Brand owners & manufacturers
Own the brands and the P&L, and sell through a mix of key accounts and distributors.
Where we help
- Brand, category and SKU profitability
- Trade promotion effectiveness
- Demand forecasting and S&OP
AI for FMCG, end to end.
Every SKU. Every channel. Every decision. Connected.
From consumer demand to cash in the bank, Data Semantics gives FMCG companies one view of sales, distributors, trade spend, supply chain and finance, and AI agents that act on it: processing orders, collecting cash and paying suppliers, inside the systems you run.
For brand owners and manufacturers, food & beverage producers and multi-market FMCG groups. Running a distribution business? See trading & distribution.
Ask your businessIllustrative
Why is our 500ml range down 14% in the northern region this month?
ERPDMSSFARetailer POSPromotions
Secondary sales fell at 3 distributors while their stock rose. 212 high-potential outlets missed two visits in a row, and a competitor promotion ran the same weeks.
62%Numeric distribution▼ 4 pts
31Days of stock at distributors▲ 9 days
1.4×Trade spend return, last promo▼ 0.3
- Rebalance stock from 1 distributor to 2 under-stocked onesAwaiting approval
- Add 212 outlets to next week's beat plansDrafted
- Flag 3 retailer deductions for claim validationSent to finance
14+years
400+professionals
200+enterprises served
In short
Data Semantics provides analytics, automation and AI agents for FMCG and consumer goods manufacturers and distributors. We connect primary, secondary and sell-out sales, trade spend, supply chain, production, people and finance into one view, so commercial, supply and finance teams work from the same numbers. AI agents then take customer and distributor orders into the ERP, follow up receivables and process supplier invoices, with people approving what matters. Start with one problem on your existing ERP, distributor and sales data.
The FMCG value chain
Value is created across six stages. Most businesses see them one at a time.
Some companies sell direct to modern trade, some through distributors to traditional trade, and most do a mix that depends on market, channel and size. The six stages are the same.
Demand
Sell-out, orders and market data signal what consumers will buy, where and when.
Plan
Forecasts become S&OP, production, purchasing and replenishment plans.
Source & Make
Suppliers, materials, lines, yield and cost determine what can be made and at what margin.
Distribute
Stock moves direct to key accounts, through distributors to outlets, or both.
Sell
Primary and secondary sales, outlet coverage, pricing and promotions drive volume.
Collect
Invoices, retailer deductions, distributor claims and receivables turn into cash.
We connect all six into one model of your business, whichever route to market you run.
Who we serve
Built for the businesses that move consumer products.
Food & beverage producers
Short shelf life, cold chain and daily volumes make timing everything.
Where we help
- Daily demand sensing by outlet and route
- Near-expiry stock and returns
- Production yield and wastage
Brands selling through distributors
Brand owners who reach the market through distributors and need to see what happens after the primary sale. Distributors themselves: see trading & distribution.
Where we help
- Secondary sales and stock by distributor
- Outlet coverage through distributor sales teams
- Scheme, rebate and claim validation
Multi-market FMCG groups
Many brands, countries, ERPs and operating companies to bring together.
Where we help
- Group-wide commercial performance
- One definition of sales, margin and stock
- Cross-market inventory balancing
What we do
See it clearly. Then let AI act on it.
We combine industry understanding with the technical know-how to build what you need, from analytics and automation to AI agents that act. These are the most common starting points, and the last card in each row covers everything else.
See itAnalytics and decision intelligence: one trusted view, and what to do next.
Sell · DistributeAnalytics
Sales & Distribution Intelligence
Sales & distribution intelligence is a connected view of primary, secondary and outlet-level sales that shows where growth is happening, where it is leaking and what the field should do next.
- Primary, secondary and sell-out sales in one view
- Distributor and retailer scorecards, stock and coverage
- Outlet coverage, assortment gaps and beat productivity
- Prioritized outlet and territory actions for field teams
SellAnalytics
Revenue Growth & Trade Promotion Intelligence
Trade promotion intelligence links price, promotions, schemes and trade spend to incremental volume and margin, so commercial investment goes where it pays back.
- Promotion uplift, cannibalization and return on spend
- Trade spend, rebates and schemes by customer
- Price, volume and mix margin bridges
- Customer and channel profitability after cost to serve
Demand · Plan · DistributeAnalytics
Supply Chain Intelligence
Supply chain intelligence connects demand, plans, inventory, warehouses and deliveries so the right stock reaches the right market and customer, on time and in full, without tying up working capital.
- Demand forecasting, sensing and S&OP by SKU and market
- Stockout, overstock and near-expiry alerts across DCs and distributors
- Warehouse, logistics and on-time in-full (OTIF) performance
- Replenishment and stock-transfer recommendations
Source & MakeAnalytics
Manufacturing & Operations Intelligence
Manufacturing & operations intelligence connects production, procurement, quality and maintenance data to demand and margin, so operations can see which constraints will hit service levels and cost.
- Line performance, OEE, yield and wastage
- Production and material cost variance
- Supplier performance and procurement spend
- Downtime impact on high-margin SKUs
Delivered withBusiness Intelligence & Analytics
Across the value chainAnalytics
People & Workforce Intelligence
People & workforce intelligence connects HR, payroll, sales and production data to show how field teams, merchandisers, drivers and factory shifts drive coverage, output and cost.
- Field-force productivity and outlet coverage per salesperson and route
- Incentive and commission analytics tied to sell-out, not just shipments
- Attrition, absenteeism and hiring risk by role, site and territory
- Workforce planning and labor cost per case
Delivered withBusiness Intelligence & Analytics
Need something else analyzed or automated? Talk to an expert →
Act on itAutomation and AI agents that do the work, with people approving what matters.
OrderAutomation
Order Processing Automation
Order processing automation reads orders from customers and distributors, whether they arrive by email, PDF, portal or spreadsheet, checks them against price lists, credit and stock, and creates sales orders in your ERP.
- Orders captured from email, PDF, portals and spreadsheets
- Price, credit and stock checked before entry
- Sales orders created in SAP, Dynamics 365 or Oracle
- 90%+ less manual order entry
Delivered withZebo
CollectAutomation
Order-to-Cash & Collections Automation
Order-to-cash intelligence follows every order to cash, including invoices, retailer deductions, distributor claims and receivables, so finance can validate claims, reduce disputes and collect faster.
- Deductions and claims matched to agreed promotions
- Distributor credit limits and exposure
- Collections prioritized and followed up by AI agents
- Overdue and DSO tracking by customer and channel
Source & Make · CollectAutomation
AP & Procurement Automation
AP & procurement automation uses AI to capture, match and post supplier invoices into your ERP, routing only the exceptions to people.
- PO and non-PO supplier invoice capture
- Matching against purchase orders and goods receipts
- Exception routing and approvals
- Posting into SAP, Dynamics 365, Oracle and more
Delivered withSerina
Talk to an expert
Which of these would make the biggest difference?
Tell us where your teams lose the most time today. We’ll show you what we would fix first, on the systems you already run.
Our differentiator
Semantics is in our name. What about your AI?
An FMCG ontology is a shared model of your business: the SKUs, customers, distributors, outlets, shipments, promotions, orders, claims and people you deal with, how they relate and what each term means. People, analytics and AI agents all work from it.
From insight to action
A dashboard tells you what happened. We help you act on it.
Two examples of the same pattern: detect, understand, recommend, act, learn.
A declining SKU in a key territory
For sales and supply chain leaders
- DetectSell-out for a top SKU falls 14% in one region.
- UnderstandDistributor stock is high, but 212 outlets missed deliveries and a competitor promotion ran the same weeks.
- RecommendRebalance stock to two distributors and add the missed outlets to next week's beat plans.
- ActOnce the regional manager approves, the transfer and beat changes are created in ERP and SFA.
- LearnCoverage and sell-out are tracked weekly until the SKU recovers.
A retailer deduction, through to cash
For commercial and finance leaders
- DetectA key account short-pays an invoice, citing a promotion deduction.
- UnderstandAn agent matches it to the agreed promotion, volumes sold and proof of performance.
- RecommendAccept the supported amount and dispute the balance with the evidence attached.
- ActAfter approval, the credit note and dispute are raised and collections follow-up is scheduled.
- LearnDeduction patterns by account feed into the next round of trade terms.
Illustrative examples. Every action runs within the approval rules you set.
Results
Measured in your numbers.
We don’t borrow results from other industries. Every FMCG engagement starts by measuring today’s baseline, and success is proven against it. These are the measures we track most often.
- Forecast accuracy
- Numeric distribution
- Trade spend return
- Stockouts and expiries
- Order entry effort
- Days sales outstanding
- Cost per invoice
Client work
FMCG and consumer goods work we've delivered.
A leading GCC consumer goods group
Commercial performance across brands and markets
Brought sales, distributor and finance data from multiple markets into one model, giving leadership a single view of brand and channel performance.
A GCC food producer
From production to sales on the same numbers
Connected production, inventory, sales and finance reporting so operations and commercial teams plan from one version of volume and margin.
A North American food retail group
A modern data and analytics foundation
Consolidated data from across the business onto a modern platform, with governed reporting for merchandising, operations and finance.
Where to start
Three ways to start. Each one stands on its own.
Each is a fixed-scope engagement on your own data, measured against today’s baseline.
Analytics
Secondary sales visibility
Primary, secondary and sell-out sales in one view by distributor, outlet and SKU, built on the data you already receive.
Business Intelligence & Analytics →AutomationOrders or collections with Zebo
AI agents take distributor and customer orders into the ERP, or follow up receivables, for one market or channel.
Zebo →AutomationSupplier invoices with Serina
Raw material, packaging and service invoices captured, matched and posted, with exceptions to your team.
Serina →Every engagement follows the same path: measure today’s baseline, connect and model the data, prove it on a real workflow, then scale.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
About FMCG AI
Do you work with both manufacturers and distributors?
Yes. Some FMCG companies sell direct to modern trade, some sell through distributors to traditional trade, and many do both depending on market and channel. We model the route to market you actually run, whether you are a brand owner, a food producer, a multi-principal distributor or a multi-market group.
Analytics
What is sales and distribution intelligence?
Sales and distribution intelligence is a connected view of primary sales (to distributors and key accounts), secondary sales (from distributors to outlets) and sell-out. It shows which SKUs, outlets, distributors and territories are growing or slipping, and turns that into prioritized actions for sales teams.
What is trade promotion intelligence?
Trade promotion intelligence measures whether promotions, schemes, rebates and discounts created incremental volume and margin, or only subsidized sales that would have happened anyway. It links promotion plans, trade spend, sell-out and retailer deductions so commercial teams can invest where it pays back.
What is supply chain intelligence?
Supply chain intelligence connects demand forecasts, S&OP plans, inventory, warehouses and deliveries into one view. It shows where stockouts, excess stock or late deliveries are building up, and recommends replenishment, transfers or plan changes before service levels or working capital suffer.
What is people and workforce intelligence for FMCG?
People and workforce intelligence links HR and payroll data with sales, distribution and production data. It shows how salesperson coverage, incentives, attrition and shift staffing affect outlet coverage, output and cost, so leaders can plan and reward the workforce against business results.
Automation
Can AI process distributor and customer orders?
Yes. Zebo, the Data Semantics order-to-cash agent, reads orders from email, PDF, portals and spreadsheets, checks them against price lists, credit and stock, and creates sales orders in your ERP, cutting manual order entry by 90% or more.
Are people still in control when AI agents act in FMCG operations?
Yes. Agents monitor, explain and prepare actions such as a stock transfer, a claim decision or an invoice posting. Actions run within the approval rules you set, and every recommendation, approval and outcome is logged.
Data and platforms
Can you use distributor data that arrives as spreadsheets?
Yes. Many distributors share secondary sales and stock as files rather than through an integration. We standardize and validate these feeds, map distributor product and outlet codes to yours, and flag gaps, so the data can be used alongside ERP and sales force data.
Do we need to replace our ERP, DMS or BI platform?
No. Data Semantics connects to the systems you already run, such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle and Salesforce, plus distributor management, sales force automation, warehouse, HR, retailer and market data. Intelligence and agents sit across them, and approved actions are written back into them.
Getting started
How do FMCG companies start with AI?
Yes, and we recommend it. Common starting points are secondary sales visibility, trade promotion effectiveness, stockout and expiry risk, retailer deductions and collections, or supplier invoice automation. The data model built for the first use case is reused for the next.
Bring us the problem costing you most.
A distributor you can't see into. A trade claim backlog. A stockout that keeps coming back. A month-end that takes too long. Start there.
