“What do I do when the promotion management software I purchased for millions of dollars does not improve the management of my trade spending?”
INTRODUCTION
The retail environment is extremely chaotic. As a consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturer, you face complex questions and urgent, episodic problems each day. Your company invested in promotion management software because it promised to assist you in effectively managing a critical component of your business: trade spending. You were told that software is the answer, yetit has not helped you reach your desired business outcomes.
The solution of software is highly attractive. Systems can be very helpful; they can simplify processes and help organize information. They can define variables and compute complex algorithms. Some tasks can be done systematically. For these types of tasks, software can be an ideal solution.
Unfortunately, your business cannot be done systematically. Trade is a critical component of your business. It can, and should, be managed more effectively. Improving the management of your trade spending is contingent upon:
- Data integrity; starting and ending analysis with a human
- Problem solving through feasible decision making
- Managing execution with tactical expertise
Promotion management software has not improved trade because it is not capable of doing so on its own. It requires an industry expert who understands both analytics and the retail environment – an advisor who has not only mastered the data behind consumption, but can also work alongside you, the manufacturer, to ensure that the best tactics are executed effectively.
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