC24 January 2006 Embargoed: 24 January 2006, 07:00hrs Sopheon Plc ("Sopheon" or the "Company") The Solae Company Chooses Sopheon to Automate Stage-Gate(R) Process and Support Product Portfolio Decision-Making Accolade System Cited for Capacity to Reduce Business Risk Associated withInnovation Sopheon, the international software and services company, announced today thatThe Solae Company has begun deploying Sopheon's Accolade process and productportfolio management system enterprise-wide to enhance its innovation processesand strengthen innovation-related decision-making support. The Solae Company is an alliance between DuPont and Bunge Ltd. It is a globalleader in the research and application of soy-based food ingredients. As partof a plan for enhancing its innovation processes, Solae elected to adoptStage-Gate, the widely used product development methodology. That decision ledto a search for a technology solution that could both automate Stage-Gate andhelp the company more effectively develop and control its product portfolio. The Solae Company chose the Sopheon system after researching a mix of options.Accolade was selected in part because it offered a disciplined process forcapturing, evaluating and managing product and project ideas. Solae also sawvalue in the software's provision of centralized, real-time visibility toproject details and automated "what if" analysis as a way to increase the speedand quality of portfolio decision-making. The company's choice of Accolade wasfurther based on the solution's capacity to integrate with Design for Six Sigma(DFSS) methodologies that are integral to Solae's innovation processes. "Solae has worked hard to earn its reputation for innovation leadership," saidJonathan McIntyre, vice president of research and development at The SolaeCompany. "But true innovation is inherently risky. It involves reaching beyondthe boundaries of what your customers are able to tell you and anticipating whatthey are going to need, sometimes before they even know it. A principal reasonThe Solae Company chose to adopt the Sopheon system is that it brings consistentrigor to our examination of the business risks and opportunities associated witheach project entering our product development pipeline. Sopheon's Accolade is atool that fits into our larger process for risk management, reducing the chanceof investing in products that the market won't value." "Users often point to how Accolade has increased the flow of innovation intotheir developmental pipeline," said Andy Michuda, chief executive officer ofSopheon. "Solae's perspective focuses on the equally important issue ofensuring that the product ideas an organization invests in are those that havethe greatest potential for success. As a proven innovator, they understand thatthe management of new products is all about ability to make the right businessdecisions. Accolade gives users a competitive edge by helping them reduceuncertainty in choosing the product ideas they are going to back with theircritical R&D resources." Sopheon Accolade(R) is a registered trademark of Sopheon plc. Stage-Gate(R) is a registered trademark of the Product Development Institute,Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners. About The Solae Company The Solae Company is a global innovator in the research and application of soyprotein. It serves food and beverage manufacturers, dietary supplementdevelopers, retailers and consumers in 100 countries worldwide, providing themwith better ingredients for better living. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri,the company was formed through an alliance between Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) andDuPont (NYSE: DD). For more information, please visit www.solae.com. About Sopheon Sopheon (LSE: SPE) is an international provider of software and services thathelp organizations improve the business impact of product development. TheSopheon Accolade(R) product development system automates gate- or phase-basedproduct development processes and provides strategic decision support thatallows companies to improve innovation, cut product development spending wasteand shorten time-to-market. Sopheon is listed on the AIM Market of the LondonStock Exchange and on the Euronext in the Netherlands. For more information,please visit www.sopheon.com. Press Contacts: Ron Helgeson Bonnie Anderson/Jessica RoeberSopheon Bell Pottinger USA (for Sopheon)Tel.: +1 952 851 7585 Tel.: +1 617 210 4755E-mail: ron.helgeson@sopheon.com E-mail: banderson@bellpottingerusa.com E-mail: jroeber@bellpottingerusa.comAndrew SheaThe Solae Company+1 314 982 1314E-mail: ashea@solae.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange