System and method for using sales patterns with markdown profiles

• US 20050197887A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Zuerl, Ruediger, Fotteler, Christine, Busch, Hergen
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates

Abstract

A system, method and program product are provided for planning sales of one or more products or services. The method comprises selecting a markdown profile associated with the one or more products or services, selecting a sales pattern associated with the markdown profile, and distributing sales of the one or more products or services using the markdown profile and sales pattern.

Claims

1. A method for planning sales of one or more products or services, comprising:

selecting a markdown profile associated with the one or more products or services;

selecting a sales pattern associated with the markdown profile; and

distributing sales of the one or more products or services using the markdown profile and the sales pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sales are manually entered in the sales pattern at a timely aggregated level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the timely aggregated level is one of a season and a rollout period.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the distributing step includes distributing the manually entered sales figures to a finer level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the finer level is a posting period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sales pattern used for distributing the sales is selected from multiple sales patterns associated with the markdown profile.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sales pattern contains planned sales ratios.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the distributing step includes estimating price reductions for the one or more products or services based on the markdown-profile and the planned sales ratios from a previous posting period.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transferring a markdown to a next posting period if a markdown results from the planned sales ratio and the markdown profile from a current posting period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing step comprises simulating planned sales quantities by multiplying one or more planned sales quota percentages obtained from the sales pattern by a total quantity of the one or more products or services and simulating planned sales prices by multiplying one or more resulting planned markdown percentages obtained from the sales pattern by an original price of the one or more products or services.

11. A system for planning sales of one or more products or services, comprising:

means for selecting a markdown profile associated with the one or more products or services;

means for selecting a sales pattern associated with the markdown profile; and

means for distributing sales of the one or more products or services using the markdown profile and sales pattern.

12. The system of claim 11, further including means for manually entering the sales in the sales pattern at a timely aggregated level.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the timely aggregated level is one of a season and a rollout period.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for distributing is configured for distributing the manually entered sales figures to a finer level.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the finer level is a posting period.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the sales pattern used for distributing the sales is selected from multiple sales patterns associated with the markdown profile.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the sales pattern contains planned sales ratios.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for distributing is configured to estimate price reductions for the one or more products or services based on the markdown profile and the planned sales ratios from a previous posting period.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for transferring a markdown to a next posting period if a markdown results from the planned sales ratio and the markdown profile from a current posting period.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for distributing is configured to simulate planned sales quantities by multiplying one or more planned sales quota percentages obtained from the sales pattern by a total quantity of the one or more products or services and to simulate planned sales prices by multiplying one or more resulting planned markdown percentages obtained from the sales pattern by an original price of the one or more products or services.

21. A program product for planning sales of one or more products or services, the program product comprising machine-readable code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following method steps:

selecting a markdown profile associated with the one or more products or services;

selecting a sales pattern associated with the markdown profile; and

distributing sales of the one or more products or services using the markdown profile and sales pattern.

22. The program product of claim 21, wherein the sales are manually entered in the sales pattern at a timely aggregated level.

23. The program product of claim 22, wherein the timely aggregated level is one of a season and a rollout period.

24. The program product of claim 23, wherein the distributing step includes distributing the manually entered sales figures to a finer level.

25. The program product of claim 24, wherein the finer level is a posting period.

26. The program product of claim 21, wherein the sales pattern used for distributing sales is selected from multiple sales patterns associated with the markdown profile.

27. The program product of claim 21, wherein the sales pattern contains planned sales ratios.

28. The program product of claim 27, wherein the distributing step includes estimating price reductions for the one or more products or services based on the markdown profile and the planned sales ratios from a previous posting period.

29. The program product of claim 28, further comprising transferring a markdown to a next posting period if a markdown results from the planned sales ratio and the markdown profile from a current posting period.

30. The program product of claim 21, wherein the distributing step comprises simulating planned sales quantities by multiplying one or more planned sales quota percentages obtained from the sales pattern by a total quantity of the one or more products or services and simulating planned sales prices by multiplying one or more resulting planned markdown percentages obtained from the sales pattern by an original price of the one or more products or services.