While working on a planogram, the question always arises: Which articles should I put on the shelf next?
If some articles are already positioned on the fixel, e.g. a shelf, but there is still space available, it must be decided which other articles are to fill the space on the shelf. Often the answer is simple and results from stock requirements and assortment considerations.
On the other hand, the space management software can also make suggestions as to which articles would make sense next. Finally, the program has control over
- all available products and their attributes
- all products already placed on the shelf
- the properties of the shelf
Therefore, it makes sense to expect suitable suggestions for useful articles from the program.
Criteria
The criteria for sensible, fine-granular proposals are manifold. One might expect:
- further articles from the same product group, which can already be found on the fixel
- other articles from the same manufacturer or brand
- complete a product family
- items from the same price group
- and many other criteria
The following rules can also be taken into account:
- Do not suggest any items that are already on the shelf (possibly at a different location)
- Do not suggest any items that do not fit into the available remaining space
- Do not propose articles that would be overrepresented in the inventory
- Preferably suggest articles that are higher in the ranking (sales, turnover, earnings, ranking)
The decisive factor is to consider these criteria against each other in each individual case and to weight them appropriately.
Suggestions in XPace
XPace has a suggestion function that uses an evaluation algorithm to determine the best possible proposals for the destination – taking into account the overall positioning on the shelf and the available assortment – and to offer them for immediate positioning.
After clicking on a product display, the proposed articles are evaluated and displayed in the “Proposal” section of the Tools window. From there they can be positioned directly. The proposals for the fixture are then updated according to the new situation.
The user can define the criteria for the evaluation. If sales figures are available for the articles, not only the articles themselves, but also sensible assembly quantities are suggested.
The suggestion function is available at:
Window ➜ Views ➜ Tools ➜ Propose
It can be activated and deactivated using the Options button of the Proposal tool.