This is a series of “mini blogs” in the format of PLANNING POSTCARDS.
They are captured here as 2 separate blog posts …
Series 1 - The Covid Series
I shared these messages through March and April of 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic was unfolding across the globe.
Series 2 - The Summer Series
These were released through December 20 and January 2021, almost a full year on from the start of the pandemic.
PLANNING POSTCARDS - Introduction to the “Summer” Series
You’ve got mail 📩
Hi Planners,
🏖 Planning Postcards 🏖 are back!
Introducing …
☀️☀️☀️ The Summer Series ☀️☀️☀️
When I first launched my Planning Postcards back in March, it was at the start of COVID. They were my way of staying in touch, staying focused on Planning thinking, and offering support during a period of isolation and distress.
Now, as we move (wounded and wiser) into the holidays, dreaming of -
🏝 where we’d love to be, and
✈️ who we'd love to see, and
💪 settled (ish) into new ways of working,
I thought I’d release the “Summer series”, to give you a boost as you dig deep for the final stretch.
Keep an eye out over Dec & Jan, for new Planning Postcards in your feed.
Take care, Susan
PLANNING POSTCARD No.9 – Multiple Measures
💌 You’ve got mail !
Hi Planners,
Good news … you can have it all ! I insist that you do !
Ok, I’m only talking about Planning Measures, but to me that’s pretty exciting.
I recommend using MULTIPLE MEASURES in your
📌 WSSI or Merchandise Financial Plan
📌 post seasonal reviews
📌 regular reporting and ad hoc analysis
Is this just because I won't play favourites across Planning metrics?
No, it’s because of the enhanced insights unlocked by multiple measures:
💡 perspective
💡 context
💡 balance
Get to the real meaning behind the numbers, consider
✅ sales, margin, stock
✅ retail, cost, units
✅ budget, plan, prior years
⚠️ Not EVERY measure in EVERY instance
👌 Just a good blend suited to the task
Take care, Susan
PLANNING POSTCARD No.10 – the End is the Beginning
💌 You’ve got mail !
Hi Planners,
🤨 Time travel in movies messes with my brain. I get crushed trying to keep track of the infinite alternate realities.
✅ My grasp of the time continuum in Merchandise Planning, however, is my super power.
🔭 “Zoom out” from the detail and think about inventory as a continuous thread.
💡 The ending stock position of any time period becomes the beginning stock position of the next time period;
⛓ which means every “moment” of the inventory continuum is linked.
‼️ Every lever you pull has an extended impact that reaches across ALL your stock.
This concept is fundamental to inventory management.
🤔 Keep it in mind to consider the full ramifications of your actions.
Take care, Susan
PLANNING POSTCARD No.11 – Relationships & Relativity
💌 You’ve got mail !
Hi Planners,
This may sound odd for a Planner, a “numbers person” …
Sometimes the numbers just aren’t enough.
Absolute numbers don’t tell the story by themselves.
Even the extremes of a high or low figure, or growth %, doesn’t necessarily mean good or bad performance.
So how do we create meaning in data?
Through examining the relationships & relativity between data points …
📈 How does the number compare
❓to recent performance
❓to similar product performance
❓to expected performance
📊 How does it relate to other metrics
There’s a hint in the image for this postcard …
When it comes to numbers, remember to
🦁🦁 read between the LIONS 🦁🦁
😂😂😂
Take care, Susan
PLANNING POSTCARD No.12 - Track & Trend
💌 You’ve got mail !
Hi Planners,
Ok, so no-one’s denying that we Merchandise Planners are often up to our eyeballs in analysis.
And yes, maybe we do really love that stuff (don’t judge).
☯️ But that’s only half the picture …
🔍 once the analysis is done
🔍 we know what happened
🔍 and why it happened
That’s when we apply the next layer of thinking
🔐 to determine what will likely happen next
🔐 what we want to have happen next
🔐 and how we can influence that outcome
That’s the key -
Planning is about the past and the future.
Our “art” is bringing them together, drawing meaning from data, and influencing the result.
📊 first we TRACK it (analyse)
📈 then we TREND it (forecast)
Take care, Susan
PLANNING POSTCARD No.13 - Always in Motion
💌 You’ve got mail !
Hi Planners,
I say it OFTEN - inventory is either an asset or a liability.
Our roles managing it can be the deciding factor, and the ultimate means to influence profit.
So this stuff REALLY matters (which is why I’m on repeat 😁)
I came up with AIM to convey that stock should be “always in motion”.
When it stops moving, it costs money
🚦 ties up cash flow
🚦 restricts OTB
🚦 inhibits freshness
🚦 incurs storage costs
That’s why we obsess over metrics to measure and manage stock
✅ sell through
✅ stock turn
✅ rate of sale
✅ days in DC
‼️ plus markdowns, our lever to increase stock velocity
🎯 Keep A.I.M in focus
💰 It’s at the core of profitable inventory management
Take care, Susan
PLANNING POSTCARD No.14 - Optimise, don’t Perfect
💌 You’ve got mail !
Hi Planners,
I’ve had my fair share of being called a perfectionist.
🤩 Personally I take it as a compliment.
😱 Would you rather have someone with low care factor and low attention to detail responsible for your hundreds of millions of dollars in inventory?
😅 Honestly though, I’m not a perfectionist.
🤨 I am, however, obsessed with optimising.
Merchandise Planners need:
💪 to have tenacity and curiosity
🤔 to consider all the angles
👍 to drive out the best possible result
😬 within the constraints of limited resources
😉 It’s that simple
💡Optimise, don’t perfect
Take care, Susan
PLANNING POSTCARD No.15 - Perspective
💌 You’ve got mail !
Hi Planners,
It’s taken me years to really fully understand the power of perspective.
Data exists at many levels, including
🦋 micro
🐳 macro
As Planners, we are detail oriented, which is a fundamental trait. Equally, it’s important to maintain perspective…
At the MACRO level
📕 patterns emerge through aggregation
📘 links to strategy are stronger
📗 comparison and context are used to create meaning
📙 which supports interpretation
For those early in their careers
📚 Don’t get lost in the detail
🖼 Zoom out and appreciate the beauty and insights of the full picture
Caution (I’m not one for absolutes)
❗️Don’t be too literal
❗️Choose the right level for the task
❗️Sense check
Take care, Susan
PLANNING POSTCARD No.16 - the magic’s in “the grey”
💌 You’ve got mail !
Hi Planners,
I’m absolutely certain - there are no absolutes 😂.
My 25 years in Planning have taught me there is no
🔲 black OR white
🔲 right OR wrong
🔲 good OR bad
Try replacing OR with AND ... that is our reality. These things co-exist.
It’s why I’m always focused on helping you
🤗 embrace &
🧐 navigate
the SHADES OF GREY.
Now, more than ever, we need to operate in the space between.
There are no sure things, only
✅ a perspective
✅ a scenario
✅ a likelihood
We need to remain ready to regroup and replan.
Oddly, as a self-confessed control freak, I will admit it's what I love most about Merchandise Planning❣️
It makes sense -
👉 it all comes down to YOU
🌟 and the magic YOU make in the grey
Take care, Susan
PLANNING POSTCARDS Series Two - The Wrap!
💌 You’ve got mail!
Hi Planners,
And that’s a wrap!
Just like that, we are in a new year, filled with new possibilities and opportunities.
8 more PLANNING POSTCARDS have found their way to your inbox, to help prepare you for what’s ahead.
This is a collection of my ponderings on all things Planning
🧐 through my own lens
😍 sharing what I love about Planning
😳 highlighting what to watch out for
🤗 and what to embrace
I hope they’ve helped you stay connected with #everythingMerchandisePlanning, and everything you love about #MerchandisePlanning.
’Till our next “trip” together …
Take care, Susan
PS If you enjoyed these PLANNING POSTCARDS, check out Series One.