Why simple execution models will win over big tech in FMCG

India’s FMCG ecosystem is one of the largest and most complex in the world. Millions of small outlets, fragmented distribution networks, multiple retail formats, and sharply localised demand patterns make general trade (GT) an execution challenge at scale.

Over the last decade, brands have responded to this complexity by investing heavily in technology—layering dashboards, apps, and enterprise platforms in the hope of gaining greater control.

Yet, despite this, execution on the ground has not become faster or easier. In many cases, it has become slower, heavier, and more difficult to sustain.

In 2026, a clear shift is emerging in the industry. Simpler execution models—those designed for adoption, accountability, and speed—will consistently outperform complex technology stacks that struggle to translate intent into action.

FMCG execution is won at the last mile

FMCG success has always been determined at the last mile—at the shelf edge, during the sales call, and in the consistency of daily execution. 

While technology has expanded visibility at the top of the organisation, outcomes are still driven by people showing up, following routes, placing orders, and ensuring availability.

The challenge today is that field teams often operate within over-engineered systems. Multiple apps, rigid workflows, and excessive reporting reduce time spent on selling and increase resistance to adoption. 

When systems are designed far from real-world selling conditions, execution weakens—even if the technology itself is powerful.

FMCG organisations will increasingly recognise that execution improves not when systems become more sophisticated, but when they become simpler, faster, and easier for field teams to use every day.

Complexity has shifted the problem, not solved it

India’s retail environment has become more fragmented, not less. Traditional trade, modern retail, quick commerce, and hybrid formats now coexist, each requiring different execution rhythms and levels of intensity.

In response, many organisations have attempted to manage this complexity through large, monolithic tech stacks. In practice, this often creates fragile integrations and operational overload. 

The complexity does not disappear—it shifts downward to sales teams, supervisors, and managers who spend time reconciling systems rather than driving outcomes.

Leadership bandwidth gets consumed in supervision, retraining, and enforcing basic discipline, leaving less time for market development, outlet productivity, and growth strategy. 

Simpler execution models counter this by reducing cognitive load—focusing on clear routes, limited but relevant data points, and repeatable actions that can be executed consistently at scale.

When simplicity drives adoption, productivity follows

In FMCG, behaviour change matters more than capability expansion. Field teams prefer systems that help them complete tasks quickly, without ambiguity. Simple checklists, clear priorities, and fast feedback loops outperform feature-heavy platforms that demand constant navigation, approvals, and interpretation.

Execution models that embed simplicity into daily workflows see higher adoption, better compliance, and more predictable outcomes. Over time, this directly translates into stronger on-ground productivity, improved coverage quality, and lower execution leakage.

The competitive edge will belong to brands that design execution around how people actually work on the ground—not how systems are architected in boardrooms.

From technology control to execution ownership

The real opportunity lies not in replacing people with technology, but in rethinking how execution is owned. Traditional GT models place the burden of manpower management—recruitment, training, supervision, and attrition—squarely on brand leadership.

A visible shift is now underway toward execution-led models, where structured partners take ownership of on-ground execution within clearly defined frameworks.

These models combine trained field teams with simple, enabling tools to deliver managed outcomes rather than fragmented effort.

In this transition, technology plays a critical role—but as an enabler of clarity, coordination, and accountability, not as a control layer. The focus moves from monitoring activity to ensuring consistent execution outcomes.

Why 2026 is the inflection point

Several forces are converging:

•    Rising cost pressures across FMCG value chains

•    Greater fragmentation of retail formats

•    Higher expectations from field teams for clarity, transparency, and ease of work

Together, these pressures are forcing organisations to rethink how execution is delivered. Simpler execution models—built on shared infrastructure, clear accountability, and disciplined deployment—offer a more sustainable path forward than continually expanding technology stacks.

Looking ahead

FMCG has always rewarded flawless, repetitive execution at scale. What is changing is the model through which that execution is achieved.

By 2026, brands that succeed will not be those with the most sophisticated technology, but those that enable faster, leaner, and more consistent execution on the ground. Simplicity, when designed deliberately into execution models, will become a decisive competitive advantage.

(Our guest author, Anjana Ghosh, serves as the Managing Director at Scale Sherpas. She has over 35 years of experience in FMCG and beverages sectors, driving innovation, brand growth, and team leadership for market success.)