A new industry report finds consumer goods companies prioritizing unified platforms and clean data as they prepare to deploy AI at scale.
Consumer packaged goods companies are accelerating efforts to modernize their technology stacks as they prepare to deploy artificial intelligence across manufacturing and supply chain operations, according to a new industry report.
The State of AI in Consumer Goods Report found that 82 percent of respondents are consolidating legacy systems or moving away from fragmented, best-of-breed tools in favor of unified platforms. Such platforms, the report noted, are increasingly seen as a prerequisite for AI adoption, providing standardized data and consistent processes across complex operations.
The survey also found that agentic AI is moving quickly from experimentation to planning. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said their organizations are already using, preparing to use, or planning to adopt agentic AI to improve manufacturing performance. That shift, researchers said, is intensifying demand for clean, well-governed data and systems capable of supporting real-time decision-making.
Despite the momentum, significant obstacles remain. Sixty percent of respondents cited compliance and security concerns as a major barrier to AI adoption, the same share that pointed to cost and resource constraints. Integration challenges with existing systems followed closely, cited by 58 percent of participants.
Manual processes continue to compound those risks. The report found that 64 percent of CPG companies still rely on a mix of digital and manual workflows—or predominantly manual ones—to manage quality and compliance across the supply chain. Respondents said that advanced data integration and process automation would be most valuable in reducing repetitive work, lowering operational risk, and breaking down data silos.
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When asked where AI could deliver the greatest value, respondents pointed to predictive analytics. The leading use cases included improving quality and compliance assurance, enhancing data-driven decision-making, and enabling earlier detection and prevention of operational issues. The emphasis on real-time insight, the report noted, underscores the need for technology partners with deep expertise in manufacturing and regulatory requirements.
The research also highlighted the organizational foundations required for successful AI deployment. Seventy-two percent of respondents identified comprehensive employee training as a top enabler, followed by high-quality data infrastructure (66 percent) and strong cybersecurity and compliance capabilities (64 percent). The findings suggest that AI readiness depends as much on people and process as on technology.
“Managing quality across numerous legacy systems is limiting AI readiness,” said David Maher, head of strategy at Veeva QualityOne. To generate meaningful value from AI, he said, companies are increasingly focused on building a scalable data foundation on unified platforms.
The report surveyed more than 150 information technology and functional leaders at global consumer goods companies in the United States. It examined current levels of AI readiness, barriers to adoption, and opportunities for technology teams to drive operational value and innovation.
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Veeva Systems, the parent company of Veeva QualityOne, was founded in 2007 and provides cloud-based software for regulated industries.
