Reflections from Building a More Connected Insights Ecosystem

by Patricia Salamone and Chris Deinlein

As organizations seek to unlock greater value from their data, many face a common challenge: turning disconnected information sources into a cohesive foundation for decision-making.

While much of today’s conversation around AI focuses on emerging technologies, our experience reinforces a different reality. Successful AI initiatives depend on something far more fundamental. Organizations need strong data foundations, connected systems, scalable processes, and a clear understanding of how information is used across the business.

For insights teams, this presents a significant opportunity. They are often uniquely positioned to help lead these efforts because they already specialize in translating complex information into actionable business understanding.

Through our collaboration with Mars Petcare, we’ve seen firsthand what it takes to build a more connected insights ecosystem—one designed to transform fragmented data into a foundation for faster, more informed decisions. At the Insights Association’s Ignite: CPG event, we joined Mike Mackezyk, Senior Manager of Data Capabilities at Mars Petcare, to discuss this transformation journey and share lessons learned.

Building the Foundation Before AI

Mars Petcare’s data journey has evolved significantly over time; the organization has progressed from Excel-based workflows to increasingly sophisticated reporting and visualization platforms, reflecting growing data complexity and faster business decision cycles.

As the organization continued to evolve its data capabilities, one theme became increasingly clear: AI readiness requires more than technology adoption. It requires confidence in the underlying data, alignment across teams, and a clear roadmap for how information flows throughout the organization.

Those foundational elements became the starting point for our work.

Why Cross-Functional Conversations Matter

One of the most valuable aspects of the engagement was a series of conversations with stakeholders across marketing, sales, e-commerce, operations, and insights.

The objective was straightforward: understand how different teams use data, where challenges exist, and what opportunities would create the greatest value.

While each function had distinct priorities and workflows, several common themes emerged:

• Teams wanted faster access to trusted information.
• Analysts were spending significant time responding to repetitive requests.
• Critical data existed across disconnected systems.
• Stakeholders wanted greater self-service capabilities.

These findings were familiar. Similar challenges surface across many organizations navigating growing data complexity.

At the same time, the differences between teams were equally important. Marketing, sales, insights, and operations each interact with data in unique ways. Those distinctions reinforced the need for a flexible and scalable roadmap rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

The process also highlighted the value of involving a removed perspective. Independent facilitation often creates space for more candid conversations, helping organizations uncover challenges, opportunities, and priorities that may be more difficult to surface internally. Outside perspectives ultimately informed a more objective set of recommendations and a clearer path forward.

Starting with the Right Opportunity

Rather than attempting to deploy AI across every function simultaneously, the team focused on identifying a practical starting point. A data readiness assessment pointed to retail measurement and Nielsen-related data as a strong candidate. The data was structured, widely used across the organization, and already central to many business decisions.

That focus led to the development of an MMS agent concept—an AI-enabled tool designed to help users access and interpret retail measurement information more efficiently.

Importantly, the goal is not to replace analysts or insights professionals. The objective is to reduce repetitive manual work, streamline access to trusted information, and create more capacity for strategic analysis and consultation.

The initial use cases include:

• Answering common business questions
• Simplifying access to trusted data
• Supporting self-service reporting
• Reducing low-value manual requests

Over time, the vision extends beyond a single tool. Additional data sources, institutional knowledge, and advanced analytical capabilities can be integrated to expand both functionality and impact.

Building a Connected Insights Ecosystem

While the MMS agent represents an important step, it is only one component of a broader vision.

The larger goal is to create a connected insights ecosystem that brings together retail measurement data, consumer insights, operational intelligence, and institutional knowledge into a unified environment. By connecting these information sources, organizations can improve accessibility, reduce fragmentation, and support more consistent decision-making across functions.

The technology itself is compelling. However, the most important outcome is what it enables people to do. When insights teams spend less time searching for information, reconciling data sources, and responding to repetitive requests, they can dedicate more time to strategic storytelling, critical thinking, consultation, and driving organizational action.

In practice, that may be where the greatest value of AI emerges—not as a replacement for human expertise, but as a force multiplier for it.

Key Takeaways for Insights Leaders

Several themes emerged from our discussion at the Ignite: CPG event:

• Insights teams should serve as the organization’s story engine, not simply its dashboard provider.
• Connecting data and institutional knowledge is often more valuable than adding another standalone tool.
• AI creates the greatest impact when it amplifies human expertise rather than attempting to replace it.

Mars Petcare’s journey is still evolving, and that reflects the reality of modern data transformation. Organizations do not need every answer before they begin. What matters most is establishing a clear vision, identifying the right foundational opportunities, and building intentionally over time.

The conversations we’ve had with the Mars Petcare team and others at Ignite: CPG event reinforced something we strongly believe: insights leaders have a meaningful opportunity to shape how organizations approach AI, connected intelligence, and decision-making in the years ahead.

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