Every centimetre on the shelf counts. But before you start arranging products, you need to make sure that the category itself is ready for this step. A planogram doesn’t create order — it reflects it. If the data isn’t accurate, the equipment isn’t up-to-date and the rules aren’t consistent, the system will show chaos rather than results.

Running a planogram starts long before the first click in the software. Preparing a category is a test of whether business processes are aligned, product information is up-to-date, and those involved in the process speak the same language. This is what determines how quickly the tool will start delivering value rather than adding complexity.

In this article, let’s look at how a successful implementation of a planogram begins, what mistakes should be prevented in advance, and how to make sure that the launch goes smoothly.

Any planogram is a reflection of reality. If the data is inaccurate, the equipment does not correspond to reality, and the category structure is formal, the result will be the same: a beautiful scheme detached from life. That’s why the launch starts not with visualisation, but with preparation. And it is this preparation that determines how effectively the tool will work in the fields.

Before building the first planogram, it is important to ask yourself a simple question: what exactly are we going to plan? In practice, categories are often formed according to the commercial classifier — from the usual branches of the assortment tree. But in merchandising, this is not enough.

Goods combined into one category for sales do not always live side by side on the shelf. For example, ordinary milk and ultra-pasteurised milk may belong to the same commercial group, but under storage conditions they stand in different zones, and from the point of view of display they are two different categories.

A merchandising category is not just a section in the system, but a zone of customer perception. It includes products that solve one need and are logically neighbouring on the shelf. To define such a category, three attributes are sufficient: a common function, a similar packaging format and similar customer behaviour at the shelf. If at least one of the criteria is violated, the category should be reconsidered.

It is equally important to check whether the data is up to date. Package sizes, facings, shelf widths, rack heights — all of this affects the capacity calculation and actual space allocation. When these parameters are inaccurate, the planogram turns into a drawing that cannot be realised. And when such errors are scaled to the network, timelines, costs and distrust of the tool grow.

Finally, category preparation is all about setting up communication between teams. If shops, merchandising and the commercial department are working on different data, any implementation becomes an endless exchange of edits. When the information is aligned, the rules are clear, and the process participants speak the same language, the planogram really starts to work — not as a picture, but as a management tool.

Preparing a category to launch a planogram is not just about collecting data. It is a crucial stage at which a working system is formed from many disparate details. Here it is important not only to decide which products and in what quantity to place on the shelf, but also to understand how the customer perceives this display, how convenient it is for him to navigate through the assortment and find what he needs. The technical aspects — the capabilities and limitations of the retail equipment — play an equally important role.

In order for the planogram to work as a tool and not turn into a beautiful but useless scheme, it is important to pay attention to three key elements: products, equipment and display rules.

Data preparation starts not with spreadsheets, but with understanding who is responsible for what. Most often, the process is divided between several roles: the category manager determines assortment and priorities, the merchandiser is responsible for equipment and photo-fixing, and the analyst collects SKU sizes and technical parameters. If these functions overlap or are left without an owner, the base is no longer reliable. That is why large chains are more and more often creating unified stores of data on goods and shelves, where each participant of the process is responsible for his or her own area, and the system records changes.

The most common errors at this stage are inaccurate package sizes, outdated photos and duplicate SKUs.

Sometimes the data is transferred from suppliers, but without verification, and the difference of a few millimetres in modelling turns into dozens of centimetres on the shelf. The same applies to equipment: if the database records that the shelf is 35 cm deep, but in fact it is 30 cm deep, the layout ‘according to the scheme' will simply not fit. These little things turn into a big problem when we are talking about hundreds of points.

Data validation is not a one-time procedure before implementation. It’s a process that needs to be built into the system of work. It is good practice to conduct a category audit before each assortment update: check the actual equipment, update photos, and clarify packaging parameters. Such cycles create a self-cleaning effect: errors are not accumulated, but eliminated in the process.

The main risk of implementation is a lack of common understanding. The category manager talks about strategy, the merchandiser talks about display, the IT specialist talks about the data format, and the shops talk about the actual equipment.

Without coordination, these languages don’t match. As a result, the planogram seems to be ready, but at launch it turns out: shops have different shelf sizes, marketing has different promotional deadlines, and IT doesn’t have the ability to update data quickly. So instead of a management tool, a source of chaos appears.

To prevent this from happening, it’s important to identify who is involved in the process up front. Typically, there are four key parties:

When these roles are involved from the start, harmonisation is faster and implementation doesn’t turn into endless tweaks. A useful practice is to hold calibration meetings where participants watch the same visualisation and discuss discrepancies. This helps to avoid the typical situation «everything looks right on the screen, but in the shop it looks different».

Communication is not a formality, but part of the quality system. If communication between departments is set up, information is updated synchronously: new SKUs are automatically entered into the database, changes in equipment are noted in the system, standards are updated for all points. The planogram ceases to be a project of one department and becomes a common point of reference that can be relied on in daily work.

A well-prepared category is not only a convenience for the team, but also the foundation on which the effectiveness of the entire planning programme rests. When the data matches reality, the rules are consistent, and the equipment is described without errors, the launch is almost seamless. No delays, no endless clarifications and corrections on the fly — just a smooth transition from analysis to action.

The most obvious benefit is fewer implementation errors. Incorrect SKU sizes, equipment mismatches, outdated assortment — all this is eliminated in advance. The planogram hits the shelf without surprises. Shops do not waste time on adaptation, and the management company does not have to deal with a shaft of complaints and clarifications.

The second effect is the acceleration of work. Approvals go faster because everyone involved in the process sees the same picture. The category manager realises that the data has been checked; the merchandiser is confident that the rules have been taken into account; the operations unit knows that the scheme is real. This mutual trust saves weeks — especially in large networks where any error is multiplied by dozens of points.

The third result is a common understanding of the standard. When the team has a clear category logic and transparent rules of display, the task ceases to depend on the human factor. Shops do not ‘think up’ and do not interpret the scheme in their own way - they simply follow a clear model. The uniformity of the network grows not due to strict control, but due to normal training.

But the main effect is increased confidence in the planogram tool. If the first run goes smoothly, the team sees that the tool works.

The launch of a planogram is always a bottom line. The outcome of how well the team works with the data, how robust the category is, and how aligned the processes are within the company. And the better the preparation, the fewer surprises there are after the launch.

A correctly assembled assortment, calibrated equipment parameters, transparent display rules, up-to-date photos, clear roles and unified communication — all this is not just a preparatory stage. It is the infrastructure on which the effectiveness of planograms rests.

A planogram will never solve the problem of chaos — it will only show that there is chaos. But if the category is prepared, the data is validated, and the teams are synchronised, the tool works exactly as intended: helping you make decisions faster, more accurately and more predictably.

Greenshelf builds planogram logic on these principles. When preparation and visualisation are combined into a single system, the category becomes manageable and the lay-out becomes transparent and repeatable across the network.

This is why a good planogram starts not with the programme, but with the preparation. And the result depends not on the tool, but on how carefully the team has built the foundation before the start.