Your professional planning tool

Information is stored and represented based on the multidimensional framework which enables to place the data in hierarchical arrangement.

The multidimensional framework allows a quick and efficient data loading and exporting and also “slicing and dicing” of data. Slicing means that data can be sliced into single dimensions for easier analysis. Dicing means that data can be diced into subsections of multiple dimensions; dicing the data provides users with the means to work with manageable chunks of data at lower levels.

A planner uses a workbook to build and maintain plans throughout the season. The workbook is a user-defined data subset (of a master database) that includes selected dimensional levels. This is useful because the user can have a better overview of the data and the calculations in the workbook can be performed more quickly. These workbooks consist of table areas and graphical charts used for viewing, analyzing, and planning business KPIs. Workbooks organize related planning information and divide levels of user responsibility. This framework allows users to easily view, create, modify, and store data sets that are common to repeated tasks. Views can be customized for each user (rotating, pivoting, format functions etc.) according to their individual needs.

PlanR’s process involves multiple user roles. These roles work together to elaborate targets and develop new plans at different levels of the product, location and calendar hierarchies. The process of using multiple roles divides the planning process into logical sections. There are two types of user roles in PlanR:

Top Down: These users are usually planning directors or planning managers. They create the overall targets for the company down to group/department level and pass down to the bottom-up role.

Bottom Up: : These users are usually merchandise planners. They create sales, margin, and inventory plans for approval by the top-down role.

The standard set of hierarchies that is supplied with PlanR: Calendar, Location, and Product.

Hierarchies are typically loaded from the merchandising system. The standard set of hierarchy levels can be for example: Year, Quarter, Month and Week in the Calendar hierarchy; Company, Division, Group, Department, Class and Sub-Class in the Product hierarchy; and Company, Chain, Channel, District and Store in the Location hierarchy.

Users may edit data at any hierarchical intersection. If the data is modified at an aggregate level (a level with one or more lower levels beneath it), the modification is distributed to the lower levels within the hierarchy. This function is called spreading. If data is modified at a level that has a higher level above, the data changes are reflected in those higher levels as well. This is known as aggregation. Each measure that is used in the solution is assigned a default aggregation and spreading behavior.

PlanR guides business users to go through the pre-configured process flow which is based on industry best practices, and can be customized as needed.

KPIs are special types of information that retailers want to view, manipulate, and evaluate in a retail plan. The planning tool comes with a standard set of KPIs which is adjustable based on each retailer’s business specificities.