System and method for assortment planning

• US 7,752,067 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2004
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty; Romain
• Assistant Examiner(s): FEENEY, BRETT A
• Application Number:
  US10/898,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,171 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• 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 method, system and computer-readable media are provided for performing assortment definition and planning to match the right articles, with the right stores, at the right times. The method, system and computer-readable media include receiving sales information for a plurality of stores, calculating a capacity index, assigning the calculated capacity index to each of the plurality of stores, defining a criteria level for each of the plurality of stores, categorizing the plurality of stores according to both the capacity index value and the criteria level and assigning one or more stores to the assortment based on the categorizing result.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for planning an assortment, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computers, a hierarchical list of articles including a plurality of nodes wherein the plurality of nodes include a division node and a category node;

receiving, by one or more computers, sales information for a plurality of stores, the sales information of the plurality of stores comprising a theme module defining a group of related products and article information defining a specific product of the group of related products;

wherein the article information comprises a template display rack capacity and an individual display rack capacity;

calculating a capacity index by dividing the individual display rack capacity by the template display rack capacity;

assigning the calculated capacity index to each of the plurality of stores;

defining a criteria level for each of the plurality of stores based on the demographics and fashion price point of the each of the plurality of stores wherein the criteria level comprises levels including a flagship store, a high end store, a medium end store and a low end store;

categorizing, by the one or more computers, the plurality of stores according to both the capacity index value and the criteria level;

assigning, by the one or more computers, one or more stores to the assortment based on the categorizing result;

receiving, by one or more computers, a selection of a first node from the hierarchical list of articles to assign a first group of articles to the assortment,

wherein assigning the first group of articles to the assortment assigns the first group of articles to the one or more stores that are assigned to the same assortment,

wherein the assortment corresponds to a particular display location at the one or more stores, for placement of the first group of articles, and

wherein the selection of the first node assigns the first group of articles concurrently to the assortment and the particular display location at the one or more stores.

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 selection is performed by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, further including receiving, using the graphical user interface, a selection of 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.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, using the processor, a restriction to one of the plurality of stores for monitoring a receipt of a selection of one or more other nodes of the hierarchical list of articles to assign one or more other groups of articles to the assortment.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the restriction is configured for disallowing the selection of the one or more other nodes.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

upon the receipt of the selection of the one or more other nodes, facilitating a user override of the disallowance of the selection.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, using the graphical user interface, a selection of the first node to assign the first group of articles to a second assortment.

10. A computer-implemented system for planning an assortment, comprising:

a computing device configured to receive a hierarchical list of articles including a plurality of nodes wherein the plurality of nodes include a division node and a category node; and

a graphical user interface configured to receive sales information for a plurality of stores, the sales information of the plurality of stores comprising a theme module defining a group of related products and article information defining a specific product of the group of related products;

wherein the article information comprises a template display rack capacity and an individual display rack capacity;

wherein the computing device is configured to calculate a capacity index by dividing the individual display rack capacity by the template display rack capacity assigning the calculated capacity index to each of the plurality of stores,

define a criteria level for each of the plurality of stores based on the demographics and fashion price point of the each of the plurality of stores wherein the criteria level comprises levels including a flagship store, a high end store, a medium end store and a low end store,

categorize the plurality of stores according to both the capacity index value and criteria level,

and assign one or more stores to the assortment based on the categorizing result;

wherein assigning the first group of articles to the assortment assigns the first group of articles to the one or more stores that are assigned to the same assortment,

wherein the assortment corresponds to a particular display location at the one or more stores, for placement of the first group of articles, and

wherein the selection of the first node assigns the first group of articles concurrently to the assortment and the particular display location at the plurality of stores.

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 computing device further comprises a processing unit configured to receive a selection of a second node from the hierarchical list of articles to assign a second group of articles to the assortment.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each group of articles corresponds to all of the articles in the hierarchical list below the selected node.

14. 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.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each article grouping on each level is associated with no more than one article grouping at a next highest level.

16. The system of claim 14, 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.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the computing device further comprises means for excluding one or more articles from the first group of articles to modify the assortment.

18. A computer-readable storage media, for planning an assortment, storing machine-readable program code causing, when executed by a processor, one or more machines to perform the following method steps:

receiving a hierarchical list of articles including a plurality of nodes wherein the plurality of notes include a division node and a category node;

receiving, by one or more computers, sales information for a plurality of stores, the sales information of the plurality of stores comprising a theme module defining a group of related products and article information defining a specific product of the group of related products;

wherein the article information comprises a template display rack capacity and an individual display rack capacity;

calculating a capacity index by dividing the individual display rack capacity by the template display rack capacity assigning the calculated capacity index to each of the plurality of stores;

defining a criteria level for each of the plurality of stores based on the demographics and fashion price point of the each of the plurality of stores wherein the criteria level comprises levels including a flagship store, a high end store, a medium end store and a low end store;

categorizing, by the one or more computers, the plurality of stores according to both the capacity index value and criteria level;

assigning, by the one or more computers, one or more stores to the assortment based on the categorizing result;

receiving, using a graphical user interface, a selection of a first node from the hierarchical list of articles to assign a first group of articles to the assortment,

wherein assigning the first group of articles to the assortment assigns the first group of articles to the one or more stores that are assigned to the same assortment,

wherein the assortment corresponds to a particular display fixture at the one or more stores, for placement of the first group of articles, and

wherein the selection of the first node assigns the first group of articles concurrently to the assortment and the particular display location at the one or more stores.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the steps further comprise displaying the hierarchical list of articles to a user.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the selection of the first node is performed with input from a user.

21. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the steps further comprise receiving, using the graphical user interface, a selection of a second node from the hierarchical list of articles to assign a second group of articles to the assortment.

22. The computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein each group of articles corresponds to all of the articles in the hierarchical list below the selected node.

23. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein each node in the hierarchical list corresponds to a level, each level including one or more article groups.

24. The computer-readable storage media of claim 23, wherein each article grouping on each level is associated with no more than one article grouping at a next highest level.

25. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, 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.

26. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the steps further comprise excluding one or more articles from the first group of articles to modify the assortment.