SR Analytics

  When I started working with consumer packaged goods companies five years ago, I witnessed a troubling pattern. Brands were drowning in data from Nielsen syndicated sources, POS systems, and trade promotions, yet they couldn’t answer basic questions: Which SKUs were cannibalizing each other? Why did that promotion fail in the Northeast but succeed in the West? Where should we invest our next trade dollar? The problem wasn’t a lack of data — it was a lack of actionable insights. Today, I’m seeing that gap close as forward-thinking CPG brands embrace  CPG data analytics  to transform their scattered information into strategic competitive weapons. Quick Answer: CPG data analytics transforms raw sales, consumer, and supply chain data into actionable insights that drive 25% faster decision-making, optimize trade spend ROI by up to 30%, and enable consumer goods brands to predict market trends before competitors. Why CPG Data Analytics Has Become Non-Negotiable in 2025 The con...

  I’ve watched too many finance teams spend January building elaborate budgets, only to watch them become irrelevant by March. The spreadsheet sits pristine and untouched while the actual business runs on gut feeling and last-minute pivots. After fifteen years helping companies transform their financial planning, I can tell you the difference between organizations that execute their strategy and those that don’t comes down to one thing: they treat their Annual Operating Plan as a living execution system, not a compliance document. Let me walk you through what AOP in finance actually is, why it matters more than ever in 2025, and how to build one that drives real results instead of gathering digital dust. Quick Answer: What is AOP in Finance? AOP in finance stands for Annual Operating Plan — a comprehensive 12-month roadmap that translates your company’s strategic vision into specific financial targets, operational goals, and departmental initiatives, complete with budgets, KPIs, an...