System and method for performing assortment definition

• US 8,392,231 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Fotteler, Christine, Kopecz, Klaus, Busch, Hergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Assistant Examiner(s): FEENEY, BRETT A
• Application Number:
  US10/886,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,164 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

A system and method for performing assortment definition is provided. The method comprises inputting information regarding a plurality of stores into an assortment definition engine, and performing a matching process to identify at least one group of stores for assignment to the assortment. An automated system for defining an assortment and a program product for defining an assortment are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

one or more computers configured to receive information regarding a plurality of stores that are used to assign the plurality of stores to an assortment, the assortment being a plan which includes linking a plurality of products to the plurality of stores over a specific time periods;

one or more computers configured to determine a first criteria level for a first group of stores and a first capacity for the first group of stores, wherein the first criteria level includes at least one of price level, fashion grade, sales, geographic region, climactic zone, demographics, and retail concept and wherein the first capacity is based on a number of display racks;

one or more computers configured to perform a matching process to assign at least one group of stores of the plurality of stores to a first assortment that match a designated criteria level and capacity for the first assortment;

one or more computers configured to determine a local assortment for each store based on the assignment of the each store to the first assortment and any other plurality of assortments.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein one local assortment is for a flagship store.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the plurality of stores relating to the assortment includes category information.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the category information includes merchandise categories.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the category information includes level in an article hierarchy.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the plurality of stores relating to the assortment includes a store location.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the assortment definition engine is further configured to receive sales information.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the sales information includes historical sales transactions.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the sales information includes forecasted sales transactions.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the assortment definition engine is further configured to receive dimension information.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the dimension information is obtained using an automated classification engine.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the automated classification engine identifies the dimension information based on store master and sales ranking information.

13. An automated system for defining an assortment via one or more computers, comprising:

the one or more computers configured to receive information regarding a plurality of stores that are used to assign the plurality of stores to an assortment, the assortment being a plan which includes linking a plurality of products to the plurality of stores over a specific time periods;

the one or more computers including a classification engine configured to receive information regarding a plurality of stores and generating dimension information, the dimension information including a first criteria level for a first group of stores and a first capacity for the first group of stores, wherein the first criteria level includes at least one of price level, fashion grade, sales, geographic region, climactic zone, demographics, and retail concept and wherein the first capacity is based on a number of display racks;

the one or more computers including an assortment definition engine configured to assign the first group of stores to a first assortment that match a designated criteria level and capacity for the first assortment; and

the one or more computers including the assortment definition engine further configured to determine local assortment for each store based on the assignment of the each store to the first assortment and any other plurality of assortments.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the information regarding the plurality of stores relating to the assortment includes category information further including a merchandise category.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the category information corresponds to a level in an article hierarchy.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the assortment definition engine is further configured for generating a store-assortment assignment, the assortment definition engine further configured to assign a validity period to the store-assortment assignment.

17. The system of 14, wherein the classification engine is further configured for receiving category information that is used for identifying the dimension information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the assortment definition engine is further configured for receiving the category information from the classification engine, the category information being utilized to generate the proposed assortment.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the classification engine is further configured for receiving sales data that is used for identifying the dimensions.

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

receiving information regarding a plurality of stores that are used to assign the plurality of stores to an assortment, the assortment being a plan which includes linking a plurality of products to the plurality of stores over a specific time periods;

grouping the stores into a first group and a second group according to dimension information, the dimension information including a first criteria level for the first group, a first capacity for the first group, a second criteria level for the second group, and a second capacity for the second group, wherein the first criteria level and second criteria level includes at least one of price level, fashion grade, sales, geographic region, climactic zone, demographics, and retail concept and wherein the first capacity and the second capacity is based on a number of display racks;

proposing at least one group of stores for assignment to the first assortment wherein the at least one group of stores includes a designated criteria level and capacity for the first assortment;

assigning a first assortment for the first group of stores based on the dimension information; and

assigning a second assortment for the second group of stores based on the dimension information.

21. The program product of claim 20, wherein the dimension information includes retail site characteristics.

22. The program product of claim 20, wherein the information regarding the plurality of stores relating to the assortment includes category information further including a merchandise category.

23. The program product of claim 22, wherein the category information corresponds to a level in an article hierarchy.

24. The program product of claim 20, further including identifying the dimension information using the store information and sales data.