Planogram Generation System for Retail Facility Layouts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Generating two-dimensional planograms is a resource-intensive task, especially as the number of facilities increases and each facility has a unique physical layout, making manual management of product placement and assortment difficult, leading to potential loss of important information.
Innovation Solution
A planogram generation system that clusters facilities based on shared traits, uses a computing device to determine item recommendations for addition, retention, and deletion based on performance and demand transference, and generates a two-dimensional planogram for optimal product placement, considering customer buying patterns and item attributes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual management of product placement and assortment is used for each facility, then flexibility to handle unique physical layouts is maintained, but resource consumption and time requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments facilities into clusters based on shared physical layout traits and generates planograms at the cluster level rather than individual facility level. This segmentation allows one planogram to serve multiple facilities with similar layouts, reducing redundant work while maintaining adaptability to each facility's unique characteristics through subsequent customization steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates template planograms that can be copied and applied across multiple facilities within the same cluster. These template planograms capture the essential product placement patterns for facilities with similar physical layouts, enabling rapid deployment without manual recreation for each facility while preserving the ability to adjust for specific facility variations.
2Productivity
If cluster-based planogram generation is implemented, then resource efficiency improves, but potential loss of facility-specific information may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing facility-specific customizations to be made to the clustered template planograms. After generating the base planogram at the cluster level, the system enables local adjustments for facility-specific requirements, ensuring that while resource efficiency is improved through clustering, facility-specific information and unique characteristics are preserved through localized modifications.
3Reliability
If automated planogram generation is used, then manual errors are reduced, but complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling automated planogram generation that operates with minimal human intervention. The system automatically clusters facilities, generates template planograms, and applies them across multiple facilities, reducing manual errors. The automation handles the complex clustering and planogram generation algorithms, while users simply need to provide input data and review outputs, effectively transferring the complexity from manual operations to automated processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for generating a two-dimensional planogram. The system generates, for a facility in a cluster of facilities, a planogram for sets of items using an intermediate file.