BEMA launched its BEMA Intel platform with an on-demand webinar showing members how they can get the most out of this innovative platform.

The webinar, hosted by Marjorie Hellmer, president of Cypress Research, featured Tim Cook, chief  executive officer of Shick Esteve; Jason Ward, president of AMF Bakery Systems; Jennifer Lindsey, global vice president of marketing for Corbion; Josh Sosland, president, Sosland Publishing Co.; and Paul Lattan, publisher of Commercial Baking.

BEMA Intel is a datagraphics platform aimed at helping bakery manufacturers and suppliers understand the health of the U.S. baking industry on a quarterly basis.

“As leaders, we’re expected to understand what’s happening in the economy, and it’s easy to get general data, but data that’s specific to our industry is less accessible,” Mr. Cook explained. “The hope is we can fill that gap of what’s happening in the economy at large and what’s happening in the baking industry. Having specific intel that speaks to the current health of the industry is critical.”

BEMA Intel features three components: Industry Indicators Data, Member Pulse and the Quarterly Summary. Each of these serve different functions, either as a deep dive or at-a-glance look at the industry.

The Industry Indicators Data is the most in-depth look at the industry, providing 30 pages of current and historical data that monitors quarterly and multi-year changes. It includes multiple data points: food prices and grain-based food stocks, ingredients and energy data, labor datapoints, and top packaged and fresh bakery product sales.

“The BEMA Intel dashboard helps you connect the dots to any of the business strategies you have and any tactical execution you may need to adjust based on what the market dynamics are,” Ms. Lindsey explained. “It’s real-time validation of your strategy and execution.

While the sales data is provided by IRI Worldwide, a Chicago-based research firm, the grain-based foods share index and bakery ingredient indexes are supplied by Milling & Baking News.

“While we work hard to help our readers connect the dots with the data, the data is not always used to its fullest, so contributing our data to a platform that can help the industry was very exciting,” Mr. Sosland said.

The Member Pulse Survey is a quarterly survey conducted by Cypress Research that reports changes in equipment bookings and company outlook. This information is reported confidentially, and as Mr. Lattan stressed, is only as good as the participation from BEMA members.

“People want this data, but we have to have people participate,” he said. “We have a saying in BEMA, ‘you get what you put in,’ so please fill out the survey so we can get you the data so you can use it.”

The Quarterly Summary is a three-page report that shows changes in both the Industry Indicators and Member Pulse Survey to give a snapshot of the industry every quarter. The data is color-coded — red, yellow or green — making it easy to see how the industry is doing.

“In one place, we have high-level data that I would have spent a considerable amount of time putting together,” Mr. Cook said. “And it presents it in a way that you can quickly understand the major forces at play in the industry. From my perspective, I will be including this in my presentations any time I’m talking about the state of industry and business.”

BEMA Intel is scheduled to launch on BEMA’s website in early December. The Quarterly Summary will be publicly available at the beginning of each quarter while the Industry Indicators and Member Pulse Survey will be updated on a monthly or quarterly basis as appropriate. The Industry Indicators and Member Pulse Survey will be exclusive to BEMA members.

“This is all about where the industry is going, where our customers are going and the health of the industry,” Mr. Ward said.

To learn more information about how the BEMA Intel platform works, watch the webinar on-demand.