AI Playbook
for Consumer Product Brands

• Food and beverage brands (see the Food & Beverage playbook)
• Retailers managing their own stores
• Marketing and creative work
• Consumers

• Start with: forecast review or weeks-of-supply
• Save as a skill: forecast rules and inventory policies
• Connect: ERP, Shopify, POS exports
• First agent: weeks-of-supply watch
• Measure: accuracy, stockouts, excess

• Start with: DTC weekly summary or listing health
• Save as a skill: weekly report format, claims rules
• Connect: Shopify connector (read-only), marketplace reports
• First agent: marketplace listing health monitor
• Measure: buy box, stockouts, margin after fees

# Forecast Exception Monitor

## Job to be done
Catch forecast mismatches before they become purchase orders.

## When it runs
Weekly after POS and sales data refresh.

## Approved context
Sales history, forecast, promotion calendar, retailer POS.

## Operating loop
Compare forecast to trend and sell-through; flag SKUs over threshold and promotions not reflected; draft owner questions.

## What it delivers
A forecast exception list.

## Human owner
Demand planner.

## What it must never do
Never change the forecast or publish numbers.

## How to measure it
Forecast accuracy, bias, exceptions resolved.

## Operating rules
1. Use only approved sources and follow the linked brand operations skill.
2. Cite source records and separate facts from assumptions.
3. Route material variances, dispute deadlines, and policy exceptions to the human owner.
4. Keep a record of trigger, inputs, output, reviewer, decision, and override.
5. Stop and ask for human review when contract terms, retailer rules, or approval authority are unclear.
6. Use connectors read-only unless the owner has explicitly approved a write action.

# Deduction Triage & Deadline Watch

## Job to be done
Recover invalid deductions before dispute windows close.

## When it runs
Daily when remittances post; weekly deadline review.

## Approved context
Remittance and deduction data, POs, PODs, ASNs, promotion agreements, dispute rules.

## Operating loop
Categorize new deductions; assess validity; assemble evidence; list deductions near deadlines.

## What it delivers
A deduction worklist with dispute packages.

## Human owner
Deductions manager.

## What it must never do
Never submit disputes or write off balances.

## How to measure it
Recovery rate, deductions past deadline, days to dispute.

## Operating rules
1. Use only approved sources and follow the linked brand operations skill.
2. Cite source records and separate facts from assumptions.
3. Route material variances, dispute deadlines, and policy exceptions to the human owner.
4. Keep a record of trigger, inputs, output, reviewer, decision, and override.
5. Stop and ask for human review when contract terms, retailer rules, or approval authority are unclear.
6. Use connectors read-only unless the owner has explicitly approved a write action.

# Trade Deduction Matcher

## Job to be done
Match every trade deduction to an approved promotion.

## When it runs
Weekly.

## Approved context
Deductions, approved promotions, accruals.

## Operating loop
Match deductions to promotions; flag over-deductions and unmatched items; update accrual view.

## What it delivers
A trade reconciliation report.

## Human owner
Trade finance manager.

## What it must never do
Never approve deductions or post accruals.

## How to measure it
Unmatched trade dollars, accrual accuracy.

## Operating rules
1. Use only approved sources and follow the linked brand operations skill.
2. Cite source records and separate facts from assumptions.
3. Route material variances, dispute deadlines, and policy exceptions to the human owner.
4. Keep a record of trigger, inputs, output, reviewer, decision, and override.
5. Stop and ask for human review when contract terms, retailer rules, or approval authority are unclear.
6. Use connectors read-only unless the owner has explicitly approved a write action.

# Supplier Delivery Watch

## Job to be done
Warn early when supplier shipments will miss need dates.

## When it runs
Weekly; when a supplier updates a ship date.

## Approved context
Open POs, production updates, transit times, need dates.

## Operating loop
Compare expected arrival to need dates; flag late POs; estimate impact on weeks of supply.

## What it delivers
A late-PO risk list.

## Human owner
Sourcing manager.

## What it must never do
Never contact suppliers or change POs.

## How to measure it
On-time supplier delivery, stockouts from late POs.

## Operating rules
1. Use only approved sources and follow the linked brand operations skill.
2. Cite source records and separate facts from assumptions.
3. Route material variances, dispute deadlines, and policy exceptions to the human owner.
4. Keep a record of trigger, inputs, output, reviewer, decision, and override.
5. Stop and ask for human review when contract terms, retailer rules, or approval authority are unclear.
6. Use connectors read-only unless the owner has explicitly approved a write action.

• What AI does: Compares sell-in to POS
• Helps: Avoid future returns and deductions
• Control: Confirm in retailer portals

• What AI does: Weeks of supply by channel and location
• Helps: Fix inventory in the wrong place
• Control: Check transfer costs

• What AI does: Flags errors before acknowledgment and shipment
• Helps: Fewer chargebacks
• Control: Order management approves

• What AI does: Assembles evidence in retailer format
• Helps: Win more disputes
• Control: Staff submit

• What AI does: Measures accuracy, speed, and fines caused
• Helps: Factual reviews
• Control: Agree on data

• What AI does: Capacity vs. demand by week
• Helps: Avoid peak failures
• Control: 3PL commits in writing

• What AI does: Calendars and spend by retailer
• Helps: Stay within budget
• Control: Leadership approves

• What AI does: Checks trade accruals at month-end
• Helps: Fewer margin surprises
• Control: Controller approves

• What AI does: Models exposure by SKU and country
• Helps: Plan price and sourcing moves
• Control: Trade counsel advises

• What AI does: Single-source and country exposure
• Helps: Plan diversification
• Control: Quality qualifies suppliers

• What AI does: Buy box, suppression, and rating flags
• Helps: Protect sales
• Control: Verify in Seller Central

• What AI does: Margin after marketplace fees
• Helps: Find unprofitable SKUs
• Control: Verify fee schedules

• Save the step-by-step instructions for a task your team repeats
• Add your policies, examples, and review steps
• Update it when your process or regulations change

• Vendor guide summaries
• PO, ASN, and OTIF checks
• Deduction categorization and disputes
• 3PL invoice audits

• POs, allocations, and pricing
• Disputes and write-offs
• Customs and product compliance
• Retailer and supplier relationships

AI that reads your systems through connectors.

In operations: asking Claude about orders and inventory through the Shopify or NetSuite connector.

Compares records to rules and lists exceptions.

In operations: POs vs. price lists, 3PL invoices vs. rate cards, ASNs vs. vendor guides.

• Purchase orders and allocations
• Disputes and write-offs
• Price changes and promotions
• Retailer and supplier communication

• Customs classification by licensed brokers
• Product claims substantiated and reviewed
• Category rules confirmed by advisors
• Pricing policies reviewed by counsel