System and method for assortment planning

• US 20050197849A1
• Filed: 07/26/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Fotteler, Christine, Kopecz, Klaus, Collet, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and method is provided for performing assortment definition/planning (i.e., matching the right articles with the right stores at the right times). The method includes receiving a hierarchical list of articles including a plurality of nodes, and selecting a first node from the hierarchical list of articles to assign a first group of articles to the assortment.

Claims

1. A method for planning an assortment, comprising:

receiving a hierarchical list of articles including a plurality of nodes; and

selecting a first node from the hierarchical list of articles to assign a first group of articles to the assortment.

2. The method of claim 1, further including displaying the hierarchical list of articles to a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step is performed by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, further including selecting a second node from the hierarchical list of articles to assign a second group of articles to the assortment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each group of articles corresponds to all of the articles in the hierarchical list below the selected node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each node in the hierarchical list of articles corresponds to a level, each level including one or more article groupings.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each article grouping on each level is associated with no more than one article grouping at a next highest level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node in the hierarchical list of articles is one of a division node, a category node, a sub-category node, a segment node, a consumer theme node, a theme module node, an assortment module node, a generic article node, an article variant node, a merchandise node, and a merchandise category node.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising excluding one or more articles from the first group of articles to modify the assortment.

10. A system for planning an assortment, comprising:

means for receiving a hierarchical list of articles including a plurality of nodes; and

means for selecting a first node from the hierarchical list to assign a first group of articles to the assortment.

11. The system of claim 10, further including displaying the hierarchical list of articles to a user.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for selecting includes a graphical user interface.

13. The system of claim 10, further including means for selecting a second node from the hierarchical list of articles to assign a second group of articles to the assortment.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each group of articles corresponds to all of the articles in the hierarchical list below the selected node.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein each node in the hierarchical list of articles corresponds to a level, each level including one or more article groups.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each article grouping on each level is associated with no more than one article grouping at a next highest level.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first node in the hierarchical list of articles is one of a division node, a category node, a sub-category node, a segment node, a consumer theme node, a theme module node, an assortment module node, a generic article node, an article variant node, a merchandise node, and a merchandise category node.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising excluding one or more articles from the first group of articles to modify the assortment.

19. A program product for planning an assortment, the program product comprising machine-readable program code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following method steps:

receiving a hierarchical list of articles including a plurality of nodes; and

selecting a first node from the hierarchical list of articles to assign a first group of articles to the assortment.

20. The program product of claim 19, further including displaying the hierarchical list of articles to a user.

21. The program product of claim 19, wherein the selecting step is performed with input from a user.

22. The program product of claim 19, further including selecting a second node from the hierarchical list of articles to assign a second group of articles to the assortment.

23. The program product of claim 22, wherein each group of articles corresponds to all of the articles in the hierarchical list below the selected node.

24. The program product of claim 19, wherein each node in the hierarchical list corresponds to a level, each level including one or more article groups.

25. The program product of claim 24, wherein each article grouping on each level is associated with no more than one article grouping at a next highest level.

26. The program product of claim 19, wherein the first node in the hierarchical list of articles is one of a division node, a category node, a sub-category node, a segment node, a consumer theme node, a theme module node, an assortment module node, a generic article node, an article variant node, a merchandise node, and a merchandise category node.

27. The program product of claim 19, further comprising excluding one or more articles from the first group of articles to modify the assortment.