Sodexo Earns Distinction on 12th Annual List of Pros to Know Published by Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Gaithersburg, MD – February 22, 2012 – Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine, the executive's user manual for successful supply and demand chain transformation, this week announced the 12th annual listing of Pros to Know in the Supply Chain Industry, naming Sodexo, Inc. among the award recipients in the category of Provider Pros to Know. Sodexo, the leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions earned the distinction for creating The Market Connection, an e-procurement software solution developed in partnership with Ariba, Inc.

The Market Connection is the first e-procurement system of its kind in the food service industry, seamlessly tracking and managing purchases across more than 5,500 business units, all while implementing a best-in-class procure-to-pay process. The result – driving savings and efficiencies that have positive impacts for both Sodexo and the clients it serves. More than $3.8 billion in spend and over 2.23 million orders have been processed through The Market Connection by over 12,000 enabled users. Approximately 10,000 invoices are processed through The Market Connection routinely, Monday through Saturday.   The Pros to Know Awards recognize supply chain executives and manufacturing and non-manufacturing enterprises who are leading initiatives to help prepare their companies’ supply chains for the significant challenges of today’s business climate. This year’s list also includes the 2012 Provider Pros to Know, individuals from software firms and service providers, consultancies or academia, who have helped their supply chain clients or the supply chain community at large prepare to meet these challenges.   "Our annual list of Provider Pros to Know highlights the many thought-leaders who are helping to shape the supply chain industry and advance supply chain as a respected discipline in the enterprise," said Barry Hochfelder, editor of Supply & Demand Chain Executive. "Sodexo’s efforts in developing The Market Connection and in promoting new approaches to supply chain enablement, have earned it a place on this year's Provider Pros listing.”   The magazine's editorial selection committee culled through more than 325 submissions to find the applicants that best fit the criteria. This year's list includes more than 120 Provider Pros to Know.   The full listing of the 2012 Pros to Know is available on the Supply & Demand Chain Executive website at SDCExec.com. An expanded listing will appear in the March 2012 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine and online thereafter.     ABOUT SODEXO Sodexo in North America Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On-site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, Remote Site segments and Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $17 million in grants to end childhood hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.   About Ariba, Inc. Ariba, Inc. is the world’s business commerce network. Ariba combines industry-leading cloud-based applications with the world's largest web-based trading community to help companies discover and collaborate with a global network of partners. Using the Ariba^® Network, businesses of all sizes can connect to their trading partners anywhere, at any time from any application or device to buy, sell and manage their cash more efficiently and effectively than ever before. Companies around the world use the AribaNetwork to simplify inter-enterprise commerce and enhance the results that they deliver. Join them at: www.ariba.com   ABOUT SUPPLY & DEMAND CHAIN EXECUTIVE Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the executive's user manual for successful supply and demand chain transformation, utilizing hard-hitting analysis, viewpoints and unbiased case studies to steer executives and supply management professionals through the complicated, yet critical, world of supply and demand chain enablement to gain competitive advantage. Supply & Demand Chain Executive is a publication of Cygnus Business Media. Visit us on the Web at www.SDCExec.com and on smartphones and tablets at www.SDCExec.com/mobile.   SODE23109