Business Analytics

Armonk, N.Y. -- IBM said Wednesday it has completed its acquisition of Emptoris Inc., expanding IBM’s cloud-based analytics offerings that provide supply chain intelligence, or smarter commerce.

“Developing the right procurement strategy and an adaptive supply chain are keys to achieving the business objectives of smarter commerce,” said Craig Hayman, general manager, IBM Industry Solutions. “Together, Emptoris and IBM's integrated solutions will transform how clients manage compliance and mitigate supply risk.”

Framingham, Mass. -- The TJX Cos. announced Tuesday that Scott Goldenberg has been promoted to CFO, retaining his executive VP title, effective immediately.

Goldenberg will oversee corporate finance for TJX and continue to report to Jeffrey Naylor, who had resumed the CFO position in 2009. Naylor will continue as senior executive VP, chief administrative officer and also have responsibility for other corporate functions, including information technology, legal, risk management and investor relations.

Chelmsford, Mass. -- Workforce management solution-provider Kronos Inc. said Tuesday that Wokingham, U.K.-based Sainsbury’s has selected the Kronos solution to control labor costs and improve workforce productivity.

The Kronos solution will manage the time and attendance and scheduling of more than 150,000 associates in more than1,000 locations across the United Kingdom.

Prior to selecting Kronos, Sainsbury’s managed time and attendance and scheduling through a blend of manual and partially automated processes.

Clearwater, Fla. -- Boat retailer MarineMax reported Tuesday that it narrowed its loss in the fiscal first quarter to $4.2 million, from $4.7 million in the year-ago period. The company’s net loss was reduced by $1.4 million related to favorable resolution with a manufacturer whose brands the company no longer carries.

Revenue dipped to $91.8 million for the quarter, from $92.2 million. Same-store sales edged up 2%.

New York City -- A survey released Tuesday by Accenture showed that when it comes to customer loyalty, poor service can cause customers to abandon one company in favor of another.

The Accenture Global Consumer Survey found that 66% of consumers switched companies – including wireless phone, cable and utilities – as a result of poor customer service in 2011, even as their satisfaction with the services provided by those companies rose overall.

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp. reported that its fiscal first-quarter profit rose 10% for the quarter ended Jan. 1, 2012. But the company issued a modest forecast for the year that was slightly below Wall Street expectation, citing ongoing struggles with higher costs for coffee beans, dairy products and other ingredients.

Walmart makes a big deal out of its culture, and as a result it invites criticism whenever changes are made to long-standing company policies that are somehow seen as diminishing the culture. That was the case again this week when reports surfaced that people greeters working the overnight shift had been reassigned other duties.

Walmart will report fourth-quarter and full-year results in a few weeks, and the numbers, while they are sure to be extraordinarily large, will pale in comparison to the superlative-defying figures that Apple posted earlier this week.