Accolade System Cited for Capacity to Reduce Business Risk Associated with Innovation
Sopheon, the international software and services company, announced today that The Solae Company has begun deploying Sopheon’s Accolade process and product portfolio management system enterprise-wide to enhance its innovation processes and strengthen innovation-related decision-making support.

The Solae Company is an alliance between DuPont and Bunge Ltd. It is a global leader in the research and application of soy-based food ingredients. As part of a plan for enhancing its innovation processes, Solae elected to adopt Stage-Gate, the widely used product development methodology. That decision led to a search for a technology solution that could both automate Stage-Gate and help 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 for capturing, evaluating and managing product and project ideas. Solae also saw value in the software’s provision of centralized, real-time visibility to project details and automated “what if” analysis as a way to increase the speed and quality of portfolio decision-making. The company’s choice of Accolade was further 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,” said Jonathan McIntyre, vice president of research and development at The Solae Company. “But true innovation is inherently risky. It involves reaching beyond the boundaries of what your customers are able to tell you and anticipating what they are going to need, sometimes before they even know it. A principal reason The Solae Company chose to adopt the Sopheon system is that it brings consistent rigor to our examination of the business risks and opportunities associated with each project entering our product development pipeline. Sopheon’s Accolade is a tool that fits into our larger process for risk management, reducing the chance of investing in products that the market won’t value.”

“Users often point to how Accolade has increased the flow of innovation into their developmental pipeline,” said Andy Michuda, chief executive officer of Sopheon. “Solae’s perspective focuses on the equally important issue of ensuring that the product ideas an organization invests in are those that have the greatest potential for success. As a proven innovator, they understand that the management of new products is all about ability to make the right business decisions. Accolade gives users a competitive edge by helping them reduce uncertainty in choosing the product ideas they are going to back with their critical R&D resources.”

Sopheon Accolade® is a registered trademark of Sopheon plc.

Stage-Gate® 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 soy protein. It serves food and beverage manufacturers, dietary supplement developers, retailers and consumers in 100 countries worldwide, providing them with better ingredients for better living. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, the company was formed through an alliance between Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) and DuPont (NYSE: DD). For more information, please visit www.solae.com.