00
Loading 81,077 outlets
Colombo · Sri Lanka
Channel Development Executive, Hemas Consumer Brands

  • Business
  • Data
  • Technology
  • Innovation

I build field appslive dashboardsGPS mapssmart automationsfield apps

I turn trade data into simple tools the field team actually uses, every day.

See the work Read the background
Datalive
RegionSalesGrowth
Western18.4M+6.2%
Central11.7M+3.9%
Southern9.2M−1.4%
North West7.8M+2.1%
Dashboardsthis month
Rs 48.2M▲ 12.6%
Apps
Capture ✓ Saved
Innovation
IdeaTool
Python Excel Power BI Apps Script Claude AI
scroll
About

Business problems first. Technology second.

In January 2025 I joined Hemas Consumer Brands as an intern, while finishing a degree in Statistics and Computer Science. Fifteen months and three roles later, I'm an Executive in Channel Development.

My work covers channel development, trade marketing, loyalty programmes and sales performance analysis — close enough to the sales teams to see where the friction actually is.

The rest of my time goes into removing it: field apps, dashboards and automated reporting, built with Claude AI, Apps Script, Excel, Power BI and Python.

Innovation isn't about building something new. It's about building something useful.

Journey

Fifteen months. Three roles.

I joined as an intern while still studying. I stayed because the work kept getting more interesting — and because growth here came from taking ownership, not from waiting to be ready.

Shanuka Fernando
  1. InternJanuary 2025

    Joined HCB while finishing a degree in Statistics and Computer Science. First real exposure to FMCG, through HCB’s RiseUp programme — classroom sessions, on-the-job exposure and guidance from seniors.

  2. AssociateSeptember 2025

    Moved from learning the trade to running parts of it: channel data, trade inputs, loyalty programme work, and the first automations that stuck.

  3. Executive — Channel DevelopmentApril 2026

    Channel development across the HCB brand portfolio, alongside the field apps and dashboards the sales teams now run on.

Don't wait until you know everything to make an impact. Stay curious, take ownership, and make the most of every opportunity. Growth will follow. My message to undergraduates and fresh graduates
Work

Things I've built for the field.

Apps I built to solve real field problems.

Field appLoyalty programme

Arunodaya Outlet Finder

Find nearby Arunodaya outlets, see how far they are, and know which one to visit first.

Problem

During field visits, it was hard to find which nearby shops were in the Arunodaya programme. We had to search spreadsheets and guess the distance.

Solution

A mobile app that uses your location to show nearby Arunodaya outlets, how far they are and how they are performing. One tap opens directions.

Nearby outlets
Nearby outlets
Sales trend
Sales trend
Add a visit note
Add a visit note
Dashboard
Dashboard
Dark mode
Dark mode

Real app screens with sample data. Tap to enlarge.

Live locationUpdates as you move.
PriorityShows which outlet to visit first.
FiltersBy programme, distance and channel.
Visit notesSaved directly to Google Sheets.
Google Apps ScriptGoogle SheetsGeolocation APIChart.jsGoogle Maps
Mobile app2 dashboards

Baby Cheramy Shelf Share

Track how much shelf space Baby Cheramy soap gets in key outlets. Reps count it, managers see it live.

Problem

We used Google Forms to collect shelf data. It could not count each brand, handle many photos, or show results live. Managers had to wait for spreadsheets.

Solution

I built a mobile app where reps count facings and take shelf photos, plus two live dashboards: one for progress, one for shelf share.

Google Form
This app
Counting brands
Type every number
Tap + and −
Shelf share %
Worked out later
Shown instantly
Photos
Limited uploads
Shelf, brand and promo photos
Who submits
Anyone, any outlet
Reps see only their outlets
Results
Export to Excel
Live dashboards
Rep login
Rep login
My outlets
My outlets
Count facings
Count facings
Shelf photos
Shelf photos
Saved
Saved
Shelf share dashboard
Shelf share dashboard
Completion tracker
Completion tracker
Photo proof for every outlet
Photo proof for every outlet

Real app screens with sample data. Tap to enlarge.

Quick loginPick your name and start.
Live shareBC share updates as you count.
Fast photosShrunk on the phone, sent in the background.
Only your outletsEach rep sees their own list.
Drill downZone to region to area to rep.
Photo proofEvery number has a photo behind it.
Google Apps ScriptGoogle SheetsGoogle DriveChart.js
Mobile appDashboardAI transcripts

SPG Shopper Voice

SPGs record what shoppers say about our products. The app saves it, writes it in Sinhala, and shows managers everything on one dashboard.

Problem

The company already had shopper feedback software, but it was not reliable and did not work correctly. The team could not depend on the feedback it collected.

Solution

I built a new recording app for SPGs and a dashboard for managers. Recordings are saved safely, turned into Sinhala text automatically, and tracked against daily targets.

1RecordSPG picks the product and taps the mic.
2SaveAudio goes to Google Drive straight away.
3TranscribeAI writes it in Sinhala, SPG and Shopper labelled.
4ReviewManagers see it all on the dashboard.
Daily targets
Daily targets
Ask for consent
Ask for consent
Recording
Recording
History
History
Sinhala transcript
Sinhala transcript
Manager dashboard
Manager dashboard
App health and daily activity
App health and daily activity
Every recording with its transcript
Every recording with its transcript

Real app screens with sample data. Tap to enlarge.

PIN loginCode, outlet and PIN. No Google account needed.
Consent reminderShown in Sinhala the moment recording starts.
Never lostIf the signal drops, the app checks the recording arrived.
Daily targetsRings show today and this month.
App healthManagers see if transcripts are waiting or failed.
Free to runBuilt on free tools, with no paid servers.
Google Apps ScriptGoogle SheetsGoogle DriveGemini AIWeb audio recording
Mobile app3 languagesGPS

Outlet GPS Mapping

Executives stand at each shop, capture its exact location, and lock it — across a base of 81,077 outlets.

Problem

Outlet locations in our system were often missing or wrong — some even had latitude and longitude swapped. The field team couldn't trust the map.

Solution

A simple phone app. The executive opens their route, stands at the shop, and the app takes several GPS readings, averages them, and locks the exact location.

1Open routeSee every outlet still waiting to be mapped.
2CaptureSix or more GPS readings, averaged.
3CheckWarns if you are 100 m+ from the old point.
4LockSaved for good. Only an admin can unlock it.
Choose a language
Choose a language
My outlets, in Sinhala
My outlets, in Sinhala
Live GPS capture
Live GPS capture
Distance check
Distance check
Location locked
Location locked

Real app screens with sample data and a simulated phone GPS. Tap to enlarge.

Three languagesSinhala, English and Tamil.
Accurate to ±10 mBad and moving readings are ignored.
Distance checkWarns when you might be at the wrong shop.
Outlet statusActive, Closed or Blacklisted.
Add new outletsShops not in the list, sent for review.
Fast with 81,000 rowsFinds an executive's outlets in seconds.
Google Apps ScriptGoogle SheetsGeolocation APIGoogle Maps
Shopper campaignWeb appDashboard

Easy Wasi Shopper Campaign

Spend Rs. 1,500+ on Hemas products, enter a lucky code, and spin the wheel to win — with every prize tracked from start to finish.

Problem

Our shopper campaigns used scratch cards and raffle draws. There was no proper tracking, no live view of what was happening, and no real control over the prize budget.

Solution

A spin-the-wheel web app. The shopper enters a lucky code and a bill photo, then spins. Every win comes out of that outlet's prize stock and is saved — with a live dashboard on top.

Easy Wasi shopper campaign in outlets: spin-to-win banners, the app on a phone, and SPGs at supermarkets
The campaign in outlets. Tap to enlarge.
Scratch card / raffle
Easy Wasi app
Tracking
No record of who won what
Every spin saved with its bill
Budget control
Prizes handed out by hand
Stock set per outlet, deducted on each win
Visibility
Results weeks later
Live dashboard
Fraud check
Hard to check
One spin per code, receipt photo checked
Convenience
Print cards, collect slips, draw later
Spin on a phone in seconds
1ShopSpend Rs. 1,500+ on Hemas products.
2EnterLucky code and a photo of the bill.
3SpinThe wheel lands on the prize the system picks.
4TrackStock deducted, spin saved, dashboard updated.
Welcome
Welcome
Lucky code and receipt
Lucky code and receipt
Spin to win
Spin to win
Wheel spinning
Wheel spinning
Prize won
Prize won
This week at a glance
This week at a glance
Prizes given and stock used
Prizes given and stock used
Busiest hours and campaign so far
Busiest hours and campaign so far

Real app and dashboard, shown with sample data. Tap to enlarge.

Budget controlPrize stock set per outlet, deducted on every win.
Fair oddsPrizes weighted by stock left, so gifts last the whole campaign.
One code, one spinA lucky code can't be used twice at an outlet.
Receipt checkBill photos read automatically to flag fakes.
Works on any phoneHandles low-memory phones and iPhone photos.
Live dashboardSpins, prizes and busy hours in one view.
Google Apps ScriptGoogle SheetsGoogle DriveDrive OCRHTML Canvas
Toolkit

What I build with.

Claude AIDesign partner for building, debugging and shipping fast.
Google Apps ScriptBackend for every field app — auth, Sheets, Drive, deployment.
Google SheetsThe database the business already trusts and can open.
ExcelHeavy cleaning, rule grids and reconciliation on large bases.
Power BICommercial reporting and sales performance views.
PythonAnalysis, automation and data preparation.
HTML, CSS, JSMobile-first interfaces reps can use one-handed.
Leaflet & MapsGPS capture, accuracy radar and outlet geography.
The Path Within: a golden Buddha statue under a bodhi tree at sunrise, with a white stupa across a misty lake
Philosophy

Beyond business, technology and innovation, Buddhist philosophy holds a meaningful place in my life.

Buddhism gives me a way to reflect on life and look beyond the surface of everyday experience — to develop awareness, compassion and patience, and to understand how thoughts, actions and their consequences connect.

I'm drawn to the teachings on suffering, impermanence and mindfulness, and to the idea that growth is more than professional achievement: it is wisdom, kindness, and facing difficulty with clarity.

01

The Teachings

The Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, impermanence, and the other foundations of Buddhist thought.

02

Reflections on Life

Personal reflections on happiness, suffering, attachment, relationships, ambition and inner peace.

03

History & Wisdom

The life of the Buddha, the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, important discourses and traditional teachings.

A journey of learning, reflection and understanding — beyond the material world, toward a deeper understanding of ourselves.

Have a process that still runs on spreadsheets and goodwill?

Emailyour@email.com LinkedInShanuka Fernando Based inColombo, Sri Lanka
Shanuka Fernando — Channel Development Executive, Hemas Consumer Brands Built in 2026