Less Excel, more horeca insights
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
In the insights and category management teams of FMCG brands, the objective is clear: to understand market trends and transform data into strategic decisions.
However, in everyday reality, a large part of the time is not spent on analysis. It is absorbed by a much less valuable step: data consolidation .
For Marie, Insights Manager at a foodservice brand, the week often starts the same way. Exports arrive from various sources; the files must be cleaned, harmonized, and assembled before they can be analyzed.
The paradox is obvious: the more data companies collect, the more time teams spend preparing it instead of producing horeca insights.
When the analysis begins with a puzzle of files
In the foodservice sector, data comes from many different sources. Teams can work with internal data, distributor reports, field information, or data from establishments.
Each source provides a piece of the puzzle, but this information often arrives in different formats.
The files need to be reprocessed, the categories harmonized, and the indicators recalculated. Before even being able to analyze a trend or answer a strategic question, several hours can be spent preparing the data.
This step is essential, but it consumes a significant portion of the insights teams' time.
The invisible cost of data consolidation
Data consolidation is rarely seen as a strategic issue. Yet, it represents a significant cost for organizations.
When a team spends several days preparing files, that time is no longer spent analyzing the market or producing useful insights for marketing and sales teams.
Decisions may then be made more slowly, or based on less thorough analyses due to a lack of available time.
In a market as dynamic as foodservice, this loss of time can limit a brand's ability to react quickly to market changes.
The true role of insights teams
The mission of an insights team is not to manipulate files. It is to understand the market, identify trends and provide a strategic interpretation of the data.
Insights managers must be able to answer questions that are essential for the brand.
Which categories are progressing in the schools?
Which products are gaining popularity with consumers?
How do consumer behaviors change depending on the time of day or the type of establishment?
These questions require time for analysis and reflection. When teams spend too much time preparing data, their ability to produce these strategic horeca insights diminishes.
Moving from data preparation to analysis
To give insights teams time to focus on their mission, it becomes essential to simplify access to data.
When information is structured, harmonized, and accessible in a single environment, teams can begin their analysis immediately. Trends become easier to observe, and business questions can be explored much more quickly.
This approach makes it possible to transform raw data into usable information without going through lengthy consolidation steps.
When data becomes a source of insights in the horeca industry
In the foodservice industry, some platforms now allow the connection of data from the point-of-sale systems of thousands of establishments. This data is then structured to make analyses comparable between establishments, regions, or categories.
For insights teams, this approach fundamentally changes the way they work. Instead of spending time consolidating data, they can focus on identifying trends and understanding consumer behavior.
By transforming sales data into directly actionable insights, these platforms allow brands to better understand market dynamics and guide their strategic decisions with greater precision.
Give more time to analysis
In an environment where data is becoming increasingly abundant, the real value lies not in collecting more information, but in the ability to transform that data into actionable business insights.
When insights teams can quickly access structured and comparable data, they regain the time needed to analyze trends and support strategic business decisions.
Less Excel, more insights: it is often at this moment that data really starts to create value for foodservice brands.
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