A Cybernetic Teammate for your Revenue Management Teams

A recent field study, detailed in the Harvard Business School working paper "The Cybernetic Teammate", provides compelling evidence for a transformation we see accelerating across the industry: the integration of Generative AI (GenAI) into the core fabric of teamwork and expertise.   

This research, conducted with hundreds of professionals at a leading global CPG company, moves beyond viewing AI as a mere tool. It positions GenAI as a "cybernetic teammate", capable of replicating and even enhancing aspects of human collaboration, particularly in complex areas like new product development.   

Key Insights for Consumer Goods Leaders:

1. AI as a Performance Multiplier: The study found that individuals equipped with GenAI matched the performance quality of two-person teams working without AI. Furthermore, AI significantly boosted performance for both individuals and teams compared to those without AI assistance. For revenue management teams, this signals a powerful opportunity. Imagine using Accuris AI to optimise pack-price architecture, promotional plans, enhance the quality of initial concepts, and achieve significant efficiency gains, much like the $2 billion in improvements Accuris has historically delivered through its optimisation analytics. The study even noted substantial overall time savings for AI-assisted groups.   
   

   
   

   

   Individuals equipped with GenAI matched the performance quality of two-person teams working without AI

   
   
   
   

2. Democratizing Expertise & Breaking Silos: Traditionally, innovation relies on integrating diverse expertise, often housed in distinct functional silos (e.g., R&D vs. Commercial). The paper reveals GenAI's remarkable ability to bridge these gaps between functions. Professionals using AI, regardless of their background, produced more balanced solutions, blending technical and commercial considerations effectively. AI can empower individuals, even those less familiar with specific tasks, to perform at higher levels, fostering broader, more interdisciplinary thinking across the organization.   

   
   

3. Beyond Automation: Enhancing Insights and Strategy: While the study focused on product innovation tasks, the implications are broader. AI so far has mainly supported automation and optimisation, but the next frontier is insight generation. MetaMarketing, our sister company, harnesses Generative AI to instantly transform raw data into actionable insights. For revenue management teams in FMCG, this means faster, deeper analysis of pricing, promotion, and mix performance across markets and channels. By surfacing key drivers and opportunities from complex datasets, MetaMarketing enables more effective decision-making, improved ROI, and smarter, more agile strategies—moving beyond standard dashboards to truly intelligent guidance.  

   
   

4. The Human Element: Interestingly, the study found that interacting with AI led to more positive emotional responses among participants compared to working alone, enhancing enthusiasm and reducing frustration. This suggests that AI, when implemented thoughtfully, can augment not just productivity but also the work experience itself.   

   
   

AI-Powered Revenue Management

The "Cybernetic Teammate" study  underscores a critical reality: AI is fundamentally reshaping how consumer goods companies can and should operate. It's not about replacing human ingenuity but augmenting it, breaking down traditional barriers, and unlocking new levels of performance and innovation.   

At Accuris, we empower CPG leaders to turn Generative AI into a competitive edge. By combining decades of commercial expertise with state-of-the-art AI – from strategic price and promotion optimisation to the transformative insight-generation capabilities of MetaMarketing – we help revenue teams unlock speed, clarity, and impact. The winners in tomorrow’s market will be those who fuse human expertise with AI-driven intelligence. We are here to help you lead that transformation.