Applied Predictive Technologies was a software company that provided business analyticssoftware, designed to help large, consumer-facing businesses "reduce the risk of any new initiative by systematically testing the idea with a subset of stores, customers, or employees." APT was acquired by Mastercard in 2015 and no longer operates as a standalone business. APT argues that using systematic testing enables companies to measure the true incremental impact of any new initiative. Its "core value proposition is helping clients innovate more effectively through trial and error."
History
APT was founded in 1999 by business consulting executives Jim Manzi, Anthony Bruce, and Scott Setrakian. Of founding APT, Manzi explained to The Washington Post that "a lot of the work I was doing as a consultant was very repetitive. I realized how much of it could be put into a software model.” With venture capital from Devon Partners, it took Manzi and Bruce less than a year to develop and launch APT’s software tool. In 2006, the firm was backed by Accel-KKR, a private equity firm. In 2013, Goldman Sachs invested $100 million in APT. APT was acquired by Mastercard in 2015.
Analyze the test to determine how successful it was and what factors explain performance differences
Plan the rollout based on the analysis of the test
APT's software has been noted for its emphasis on ease of use in test design and analysis and also for its ability to present both a high-level summary of a test and deep analysis of the specific attributes that affect performance in the test. APT differentiates itself from competitors by offering a unique approach, emphasizing conducting tests to gather data instead of simply simulating it. In February 2011, APT was awarded a patent that protects its core analytic technology for designing an in-market test and on matching test stores to control stores.
Products
The firm provides its products as web applications Its current products include .
MarketDial, a Utah-based company founded in 2016, is the only direct competitor in this space. MarketDial aims to differentiate itself from APT Mastercard by offering a platform that leverages machine learning and a more modern technology stack.
Clients
Named one of the top 10 tech companies to watch in 2012 by American Banker, APT's clients span a wide range of industries and include Abercrombie & Fitch, Wendy's, Starbucks, Subway, Kraft Foods, Royal Bank of Canada, and more than 40 of the Fortune 500. APT's Test and Learn for Sites software has been used for Wawa's tests on adding personnel, IHG's tests on capital upgrades and promotional offers, and Royal Bank of Canada's in-market tests on distribution operations strategies. APT has also done work with Google in analyzing the impact of online advertising on brick and mortar stores.
