Financial Analysis of Concepts and Initiatives

Key Competencies Addressed

Primary: Financial & Business Acumen
Secondary: Analysis & Insights, Retailer & Manufacturer Relationship Development

Description

This 2-day course is designed to review the tools and techniques for evaluating the financial value of concepts and initiatives developed primarily during joint retailer/manufacturer business planning during a Shopper & Category Development (S&CD) Plan. These tools and techniques will also be useful for trading partners individually in evaluating ideas and suggestions for consideration. The course will cover demand, customer service and supply concepts and initiatives. Participants will get hands-on experience by tracking a fictitious, but realistic, S&CD category plan, to identify, and evaluate concepts, strategies and initiatives. Finally, participants will learn practical techniques that will enable them to apply their learning the very next day.

Course Modules

• Introduction to Shopper & Category financial tools and techniques
• Insight/concept generation and evaluation
• Evaluating category strategies
• Evaluating initiatives and tactical plans
• Evaluating initiatives through implementation and scorecarding
• Techniques for evaluating new, industry initiatives - e.g. loyalty marketing, sustainability, etc.
  

Learning Objectives

• To understand the purpose, rationale and practices of financial evaluation of S&CD / joint business plans
• To recognize the advantages stemming from a rigorous evaluation of concepts and initiatives - beyond individual's judgment and to include both supplier and retailer views.
• To identify the key steps to evaluating the outcome of a S&CD / joint business plan
• To describe how retailers and manufacturers collaborate to most effectively evaluate concepts and initiatives so as to ensure positive financial category impact resulting in retailer and supplier shared benefit
• To improve the quality of concepts and initiatives developed by trading partners individually for presentation
• To ensure strong linkage of S&CD / joint business plan tactical concepts and initiatives within business tracking measurement e.g. scorecard and the S&CD Review step.
• To plan how to increase financial evaluation skills in their company, the next day 
  

Supported Behaviors

• Financial & Business Acumen
  • Developing improved and more profitable plans with trading partners to meet immediate and long term business needs
  • Identify the best concepts and initiatives for investment in improved capability development
  • Provide the foundation for effective scorecards and implementation evaluation
• Analysis & Insights
  • Using basic terminology commonly used to in financial evaluation
  • Using standard information available for evaluation
• Trading Partner Development
  • Integrating stronger financial support for proposals
  • Improved calibration and communication of financial success factors