An innovator focused on developing technology and using advanced data analytics to make commerce work smarter: Inmar Intelligence

In the digital world we live in, the number of digital sellers and buyers has grown exponentially. With such huge transactions being carried out on digital platforms, it goes without saying that big data analytics have gained massive influence in the commerce sector. Big data analytics are basically used to deal with large data sets to identify hidden trends, markets, customer preferences, patterns, etc. By leveraging big data analytics capabilities, a business leader can now make well-informed decisions and derive value from data. Big data analytics in commerce not only helps in understanding the customers but also assists in boosting revenue and predicting market trends. Globally there are various companies delivering excellent data analytics solutions for the commerce segment, but Inmar Intelligence stands out from the rest. In 1980, John Whitaker founded Inmar and started Carolina Coupon Clearing. To understand where Inmar is today, it’s important to understand the technology core of that original business. The company never printed a coupon. It allowed for the setup of accounts, the collection and digitization of coupon information, and the unification of the two data sets on a data platform.

Today this Transactional Data Platform powers advanced features such as automated fraud detection, predictive budgeting, and geo-targeting in the FinTech space and has been installed into the core of multiple vertical solutions using unique core objects. The original financial transaction-powered data core now powers a FinTech set of solutions around the flow of money. A product-centric data core supports the SupplyTech capability. A patient-centric data core is at the heart of our healthcare business—finally, a shopper-centric core powers the Retail Cloud MarTech division. Ultimately, Inmar’s goal is to help companies accelerate commerce through its market-driven platforms that propel digital transformation through unified data, workflows, and fund flows.

In conversation with L. David Mounts CEO and Chairman of Inmar Intelligence

Q. Can you explain about your services in brief?

We serve retailers, manufacturers, pharmacies, health systems, government entities and employers as their trusted intermediary. They trust us with over $120 billion in commerce and have done so for almost 42 years. (Anniversary is in April) We currently operate 4 Clouds. The Clouds represent the Product Suites we offer to our clients:

• Retail Cloud
• Fintech Cloud
• Healthcare Cloud
• Product Lifecycle Cloud

Each Cloud of Solutions is powered by a data platform:

1. Retail Cloud is powered by ShopperSync™: A Shopper-Centered Data Core that begins with Purchase Connected Solutions and Serves to Optimize the Digital Incentive Solutions
2. Fintech Cloud is powered by LedgerSync™: A Financial Transaction-Powered Data Core that Powers FinTech Solutions focused on the Flow of Money
3. Healthcare Cloud is powered by DrugSync™: A Patient-Centric Data Core that Solves Complex Healthcare Accounting, Compliance and Settles Goods Flow
4. Product Lifecycle Cloud™ is powered by GoodsSync: A Product-Centric Data Core that Enables Merchandising, and Tracks and Settles Goods Flow (think returns and liquidation)

Q. How do you deal with the “never ending change” in digital transformation?

Forecasters predict digital transformation spending to exceed $2 trillion by 2023. Yet today, more than 87 percent of companies have not realized the full impact of their digital investments. That’s why we created the Inmar Innovator Ecosystem. It was designed to help our clients and partners meet the increasing demands for transformation. The Innovator Ecosystem accelerates innovation by acquiring or partnering with best-in-class technology, analytics, and media companies from around the world. These Platform Accelerators are enhancements to Inmar’s comprehensive suite of solutions and integrated into our digital platform to drive value. Digital transformation is a multi-year journey that requires financial and intellectual capital, and we’ve invested nearly $1 billion to advance the industries we serve. In addition, we’ve purposefully hired the top deciles in data scientists, engineers, logisticians, transformation management, and domain experts to support our clients. Throughout our clients’ entire transformation journeys, Inmar is there to help deliver on the true value of digital transformation.

Q. Big Data is expected to continue to play a vital role in decision making and increasing productivity? How do you interpret this?

Technology platforms that bring access to the widest input of data, and near-unlimited compute power, will be the tools of choice to transform workflows in the 21st century. These platforms, however, will do nothing without the services that enable their application. Machine learning depends heavily on access to maximum volume and variety of data, while learning will profit from velocity. The opportunity to leverage AI to make human decision-making faster or more accurate often gets lost. When humans use technology built on AI, there’s more agility in process and workflow.

Q. Do you have any new services ready to be launched?

We are constantly launching new products and services. We just announced the launch of DeductionsLink™, a SaaS collaboration and payments solution designed to help small and medium-sized (SMB) consumer packaged goods (CPG) businesses and pharmaceutical manufacturers modernize their deductions management processes. Part of Inmar Intelligence’s LedgerSync™ platform, DeductionsLink incorporates AI and automated process management to enable cross-functional collaboration and increased visibility into deductions recovery trends, ultimately protecting against shrinking profit margins while easing the burden of deductions management on staff. Prior to DeductionsLink™, we expanded our adult beverage portfolio, giving brands the ability to precisely target verified purchasers of adult beverage products and measure the impact of media on omnichannel sales down to the category, brand, or UPC level. This shopper-centric technology uses retail purchase data to report on sales as they occur while auto-optimizing media performance in real-time -- driving efficiencies, maximizing budgets, and increasing sales. Over the past year, we’ve also been helping clients capitalize on new, Name, Image, Likeness opportunities that allow student-athletes to act as influencers and brand ambassadors. Our experience in the influencer sphere, combined with a deep understanding of the intricacies of these new NCAA regulations, has allowed many of our clients to jump in front of the competition and win the NIL game.

Meet the leader behind the success of Inmar Intelligence

David Mounts joined Inmar as Chief Executive Officer in April 2010 and assumed the additional role of Chairman in February 2014. David has extensive operations and financial management experience in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He has lived and worked in all three regions. His expertise in investment, innovation, industry collaboration and corporate development has supported transformative product innovation and the growth of information-driven networks spanning more than 200 countries and territories. Prior to joining the Inmar team, David was Executive Vice President of Supply Chain for Domino’s Pizza, Inc. He also served as Domino’s Chief Financial Officer from 2005 to 2007. Prior to Domino’s, David held several positions during his 23-year tenure at UPS, including Chief Financial Officer, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, and Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions.

“We deliver results through platforms that analyze, engage and enable commerce”