How Swire Coca-Cola Leveraged Shelf IQ® to Elevate Planogram Precision and Boost Operational Speed

"Shelf IQ has not only saved us time but has also improved our confidence in the work we do. The ongoing support and continuous enhancements make it a future-proof investment."

Gary Wensel, Sr. Manager, Space Planning

For convenience stores, optimizing shelf space is crucial for maximizing sales and customer satisfaction. Swire Coca-Cola, a leading beverage distributor, partnered with Shelf IQ to streamline their planogram management process for Circle K.

This case study explores how the implementation of Shelf IQ improved Swire's shelf management approach, saving time by increasing their speed and enhancing overall efficiency in making seasonal updates to their planograms.

With over 600 stores and a history of manual processes, the team knew the time and effort required to make these planogram updates. 

Efficient Processes

Keri, Manager, Space Planning at Swire Coca-Cola, was well-versed in the traditional planogram update process. However, the process was time-consuming, often taking up to 12 full days. As a new seasonal update project neared, Keri was looking to bring more efficiency to the update process to help manage their planograms for over 600 stores. She was also seeking higher confidence in product consistency. The goal was clear: find a solution that can streamline data cleansing to improve planogram accuracy. 

The Solution

Top-To-Bottom Automation Capabilities

Shelf IQ was introduced to Swire by Gary, Senior Manager, Space Planning, and the team underwent comprehensive training, quickly adapting to the new solution. Shelf IQ's robust features allowed for:

• Data cleansing to improve planogram accuracy: By using the data cleansing tool, planograms were updated with accurate items and fixtures, ensuring precise merchandising and consistency within the product information. 
• Efficient project management, reducing the time required for updates: The team executed various merchandising actions, such as slotting, swapping, deleting, moving, changing facings, and adjusting item orientations.  
• Enhanced reporting capabilities with planogram analysis tools and customizable tables: Shelf IQ provided real-time visual tracking of merchandising guidelines, analysis, and validation metrics. One of the most valuable features was a product/store distribution table created by using the space planning data. This table provided analysis for space planning metrics like facings, capacity, and linear footage. It helped identify product distribution across hundreds of stores.  

"Shelf IQ has not only saved us time but has also improved our confidence in the work we do. The tool left room for us to maintain our artistry with planogram management."

-Gary Wensel, Senior Manager, Space Planning

The Results

Drastic Time Savings and Increased Consistency

Time Savings

The implementation of Shelf IQ reduced the planogram update process from 12 days to just three, resulting in a 75% time savings! With Shelf IQ, they were able to efficiently handle a seasonal update project without sacrificing valuable time. This freed up valuable time for the team to focus on other critical projects and nurture relationships with their customers.

Improved Consistency & Confidence

Shelf IQ allowed for more consistent processes, improving the confidence level of both the team and their buyer. By utilizing the data cleansing tool, Keri found nuances within her planograms that she was able to quickly address, change, and update.

Business Impact

The time savings and increased efficiencies are expected to have a positive effect on sales and customer relationships, not to mention the increased team satisfaction internally. The updated process also provides the capability to analyze performance metrics, offering insights that can be used to further optimize the retail space.

Conclusion

The implementation of Shelf IQ at Swire has been a game-changer for partnering with their larger customers. The solution has drastically reduced the time required for planogram updates, improved data efficiency, and enhanced reporting capabilities. With the additional time saved, the team can now focus on other critical areas and continue to nurture their customer relationships.