Trade promotion management (TPM) is critical for CPG brands looking to optimize spend, boost revenue, and align cross-functional teams. While SAP TPM has long been considered a leader in the space, it is not the only effective solution for trade promotion management today for every business.
This article explores top alternatives to SAP TPM, analyzes real-world implementation (like Hershey), and explains why software alone isn’t the answer.
Hershey Case Study SAP TPM Implementation
Companies like Hershey, turn to SAP TPM to increase revenue and gain tighter control over how they execute and measure their trade spend. This also means better alignment between their retail marketing, pricing strategies, and in-store execution. Instead of relying on fragmented systems and guesswork, SAP TPM gives the company an integrated platform to plan, track, and optimize promotions in real-time.
By partnering with PwC, Hershey implemented SAP’s TPM platform. The purpose was to gain more scalability, integration, and analytical horsepower, things that are essential when you’re managing promotions across thousands of retail locations.
SAP TPM gave Hershey the infrastructure to handle complex data and drive performance at scale. But it’s also worth noting that Hershey had the resources, IT support, and consulting power to make it work. For smaller or mid-sized CPG brands, replicating that level of implementation can feel out of reach, and that’s where the conversation around alternatives begins.
SAP TPM Alternatives
SAP TPM is powerful, it’s also complex. It can be overwhelming to implement, difficult to configure, and often requires heavy IT involvement to keep the platform running smoothly.
For many mid-market CPG brands or teams looking for faster, more flexible solutions, that can be a deal breaker. That’s why some companies start exploring alternatives. This is not because they want to ditch structure, but because they need something that works better for their size, speed, and way of working.
The following are some of the SAP TPM alternatives:
Modus Planning
Modus planning is a TPM application that connects the entire organization. It is a platform that is specifically built for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands, especially small to mid-sized, high-growth companies.
The team at Modus Planning learns all about your business processes and creates a customized account to handle your requirements. Modus planning is designed with accessibility, no setup or user fees, rapid onboarding, and built-in team training/support for growing brands.
SAP TPM Vs. Modus Planning
Blacksmith TPM/ Exceedra TPM
Blacksmith TPM* is a standalone, cloud-based SaaS trade promotion management solution built for foodservice and CPG manufacturers. It enables comprehensive promotion management, from planning and contract handling to deductions and analytics.
*Note: As of August 30, 2023, Blacksmith Applications rebranded its suite of trade promotion management (TPM) and optimization (TPO) solutions under the TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods brand. Specifically, Blacksmith’s TPM platform is now known as TELUS Trade Promotion Management (Exceedra TPM).
SAP TPM Vs. Blacksmith TPM
When to Use SAP TPM, Blacksmith TPM, and Modus Planning
SAP TPM is ideal for manufacturers operating within the SAP ecosystem who need seamless integration across ERP, CRM, and planning systems.
It is particularly suited for B2B trade promotions targeting retailers or wholesalers, providing structured, end-to-end workflows for planning, execution, and settlement.
Organizations that require process-wide consistency, covering billing, deductions, planning, and claims will benefit from SAP TPM’s enterprise-grade reliability and deep integration.
Blacksmith TPM (Exceedra TPM) is best for CPG or foodservice brands seeking a modern, cloud-based solution that is flexible, ERP-agnostic, and quick to deploy.
Its strength lies in analytics, forecasting, and promotion optimization, enabling teams to make data-driven decisions without complex backend setups.
Brands looking for an intuitive, standalone system to manage promotions, track performance, and optimize trade spend will find Blacksmith TPM especially effective.
Modus Planning is designed for growing CPG brands needing a unified platform that combines sales, demand, trade, supply, and order planning.
It supports real-time, bottom-up coordination across teams and emphasizes rapid onboarding with minimal setup friction.
Organizations that want a collaborative, data-driven planning system with built-in support and training, particularly those scaling operations will benefit from Modus Planning’s comprehensive, accessible platform.
Why Software Alone Won’t Solve Your Trade Promotion Headaches
Choosing the right software matters, but it is only step one. Let’s discuss the elephant in the room. TPM (trade promotion management) software alone won’t save your TPM problems.
You’ve done your research. You’ve compared TPM software platforms, stacked them against SAP, and maybe even shortlisted a few promising alternatives. But not many people talk about how implementing the right software isn’t enough. In fact, it can make things worse if you don’t know how to use it properly!
EA’s team has seen it happen too often. Companies invest hundreds of thousands into a shiny new TPM platform, hand over the reins to software consultants, and expect magic. But those consultants aren’t accountants. They’ll configure what you tell them to, walk away, and leave you with a system that might be completely misaligned with your actual process needs.
And once it’s implemented incorrectly, reconfiguring TPM platforms can be complex and costly, often requiring a near-complete reimplementation.
Final Thoughts
TPM is not a plug-and-play situation.
The platform can only work if the people behind it deeply understand the process. The teams should understand how trade promotions should run, what reporting is needed, how deductions are tracked, and how all of that ties into finance, sales, and operations. That means your internal team—not just IT—needs to be involved.
Leadership must own the vision, and the implementation must be cross-functional from day one.
And even the best software can’t fix historical data issues. Trying to clean up deduction problems from years past is often resource-intensive and yields diminishing returns, especially beyond a year. By the time you identify an unauthorized deduction from 12 months ago, you’ve already lost the window to recover it. Precious people-hours are better spent fixing the process going forward than chasing unrecoverable dollars in the past.
The bottom line is that trade promotion management isn’t a software problem. It’s a process, people, and strategy problem. Software helps, but only if the foundation is solid.
Want to avoid a costly implementation mistake?
Make sure your TPM journey starts with expertise, not just a purchase order.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is SAP TPM (and why do people look for alternatives)?
SAP Trade Promotion Management (TPM) is a module designed to help CPG companies plan, execute, and analyze their trade promotions within the larger SAP ecosystem. It offers structure for budgeting, forecasting, approvals, and post-event analysis (all the things finance and sales teams need to get a grip on trade spend).
However, while SAP TPM is powerful, it’s also complex. It can be overwhelming to implement, difficult to customize, and often requires heavy IT involvement to keep it running smoothly. For many mid-market CPG brands or teams looking for faster, more flexible solutions, that can be a dealbreaker.
That’s why some companies start exploring alternatives, not because they want to ditch structure, but because they need something that works better for their size, speed, and way of working.