Assortment Planning

The WorkMate Assortment Planning Module incorporates many robust functions that are not normally found in a traditional assortment planning application. The result is that the merchandise planner and buyer have an extremely rich set of capabilities that will enable them to optimally manage merchandise from its inception to its end of life. It not only ensures that the buying office arrives at a well-researched and sound buying decision, but it is a ready tool for the buyer to initiate in-season action that will help maintain merchandise margins. Making the right buying decisions will result in merchandise assortments that meet local consumer demand, optimize inventory investment, accelerate sales, minimize inter-store transfers and reduce markdowns.

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The powerful and flexible user interface readily assists the buyer or planner in developing the assortment plan at the desired levels. This is an iterative process, starting with historical analysis and adjusting values to suit the buyer’s vision of the new season’s assortment plan. By merging in critical merchandise plan and store plan targets, WorkMate Assortment Plan will always be properly synchronized with overall merchandise and financial goals. Once the plan is acceptable to the buyer, it can be finalized and staged for use in the buying and purchase order applications provided by the WorkMate Suite. History shows that repetitive and consistent application of WorkMate’s Assortment Planning Module, integrated with critical business processes, will produce ever-improving results to the retailer’s performance.

Key Functions

	Plan Builder Wizards that can rapidly establish plans at multiple levels.
	Forecasting & Trending Automatically Performed within the Assortment Plan Based on User-Defined Rules/Calculations/From Imported Forecasts or Combination of Both.
	Allows User-Defined Dynamic Store Grouping/Grading (e.g. by Climate, Store Size, etc.)
	Develop Buy Plans to Relevant Levels in Hierarchy and Applicable Time Periods.
	Specify Desired Target for Average Store in a Cluster & Allocate to All Stores Based on Their Rank & Each Store’s Weighting Factor.
	Advanced algorithms used for the Automated Generation of recommended assortments by dynamically applying “Forecast Models”.
	Dynamic Style Building Capability allowing for Rapid Development of Assortments by Color/Size.
	Sophisticated size and pack optimization algorithms can be applied to individual item line or to total assortment.
	Create Store Plans Based on Average Store in Chain/By Clusters/User Defined Formulas/Trending.
	Supports Allocations to Store Clusters, Sub-Clusters, Store Groups or Individual Stores within the Assortment Planning Process.
	Direct Import of Vendor Catalog Information and Images into the Assortment.
	Visual Reporting of Assortment by Store Grade/Cluster.
	Create Store Plans Based on High/Low Limits on Trends.
	Plan Top Down & Bottom Up.
	Provides Ability to ‘Split’ from high level to multiple lower levels.

Key Features

	User-Defined Plan Views
	User-Defined Plan Formats
	User-Defined Data Element Definition
	Dollar & Unit Planning
	Plan Multiple Average or Multiple Weighted Average Retails
	Percent to Total Relationship Supported
	Variable Controls on Data Presentation (Scaling Dollars/Units, Rounding, etc.)
	Exception Views
	Graphical Capabilities & Charting
	Pre-Defined Templates
	Re-Calculate/Re-Trend Store Plans Automatically
	Unlimited Number of Store Attributes
	Flexible Planning Calculations
	Interface to Inventory Forecasts from User’s Host Transaction Processing Systems
	User-Defined Main Hierarchies (Merchandise, Time & Location)
	User-Defined Number of Planning Levels (Maximum 5)
	User-Defined Alternative Hierarchies (e.g. Fabric, Pattern, etc.)
	Allow Different Plan Types, Versions & Categories of Plans (e.g. Each version of a plan can reference different information such as history, data elements & time)
	Flexible Reporting tool allows for ad-hoc generation of user-defined reports that can be saved as “favorites”

Technology

	Based upon Windows® Open System Architecture platform with a familiar Windows interface to ensure compatibility, consistency and ease of use
	Standard Microsoft® GUI Interface (Zoom, Drop/Dup, Move Rows/Columns, Copy/Paste, Drill Down etc.)
	Software is mobile for use with vendors in market or while traveling
	Two-Tier or Three-Tier Server Level Support
	Database support for SQL Server, other databases on request
	ODBC Compatible