Value Creation by Harnessing Big Data in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Industry, with Special Focus on Supply Chain
This thesis examines the role of big data analytics and digitalisation in creating business value within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, with particular emphasis on supply-chain management in India. Given the sector’s high-volume operations, short product life cycles, competitive pressures and narrow profit margins, effective supply-chain integration is essential for improving operational performance and maintaining competitiveness.
The study explores the relationship between big data analytics, organisational decision-making and value creation, focusing on how data-driven technologies can support demand forecasting, production planning, procurement, inventory management and distribution. It also considers the role of digitalisation in improving supply-chain visibility, agility, coordination and responsiveness to changing market conditions.
The empirical component involved an electronic survey of 30 supply-chain management professionals and experts in the FMCG sector. The survey examined industry awareness of digital transformation, the motivation for adopting digital supply-chain practices, and the challenges and opportunities associated with implementation. The findings indicate that digitalisation has the potential to integrate supply-chain processes, improve operational efficiency and support more informed decision-making.
The thesis concludes that organisations capable of effectively leveraging data-driven technologies may be better positioned to develop agile, integrated and competitive supply chains. It highlights the importance of aligning technological adoption with organisational strategy and operational requirements to translate digital capabilities into sustainable business value.
Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction
1. Value creation using big data analytics in an international setup
1.1. The concept of value creation
1.1.1. Value generation from business models
1.1.2. Value creation from the lens of the organization’s strategy
1.1.3. New ways of delivering value to customers and key shareholders
1.2. Value co-creation in the international business context
1.3. The essence of a big data analytics
1.4. Using a big data concept in a value creation process
2. Evolution and specifics of the FMCG Industry and supply chain in the 21st century
2.1. Snapshot of the fast-moving consumer goods industry
2.2. Growth of the FMCG industry globally and from the Indian perspective
2.3. New agility unleashed by supply chain management (SCM) perspective and unlocking digital supply chain
2.3.1. Tapping on digitalization and big data to redefine supply chain
2.3.2. Scalability of digital supply chain
3. Motivation towards unlocking a digital supply chain – an own empirical study
3.1. Research methodology
3.2. Population metrics
3.3. Data analysis
3.4. Concluding remarks
Conclusions
Bibliography
List of Internet sources
List of tables
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary aim of this thesis is to critically analyze how contemporary big data technology acts as a strategic enabler within the supply chain of the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, using the rapidly growing Indian market as a comprehensive case study to evaluate digital transformation, supply chain agility, and value creation.
- Value creation, value capture, and value co-creation mechanisms in international business and strategy.
- The evolution, specificities, market drivers, and major historical milestones of the global and Indian FMCG sectors.
- The role of big data analytics and its core characteristics (the 3Vs and expanded V's) in modern organizational strategy.
- Supply chain management (SCM) integration, e-procurement digitalization, and the operational benefits of cloud platforms and IoT.
- An empirical study evaluating supply chain professionals' awareness, risk management, and technological maturity through structured surveys.
Excerpt from the Book
1.3. The essence of big data analytics
“Big data is a great quantity of diverse information that arrives in increasing volumes and with ever-higher velocity. It can be structured (often numeric, easily formatted, and stored) or unstructured (more free-form, less quantifiable). Nearly every department in a company can utilize findings from big data analysis, but handling its clutter and noise can pose problems. Data can be collected from publicly shared comments on social media websites, voluntarily gathered from personal electronics and apps, through questionnaires, product purchases, and electronic check-ins. They are most often stored in computer databases and is analyzed using software specifically designed to handle large, complex data sets” (Investopedia, 2022).
The popular catchphrase would be ‘data is gold’. It is estimated that by 2025, the amount of data generated each day is expected to touch a staggering 463 exabytes across the world. Google can be declared a giant in the big data space, where they handle about 1.2 trillion searches every year (Vuleta, 2021). Big data has a field that has seen exponential growth across all industries, organizations, firms, individual beings, and private and public players (Cardenas, Manadhata & Rajan, 2013).
Private sectors have been able to leverage big data to understand the customers better, involve customers in the process of value creation, develop a competitive edge, and create a responsible and innovative product. The public sector has been an avid user of big data as well. They are using it to enhance the life of the people, incorporate them into the civic participation, encourage transparency and, crime prevention, enhance the security of the nation, create more opportunities to participate in the labour market, develop social welfare, proper health care management (Olaniyan, Kasal & Solomon, 2020).
Big data is a field in itself, which is industry agnostic and is applicable throughout all disciplines for adding value to society. Though big data is the most primary and evolved field there are few cross growths that we can find such as the evolution of the Internet of things (IoT), open data on the web, mobile applications, social network data with the already growing data generated within the company (Curry, 2016). The quantum and inflow of data that is generated in the current times is multifold. Hence, knowing how to leverage and scale the data available becomes the need of the hour.
Summary of Chapters
1. Value creation using big data analytics in an international setup: This chapter explores the multi-faceted concepts of value creation, business models, strategic lenses, and the foundational role of big data analytics in driving international business performance.
2. Evolution and specifics of the FMCG Industry and supply chain in the 21st century: It analyzes the specific characteristics of the fast-moving consumer goods industry, global and Indian market growth dynamics, and the critical need for digital supply chain agility.
3. Motivation towards unlocking a digital supply chain – an own empirical study: The author presents primary empirical research conducted via an online survey of 30 supply chain experts, evaluating technological awareness, risk management, budgets, and digital maturity.
Keywords
Big Data Analytics, Supply Chain Management, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Value Creation, Value Co-Creation, Digital Transformation, E-Procurement, India FMCG Market, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), Supply Chain Agility, Business Models
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on analyzing how big data technology acts as an enabler for value creation and supply chain efficiency within the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, particularly examining the Indian market as a key case study.
What are the central thematic fields covered in the book?
The core themes include the theoretical frameworks of value creation and business models, the specific market characteristics and historical evolution of the global and Indian FMCG sectors, the technical and strategic dimensions of big data analytics, and digital supply chain management.
What is the overarching research question or objective?
The primary objective is to critically assess how the current and future utilization of big data technology impacts the development of the global and regional FMCG industry, with a specialized emphasis on supply chain optimization and digital transformation.
Which scientific and empirical methodologies were applied?
The author utilized a cross-sectional population survey methodology targeting thirty supply chain management specialists and experts from major multinational FMCG corporations, gathering quantitative and qualitative insights via electronic questionnaires distributed through professional networks.
What topics are addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers definitions and dimensions of value and value capture, the ten V's of big data, areas of big data impact such as customer closeness and product development, FMCG market segmentation, e-procurement systems, cloud platforms, and empirical data analysis of supply chain challenges.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
Key terms include Big Data Analytics, Supply Chain Management, FMCG, Value Creation, Digital Supply Chain, E-Procurement, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Market Agility.
How does the author define the relationship between FMCG and supply chains?
The author describes FMCG as the vehicle and the supply chain as the fuel; both are interdependent variables that cannot be segregated, where efficient supply chain management is vital for maintaining competitive advantage and delivering products globally.
What were the major findings of the author's empirical study?
The survey revealed that while professionals recognize digitization and big data as game changers for improving response times and process integration, many organizations currently suffer from limited budgets, outdated technologies, and a lack of rigorous cost-to-serve tracking.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected supply chain management perspectives according to the research?
The pandemic exposed severe vulnerabilities and irregularities in traditional supply networks, highlighting the urgent need for real-time data visibility, reduced response times, process integration, and increased investments in cutting-edge digital supply chain technologies.
- Citar trabajo
- Shivani Krishnamurthy (Autor), 2022, Value Creation by Harnessing Big Data in Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry with special focus on Supply Chain, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1782319
