The Category Management Dilemma Category management is not a new issue. Category Management is entering its second decade . And some in the industry have alluded that it may no longer be the proper format to manage the business. But despite its long-standing existence, category management's efficiency has been hindered. Both manufacturers and retailers have had to wade through immense amounts of data to formulate a plan, and when they meet, their most basic numbers are often based on different category definitions.
Dilemma Imagine the life of a typical category manager within a retailer.
It begins to make sense why category management has not reached its ultimate goal, because implementation is a nightmare. As data collection methods become more advanced and ways of accessing the data become more sophisticated, clients have the ability to gather more detailed information. Traditional category management reporting systems today produce mounds of paper-based reports that can easily obscure, rather than highlight, important insights. Typically, manufacturer account teams spend days, weeks or even months pulling together a category business plan. The vast amount of information required to get through the process is overwhelming.