How The Data Forest accelerated Mondelez's data-driven sales culturee

The Data Forest

March 11, 2026

About Mondelez International

Mondelez International is one of the world’s largest snacking companies, home to iconic brands including Côte d’Or, Milka, Oreo, and Belvita. In Belgium, the commercial team spans category managers and sales representatives who rely on large volumes of retail and market data to drive business decisions and support their retail partners.

The challenge

Mondelez’s commercial team had access to rich Nielsen market data, but translating that data into clear, actionable insights was a real pain point. The data itself posed specific technical challenges:

Nielsen data comes with complex, rigged hierarchy dimensions across products and geography, which are notoriously difficult to work with and even harder to visualize clearly.
The internal analytics team needed a faster path to results without sacrificing quality.
There was a gap between the data available and the ability of end users (category managers, sales teams) to independently draw insights from it.

Mondelez needed to move fast. They required external expertise. Not just to build dashboards, but to support their team, align on the right questions, and set up a solid BI foundation for the long term.

Our approach

The Data Forest took a structured, human-first approach, starting with people and process before touching any data or tool.

Data storytelling training
We kicked off the project with a data storytelling training session for the Mondelez commercial team, including category managers and the sales team. The goal was to build a shared language around data and visualization: what makes a good dashboard, how to frame insights as stories, and how to think about the needs of the end user. This investment upfront paid dividends throughout the entire project.
Dashboard design workshop
Before building a single dashboard, we ran a co-creation workshop directly with the end users. Together, we:
- Mapped the user journeys: who needs what, when, and why.
- Identified the key KPIs that really matter to the business.
- Created wireframes, sketching the layout and content of each dashboard before any development began.
Dashboard development
With a solid blueprint in place, we developed the dashboards. Tackling the specific complexity of the Nielsen data and its hierarchical structures. We worked in close collaboration with the internal team at Mondelez, sharing knowledge as we built, so their analysts could understand, maintain, and extend the solution going forward.

Specific challenges we solved

Complex Nielsen data hierarchies: Nielsen’s product and geography dimensions use rigid, multi-level hierarchies that require specific handling to make them filterable and readable in a BI tool. We designed a data model that tamed this complexity without sacrificing flexibility.
Speed to value: Mondelez needed results quickly. One of our key strengths is the ability to rapidly scale up resources for short-term assignments. We deployed the right profile fast, without the usual lead times of a traditional consulting engagement.
Bringing seniority to a young team: By embedding experienced BI consultants within the Mondelez team, we could share best practices in data modeling, dashboard design, and stakeholder communication.

Results and benefits

Category managers and sales teams now have dashboards that reflect their actual workflows and KPIs. Built with them, not just for them.
The internal analytics team is more autonomous and better equipped to maintain and extend the BI environment independently.
A culture shift towards data-driven decision-making is underway, supported by shared vocabulary, clean visuals, and accessible insights.
Thanks to our flexible engagement model, Mondelez got the senior expertise they needed exactly when they needed it, without a long commitment.