This article acts as a quick start guide so that once you have purchased a copy of DotActiv Lite, you can get going as quickly as possible.
Applicable Products: DotActiv Lite
1. Save Data Template
The first step is to download your data template so that you can create a data-driven planogram. You can download and save a data template from the DotActiv application by clicking on the ‘Save’ button on the template panel within the data tab.
2. Prepare Data In The Template
Once you have downloaded your data template, you can begin populating the template by considering the following:
- Store selection of data
Populate the data template using the data of the store that you will be creating planograms for.
- Period selection
Select the period that you will be working with. The data populated in your datasheet will reflect the sales and unit data collected during this period.
- Product assortment
Select the collection of products that will be on offer and populate your data sheet with the data from your product range so that they can be added to your planogram. You can read more about assortment planning here.
Please note that you are not required to fill out all of the fields in the data template in order to import products. If you leave certain columns blank (null fields), you will still be able to do a product import. The most important data fields to add are product ID, barcode, product description, product hierarchy and product dimensions. You can add in additional data fields later on.
3. Set Up Your Planogram
Open the DotActiv software and create a new gondola. It is important that the dimensions you use are an accurate reflection of your gondolas in-store. Learn how to create a gondola in this article.
If you are working with apparel items, this article will explain how you can add apparel containers before you start building your planograms for this product category.
4. Add Fixtures And Set Their Dimensions
Once your gondolas have been created, you can add and customise your fixtures. To learn more on how to do this, refer to this article.
5. Import Populated Template To Planogram
DotActiv Lite requires a manual data import. To do this, ensure that your data is cleaned and in the correct format.
You can import your data by clicking on the ‘Import To Planogram’ button in the template panel.
Alternatively, you can open the DotActiv software and drag and drop your CSV file into the DotActiv software.
6. Add Products To Planogram And Import Images
Once you have imported your populated template, you can import your product images. This article discusses how to clean and prepare your product images for import. Once these steps have been completed, you can link images to your products in any of the following ways:
- Manual image upload
Add images to your planogram by dragging it from your desktop or any other folder and dropping it on the product in the DotActiv software as explained here.
It is advised to only follow this process if there are very few images to be added or if you would like to overwrite outdated images.
- Bulk Image Import
This method can be applied when your images are already saved as the Barcode name. If you use this method ensure that the Front, Side, and Top images are saved in separate folders. Bulk image import is explained here.
- Product library
All images in the Product Library can be accessed from a central cloud-based database. This means that all users have access to this product data. You can read about downloading images from the product library here.
7. Complete Planogram Using Some Of The Following Tools
DotActiv Lite comes with various tools to justify product placement and to identify areas where changes to the planogram can be made.
- The Highlights Function
The highlights function is used to apply colour to your planogram to emphasize specific attributes on your planogram. Learn more about how to apply the highlights function here.
- The Planogram Analyzer
The planogram analyzer enables you to measure how complete your planogram is while you space plan. It includes a list of criteria to help you improve the planogram before finalisation and sign off. You can read about how to use the planogram analyzer here.
- Planogram Reports
DotActiv Lite comes standard with planogram reporting which includes 10 different reports used to report on the data in your planogram. The function of each report is discussed in more detail in this blog post here.
Merchandising is another important factor to consider when building your planograms. This is where your merchandising principles, techniques, strategies, and consumer decision tree are considered as this will determine your product flow. This will assist you in placing your products on your planogram accordingly.
Once your planogram is complete you can save it and print it to PDF to be shared with your team.