If you are not using PG, then you probably only have a surface-level view of what it can do. Combine that with what others in the marketplace may have told you and that view becomes out of focus.
When it comes to Planogram Generator, there are a ton of misconceptions floating around out there. We generally find that the people spreading the misconceptions haven’t ever used the tool. Somebody will see a demo and assume that since they were not shown their very specific merchandising scenario that Planogram Generator, or PG, cannot be used. As someone who gives these demos, let me say that it would be impossible to show you everything that PG can do in an hour demo. It would be impossible to show you everything that PG can do in a 5-hour demo. I have been using PG for over a decade and work with a team of experts with 43 years of experience using this tool. We are constantly encountering new situations and figuring out how to use PG for different merchandising scenarios.
While there must be a limit to what PG can do, this is more often than not a result of not having the necessary data loaded into the template or target planograms. Figuring out how to work around these barriers can involve using actions in a different way than they were intended or using external processes to get the data where it is needed. We are constantly pushing the limit of what PG can do.
Also, with every new software release Blue Yonder is constantly adding new actions and/or enhancing existing ones. With that being said, I would like to dispel the top 5 misconceptions about PG specifically.
Misconception #1:
“Planogram Generator cannot be used without a CKB database.”
This is false. Space Planning is where you go to both build your template and configure the action list. Opening them up in Space Planning can generate hundreds of target planograms—this means Space Planning is a requirement, but CKB is not. What CKB, or Category Knowledge Base, allows for is batch generating, the ability to load assortment and data onto the targets in mass, as well as other general benefits of having a database. CKB is not a requirement, but it does “supercharge” PG.
Misconception #2:
“Using PG involves writing computer code.”
At first glance, an Action List may look like computer code, but it is NOT. An Action List consists of a series of user-selected functions (actions) that tell PG how to merchandise your planograms. Each action is a separate instruction that PG follows. Many of the actions do require formulas to be entered in using the Space Planning formula builder, which makes it look more like computer code. Being able to write simple formulas gets you over half the way there!
Misconception #3:
“My category is too complicated to use PG.”
This is a comment that is often made. Usually, when we start digging into the planograms and the merchandising strategy that needs to be achieved, we find that PG can be used. However, the user didn’t understand PG well enough to make it work and had no one to reach out to for help. It takes some time to learn PG, you can’t learn it overnight and you learn it much faster when you have knowledgeable help.
Misconception #4:
“My category would need 100s of templates, so it’s not worth using PG.”
This comment correlates with #3. Again, we usually hear this comment from someone who doesn’t understand how templates and action lists can be used. Usually, even in SKU-heavy categories with advanced merchandising scenarios, we only need around 6-8 templates on average. I will say that I have worked on a category where I did need around 100 templates, but when push came to shove, it was quicker to build 100 templates than it would have been to manually build the 4,600 targets that we were able to generate.
Misconception #5:
“PG will give me perfect planograms.”
While PG has the capability and the potential to generate 100% perfect planograms, in most cases, it will get you about 85% – 90% there. If your merchandising strategy is fairly simple, we have been able to achieve close to 100%. You should generally expect to make some minor manual adjustments after generation.
Hopefully, this blog shed some light on Planogram Generator’s capabilities and alleviates some of the “noise” surrounding it.
If you want to know more about the capabilities of Planogram Generator and how to learn to use it, here are some additional articles to read:
Is Planogram Generator Hard to Learn?
What is Planogram Generator and how can it help you?
2023 Blue Yonder Category Management Suite Release
Want to know more about Planogram Generator? You can schedule a free assessment to determine how it can help your company.