At this year’s conference in Nashville, it was evident that the future of Blue Yonder’s end-to-end supply chain platform is intelligent, integrated, and already taking shape.
ICON spotlighted significant advancements in how retailers and manufacturers will plan, execute, and collaborate, including AI-powered innovation and major updates to space, floor, and assortment planning tools.
A New Era of Category Management
Blue Yonder made a bold statement: Category Management is back in the spotlight. With the unveiling of next-generation desktop applications powered by AI and backed by the BY Cognitive Platform, there’s no mistaking the shift.
As shared in Blue Yonder’s official announcement, the new vision is focused on “moving beyond boundaries,” eliminating tradeoffs between flexibility, scale, and speed while enabling smarter decision-making across the supply chain.
Rather than replacing what works, these solutions enhance it—preserving familiarity while unlocking automation, deeper collaboration, and scalable intelligence.
Key Innovations Include:
Agentic Space Planning
AI agents are now built directly into the planning tools, helping users:
- Automate routine tasks
- Apply changes across planograms quickly and consistently
- Receive alerts when plans need attention
- Leverage ready-made, goal-based templates to act with confidence
These agents aren’t just intelligent. They’re active collaborators, able to reason, respond to plain language input, and enable contextual collaboration across teams.
Micro Space Tools
New web-based solutions like Micro Space Designer and Micro Space Optimizer (releasing in December) introduce a streamlined way to plan at scale, especially useful for field teams or those just beginning their planogram journey.
Floor Planning Enhancements
Panasonic’s point-cloud scanning technology can now convert entire store layouts into editable floorplans. Paired with clustering and analytics advancements, this enables smarter alignment between space, shopper behavior, and performance.
“Only Hold Data Once”
This architectural shift emphasizes centralizing data across systems, reducing redundancy and enabling consistent, scalable decision-making across assortment, planogramming, and execution.
The Cantactix Point of View
As longtime Blue Yonder partners, we’re excited about what’s next and already helping customers take advantage of it.
But transformation doesn’t happen all at once. Retailers and manufacturers are asking the right questions:
- How do I evolve without disrupting what already works?
- When is the right time to adopt these new tools?
- How do I prepare my team and my data for what’s ahead?
At Cantactix, we start by understanding your unique needs and circumstances. That’s why we focus on:
- Optimizing current planogram and floor planning workflows
- Supporting transitions away from legacy tools like Data Manager
- Advising on cloud migrations and automation opportunities
- Preparing your teams for the shift into Cognitive planning when the time is right
Whether you’re modernizing legacy systems or already using Blue Yonder’s latest cloud platform, our team is here to help you bridge the gap between today’s tools and tomorrow’s innovation.
A Trusted Partner in the Journey Ahead
Cantactix has proudly partnered with Blue Yonder for more than 15 years. We’re committed to helping retailers and manufacturers get the most out of their investment through best-in-class software, consulting, and strategic enablement.
As Blue Yonder rolls out its next generation of Category Management solutions, we’ll be right there with you, adapting, enhancing, and guiding every step of the way.
Let’s Talk About What’s Next
Ready to explore how we can support your team’s planning process and unlock new value?