Are You Conducting a Quarterly Business Review (QBR)?

Meeting of business people to illustrate holding a QBR or quarterly business review
March 17, 2024

The months are rushing by. Meanwhile, you’re wondering about your quarterly business review. Not only do you have to gather up your team at a time that suits all their diaries and plan the agenda, but also find a room that’s free. Couldn’t you simply skip the QBR this once?

As a matter of fact, no! A QBR is a crucial component of your CPG company’s customer success program. So, it’s a great – if possibly daunting – opportunity to review performance over the quarter. And if you do, you can then set future goals, and strategize on how to meet them.

First of all, therefore, we’ll offer a quick recap on WHY you can’t procrastinate. And then we’ll give you a “meeting on a plate” to help you arrange one that’s so good your leaders will jump to join in!

How Does a QBR Help Your CPG Business?

To answer that, here are some opportunities that will benefit you overall:

Performance analysis: Check sales, market share, distribution, and marketing effectiveness against your objectives for the coming quarter.

Strategic planning: Reassess your tactics based on current market dynamics and your performance to date. And maybe readjust strategy, product development, and sales approaches.

Customer and market insights: What are the trends in their behavior and preferences. How are your competitors doing? This is crucial information to have.

Alignment and focus: Are your teams aligned and working towards your business goals? Keep them focused on those critical tasks that drive growth!

Problem identification and resolution: See this review as a chance to address issues early on. Stop small problems becoming significant issues.

Taking these benefits into account, your QBR might consist of presentations and discussions covering all these topics. Moreover, you can set specific targets, launches, and expansion ideas if appropriate.

The thing is, the CPG market is fast paced even for non-FMCG. So treat your QBR with respect and stay ahead, working proactively to win!

Let’s now look at a quarterly business review agenda for an imaginary company that manufactures and sells bathroom soap.

QBR Meeting Agenda for Slippery Soap Company

  1. Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)
  • Brief overview of the agenda.
  • Introduction of attendees.
  1. Review of Previous Quarter Performance (15 minutes)
  • Sales Volume: Compare actual sales volume against targets.
  • Market Share: Discuss changes in market share within the bathroom soap segment.
  • Customer Feedback: Summarize customer feedback on product quality, fragrance varieties, and packaging. AI can assist with this.
  • Distribution Channels: Review performance across retail, online, and direct sales channels.
  1. Marketing and Promotions Review (10 minutes)
  • Campaigns: Overview of the past quarter’s marketing campaigns and their impact on sales.
  • Promotions: Analysis of promotional strategies and their effectiveness in driving sales.
  1. Product Performance and Innovation (10 minutes)
  • Product Lineup: Review performance of main soap varieties and recent variants launched.
  • Innovation: Discuss possible new fragrances or eco-friendly packaging initiatives.
  1. Strategic Obstacles and Challenges (10 minutes)
  • Identify any obstacles from the past quarter, such as supply chain disruptions or competitive market pressures.
  • Discuss solutions and strategies implemented or proposed to address these challenges.
  1. Planning for Future Growth (15 minutes)
  • Goals for Next Quarter: Set specific sales and market share targets for the upcoming quarter.
  • Strategic Initiatives: Outline key initiatives to drive growth, including marketing strategies, product development plans, and distribution channel expansion.
  • Preview of Upcoming Product Improvements: Share information about any planned improvements or innovations in the product line.
  1. Q&A and Discussion (10 minutes)
  • Open floor for questions, suggestions, and discussions among the team.
  1. Conclusion and Next Steps (5 minutes)
  • Summarize* key takeaways from the meeting.
  • Outline next steps*, assign responsibilities* for action items, schedule the next QBR.

(*These items can be quickly and accurately done by GenAI from the transcript if you record the meeting!)

Momentum CPG Can Help You

All the issues you’ll discuss at your QBR are integral to the steps you must take to position your brand for growth. So resist the temptation to postpone or skip your quarterly business review! And let’s talk about how we can help you gain ground with a sales roadmap for success. Call us now!

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Summary
Article Name
Are You Conducting a Quarterly Business Review (QBR)?
Description
Towards the end of each quarter, don't skip your quarterly business review or QBR. Positioning your CPG business for success depends on it!

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