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For businesses in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, artificial intelligence (AI) has lately become a major asset, providing a major competitive edge in a volatile retail environment. According to a 2024 McKinsey and Company survey, 71% of CPG executives have adopted artificial intelligence in at least one area of their activities. Therefore, underlines the transforming influence of artificial intelligence on brands’ management, customer interaction, and real-time strategy execution.
Leading the incorporation of artificial intelligence into the CPG sector is Ali Moosani, the CEO of FORM, a firm specializing in mobile software solutions for field personnel. Moosani discussed the ways artificial intelligence is speeding decision-making, the possible uses of augmented reality in retail environments, and the reasons why AI agents could become priceless allies for field teams. (Source: Techbullion)
CPG companies traditionally relied on manual audits, prior data analysis, and large marketing campaigns. This terrain has changed significantly, though: these companies are now using artificial intelligence for better forecasting, personalized promotions, more shelf monitoring, and more effective supply chain management. Augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) agents let companies get more accurate insights than they could only a short time ago. Besides increasing operational efficiency, artificial intelligence is also turning field teams into real-time decision-makers.
These technologies can find issues, detect affected goods, and help a team to make quick and well-informed decisions while on site. For example, augmented reality lets field team members use their device’s camera to view shelves with real-time data overlay showing problems like missing products, pricing discrepancies, or layout problems if a retailer has inadequate shelf conditions. This method offers a fast and efficient way to change haphazard shelf conditions into useful information, hence improving the team’s reaction in retail.
Especially for frontline employees who frequently work with limited data, trying to better shelf conditions under time and resource constraints, artificial intelligence does have the capacity to boost productivity. Using mobile apps powered with integrated artificial intelligence agents, these representatives can get real-time insights and receive guided decision-making assistance, simplifying their tasks. They may pose particular questions to the AI agents and get instant, clear, data-driven answers instead of relying on spreadsheets that might be obsolete or fixed planograms.
GoSpotCheck formerly let field agents get shelf data using image recognition, including spotting out-of-stocks, pricing mistakes, and compliance with planograms. GoSpotCheck improves this capacity by not only examining data but also suggesting activities, right away, at the shelf, when integrated with Salesforce Consumer Goods Cloud. The artificial intelligence agent can lead teams on next actions, including recommending a discount depending on shelf awareness. In essence, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) agent helps field representatives to make more informed, rapid decisions right on the location.
Field teams will be with us forever. Rather than substitutes for human labor, technologies such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence agents free field representatives from boring tasks such as paperwork and audits. It allows them to focus on building connections and carrying out plans. AI agents fosters development and improves human skills. It does not substitute theirs.