Annual Promotion Plan Management in Consumer-Packaged Goods
Enterprise software generative research to optimize promotion planning workflows and reduce operational complexity for CPG sales managers
Enterprise software generative research to optimize promotion planning workflows and reduce operational complexity for CPG sales managers
In a $500+ billion global market, inefficient promotion planning processes directly affect individual performance metrics and overall company profitability, with 67% of users reporting the current planning process as burdensome.
Sales managers in the Consumer-Packaged Goods industry face significant operational challenges when managing complex promotion plans, leading to compromised productivity, reduced efficiency, and missed revenue opportunities.
60-minute sessions with CPG industry experts from billion-dollar revenue companies
Systematic coding and pattern identification from interview transcripts
Collaborative synthesis to identify themes and actionable insights
Regular alignment with PM and design teams throughout the research process
I conducted comprehensive research with 5 end-users from CPG companies generating over $1 billion in annual revenue. Participants were recruited through multiple channels including Microsoft Teams, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Respondent.io, with collaboration facilitated through Mural.
Target User Persona: "Igor" - Sales managers responsible for overseeing CPG product sales to assigned customers, managing promotion plans to ensure compliance and achieve business goals.
Key Frustration: Navigating multiple disconnected systems to manage customer relationships and promotion plans, creating operational inefficiency.
Primary Need: Streamlined tools to complete planning and editing tasks efficiently, enabling more time for customer relationship building.
All 5 participants utilize Microsoft Excel as a critical touchpoint throughout the editing and updating process, particularly for specific data category management.
New Feature: Microsoft Excel Upload Integration – Incorporate seamless Excel upload capability within both creation and edit workflows to eliminate manual data transfer steps.
Annual spending activities are subject to mid-year guardrail modifications due to market volatility and policy adjustments, making complete automation unreliable.
New Feature: Flexible Configuration Framework – Develop an adaptable system allowing user-controlled adjustments within established guardrail parameters.
100% of users expressed no confidence in automated plan maintenance, requiring manual intervention for quality assurance and control.
Roadmap Adjustment: Deprioritize Full Automation – Shift focus from automation to user-assisted workflows until co-innovation partners demonstrate demand.
Users apply uniform editing approaches regardless of promotion duration, indicating opportunity for workflow standardization.
Design Strategy: Unified Workflow Architecture – Eliminate differentiated editing workflows in favor of a single, optimized editing experience.
Features currently implemented in SAP Revenue Growth Management