Method and system for product layout display using assortment groups

• US 8,108,270 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2005
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Fotteler, Christine, Busch, Hergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARIKH, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US11/028,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,584 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/1, 705/7
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system, method and program product are provided for determining a product layout for a group of stores. An assortment is defined as a group of stores. An assortment version is defined by assigning a first product to the assortment for a time period, thereby determining the time period during which the first product is in the assortment. A layout module is defined and the layout module is assigned to the assortment, the layout module representing a display area of the store. A layout module version is defined that represents a product layout for the group of stores for a time period based on the corresponding assortment version. The layout module information is provided to a shelf optimization or ranging program. The optimized layout module information is received and the optimized layout module information is inputted to the layout module version.

Claims

1. A machine-readable storage medium storing a program product for determining a product layout for a group of stores, the program product comprising machine-readable program code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to perform the following:

receiving 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 based on the individual display rack capacity and the template display rack capacity, wherein the capacity index comprises a ratio of the individual display rack capacity and the template display rack capacity;

determining a capacity type value based on the capacity index;

assigning the calculated capacity type value to each of the plurality of stores;

defining a criteria level for each of the plurality of stores based on the demographics and price level of the each of the plurality of stores;

categorizing the plurality of stores according to both the capacity type value and the criteria level;

assigning one or more stores to an assortment based on the categorizing result;

defining a first assortment version upon assignment of a first product to the assortment for a first time period, the first assortment version having a validity period corresponding to the first time period;

defining a layout module and assigning the layout module to the assortment, the layout module representing a display area of the plurality of stores;

defining a first layout module version upon the assignment of the layout module to the assortment, the first layout module version representing a product layout of the first assortment version and having a validity period corresponding to the validity period of the first assortment version;

receiving, from a user, a selection of at least one fixture on which the first product is to be positioned;

providing information of the first layout module version to a shelf optimization or ranging program;

receiving optimized first layout module information from the shelf optimization or ranging program and inputting the optimized first layout module information to the first layout module version;

defining a second assortment version upon assignment of a second product to the assortment for a second time period nonoverlapping with the first time period, the second assortment version having a validity period corresponding to the second time period; and

defining a second layout module version upon the assignment of the layout module to the assortment, the second layout module version representing a product layout of the second assortment version and having a validity period corresponding to the validity period of the second assortment version;

wherein receiving the optimized first layout module information from the shelf optimization or ranging program comprises receiving information regarding a position for the first product at the at least one fixture.

2. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the layout module is assigned to the assortment on a one-to-one relationship.

3. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the assortment versions define the corresponding layout module versions.

4. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable program code is further for causing, when executed, the one or more machines to perform:

providing the layout module version including assigned products with planning key performance indicators and fixtures to a shelf optimization program.

5. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the machine-readable program code is further for causing, when executed, the one or more machines to perform:

defining sales volume, gross margin, inventory turnover and gross margin return on investment (GMROI) for the products that are assigned to the layout module version, and

determining a product ranking based on a sales and GMROI index and providing the layout module version including assigned product ranking and fixtures to a shelf optimization.

6. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable program code is further for causing, when executed, the one or more machines to perform:

receiving the optimized layout module version information.

7. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable program code is further for causing, when executed, the one or more machines to perform:

defining planning key performance indicators (KPIs) for the products assigned to the assortment version; and

determining a product ranking based on the KPIs.

8. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable code is further for causing, when executed, the one or more machines to perform:

providing information of the second layout module version to the shelf optimization or ranging program; and

receiving the optimized layout module information and inputting the optimized layout module information to the second layout module version.

9. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein defining the first assortment version upon assignment of the first product to the assortment for the first time period is performed independent of spatial characteristics of the layout module.

10. A system for determining a product layout for a store, comprising:

means for receiving 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;

means for calculating a capacity index based on the individual display rack capacity and the template display rack capacity, wherein the capacity index comprises a ratio of the individual display rack capacity and the template display rack capacity;

means for determining a capacity type value based on the capacity index;

means for assigning the calculated capacity type value to each of the plurality of stores;

means for defining a criteria level for each of the plurality of stores based on the demographics and price level of the each of the plurality of stores;

means for categorizing the plurality of stores according to both the capacity type value and the criteria level;

means for assigning one or more stores to an assortment based on the categorizing result;

means for defining a first assortment version upon assignment of a first product to the assortment for a first time period, the first assortment version having a validity period corresponding to the first time period;

means for defining a layout module and assigning the layout module to the assortment, the layout module representing a display area of the plurality of stores;

means for defining a first layout module version upon the assignment of the layout module to the assortment, the first layout module version representing a product layout of the first assortment version and having a validity period corresponding to the validity period of the first assortment version;

means for receiving, from a user, a selection of at least one fixture on which the first product is to be positioned;

means for providing information of the first layout module version to a shelf optimization or ranging program; and

means for receiving optimized first layout module information from the shelf optimization or ranging program and inputting the optimized first layout module information to the first layout module version;

wherein the means for defining the first assortment version is further for defining a second assortment version upon assignment of a second product to the assortment for a second time period nonoverlapping with the first time period, the second assortment version having a validity period corresponding to the second time period;

wherein the means for defining the first layout module version is further for defining a second layout module version upon the assignment of the layout module to the assortment, the second layout module version representing a product layout of the second assortment version and having a validity period corresponding to the validity period of the second assortment version; and

wherein the means for receiving the optimized first layout module information from the shelf optimization or ranging program is further for receiving information regarding a position for the first product at the at least one fixture.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the layout module is assigned to the assortment on a one-to-one relationship.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the assortment versions define the corresponding layout module versions.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for defining planning figures, sales volume, gross margin, inventory turnover and gross margin return on investment (GMROI) for the products that are assigned to the layout module version, and determining a product ranking based on a sales and GMROI index.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for providing the layout module version including assigned products with planning key performance indicators and fixtures to a shelf optimization program.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving the optimized layout module version information.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for defining planning key performance indicators (KPIs) for the products assigned to the assortment version; and

means for determining a product ranking based on the KPIs.

17. The system of claim 10,

wherein the means for providing information of the first layout module version is further for providing information of the second layout module version to the shelf optimization or ranging program;

and

wherein the means for receiving the optimized first layout module information is further for receiving the optimized second layout module information and inputting the optimized second layout module information to the second layout module version.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for defining the first assortment version upon assignment of the first product to the assortment for the first time period operates independent of spatial characteristics of the layout module.