Talking Data: Shaping the Future of Business Intelligence

BI has constantly evolved. The tools, technologies, and methods may change, but the purpose remains the same: to help people make better decisions using data. 

At dsm-firmenich, our journey to modernize Business Intelligence is deeply tied to our purpose “bringing progress to life” through science and innovation. Whether it’s optimizing creation processes for laboratories, or predicting project pipelines for commercial teams, our BI transformation is helping teams make smarter, faster, and more sustainable decisions across the business. In our transformation journey, we are moving from a model where we seek answers from data to one where data anticipates and communicates insights.

This evolution isn’t about replacing BI; it’s about elevating it. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not replace Business Intelligence (BI); it will strengthen it instead. What we once called “reports and dashboards” are now part of a broader, more intelligent ecosystem that connects data, context, and insight. BI provides the structure and discipline that make AI-driven insights reliable and meaningful.

Building the Right Foundation

For us at dsm-firmenich, this foundation is embodied in our global Data Platform, which unites insights from our business units (Perfumery & Beauty, Taste, Texture & Health and Health, Nutrition & Care) into a single, trusted source. Our governance frameworks co-designed by the Data and AI CoE and the individual business units ensure that data powering our Vitality analytics or Market Insights models is accurate, compliant, and scalable. Without these elements, no advanced analytics or AI initiative can truly succeed.

* image used for illustrative purposes only

While traditional reports and dashboards may appear outdated in the age of GenAI, they have been instrumental in shaping the data-driven maturity we have today. They instilled the discipline of data management, reinforced the importance of accuracy, and established the value of consistent reporting. In many ways, they didn’t just support BI but they paved the way for our future, creating the structure and foundation upon which intelligent, AI-driven insights can now thrive.

With a solid data foundation in place, the next step is evolution; merging traditional BI with the power of AI.

Blending Traditional BI with AI

Today, we’re witnessing a powerful blend of traditional BI and new generation AI. 

For example, our BI dashboards now integrate with AI models that deliver real-time market foresight for our flavor teams and forecast win/loss probabilities for commercial opportunities. Instead of waiting for end-of-month reports, the Marketing or Sales teams can receive AI-driven alerts and actionable customer insights directly within their BI environment.

These AI-powered assistants perform deeper analysis, uncover hidden insights, and deliver recommendations in real time. As a result, decision-making becomes faster, smarter, and more contextual.

With stronger data foundations and the support of AI agents, business users can perform advanced analysis on the fly, without relying heavily on technical teams. This democratization of analytics is empowering more people across the organization to turn data into action effortlessly.

But technology alone isn’t enough, the true transformation happens when people across the organization embrace this new way of working.

Enabling Natural Language BI Experiences

The next evolution in this journey is the ability to access traditional BI through conversational AI. Instead of navigating complex dashboards or searching for specific reports, users will be able to ask questions in natural language “What are our top growth markets this quarter?” or “Show me sales trends by region” and the AI will instantly generate visual reports and insights.

This fusion of GenAI and BI transforms static reporting into an interactive, human-like dialogue with data. However, realizing this vision requires a solid foundation: a single source of truth (Data Platform), consistent data models, and harmonized templates to ensure that every AI-generated report is accurate, consistent, and easy to understand.

By blending the structure of BI with the creativity of GenAI, we enable true data democratization, where everyone from scientists to marketers can access insights intuitively and make data-driven decisions faster than ever.

A Shared Journey

Our transformation is a shared journey between the Data and AI CoE, business leaders, and functional experts across dsm-firmenich. From R&D to manufacturing to marketing, cross-functional squads are co-creating solutions like predictive analytics to uncover new market opportunities, identify emerging consumer segments, and exploring new market where dsm-firmenich can lead. As one of our Data and AI leads puts it, ‘Transformation happens when insights become actions that shape how we innovate every day.’

Everyone plays a crucial role; the Data and AI teams ensure trust and quality, enable scalability and automation, and the business leaders provide  strategic direction to ensure insights translate into outcomes. Together, they define what the next generation of BI truly looks like.

The Road Ahead

At dsm-firmenich, we believe the future of Business Intelligence isn’t just about seeing what’s next - it’s about creating it. By combining human curiosity with intelligent systems, we’re redefining how data fuels progress, sustainability, and innovation across every part of our business.

This evolution transforms BI from a reporting function into a strategic capability that guides decisions before they’re even made. It’s not about dashboards fading away, it’s about empowering them with intelligence, making them more dynamic, predictive, and actionable.

For us, the next generation of BI is a true catalyst for innovation, enabling scientists to uncover new formulation opportunities, helping sustainability teams anticipate regulatory shifts, and empowering our sales teams to deliver more personalized customer experiences. Our vision goes beyond seeing around the corner, it’s about shaping a smarter, more sustainable future powered by insight-driven innovation.

Together, we’re shaping a smarter, more sustainable future — one where data doesn’t just inform progress, it brings progress to life.

Interested in shaping the future of our business through Data & AI? Explore our open roles and apply now!