Category Owner role & skill in any e-commerce industry.

2. manage portfolio
1. brand and product
acquisition strategy, drive
new vendor acquisition
2. portfolio management for
the category, pricing
strategies
3. drive catalogue content
and technical
specifications
4. inventory management
and liquidation
customer management
1. Omni Channel Sales
2. Manage Key Customer
Relationships
3. Respond to customer
queries and
complaints
what should a CO do?
1. marketing and promotions planning
to grow the category – which
product, brand, SKU to promote in
which channel
2. content on applications and solutions
manage
portfolio
customer
management
fulfillment &
vendor management
marketing
marketing
Drive Revenue with Customer Focus
fulfillment and
vendor
management
1. vendor sourcing strategy
2. manage vendor
relationships
3. resolution of issues
impacting procurement,
delivery

3. Product Lifecycle Management
Phase Description of Phase and Key Elements Importance in Planning
Pre-Launch Planning key SKU’s, vendor marketing support,
availability info
Ensuring key brands are launched with
adequate support
Launch Day 1 of new product. Demand is unknown,
Supply is unstable (volume, suppliers).
Assumption based demand, flexibility in
supply to manage unknowns
Growth Post launch growth (1- 3months). Demand
trends are emerging. Supply is stabilizing.
Identification of demand trends vs noise
capacity management in supply
Maturity Demand stabilizing, with increased pressure.
Supply driving for efficiency and service.
Demand planning accuracy. Inventory
control.
Decline Reducing volume, efforts to generate demand or
‘harvest’ product. Missed goals
Identification of demand trends,
activities. Ramp down of capacity.
Deletion Decision to make product obsolete. Last-time
buys and/or product transition of customers
Management of end of life to eliminate
scrap costs
Planning is important but different at each phase
Time
Launch Deletion
Revenue
Growth Decline
Maturity
NPI / Phase In
SKU Rationalisation /
Phase Out

4. Ongoing management of portfolio for top 80% SKU’s
Review of portfolio by
brand to manage
profitability – good, better,
best
Review new product
Introduction (NPI) status
Based on sales trends and
market knowledge, classify
Top SKU’ s into new
launch, growth, declining
Review last time buy and
obsolescence items
Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) /
family rationalization
IOS inventory review
Baseline using historical
demand and define which
SKU’s need what kind of
Procurement – JIT vs
Forecasted
Addition of market
intelligence from
fulfillment team
Provide forecast to vendors
Review forecast
performance
Review Inventory Policy
Review vendor base for
key SKU’s – MAP
VENDORS BY SKU’s
Review inventory
projections based on
market availability info
Review key supplier
performance and
expectations
Change vendors where
required for specific
SKU’s – think PAN India
Supply ReviewDemand and
Inventory Review
Portfolio Review

9. Key Next Steps
• Transactional
• Review bulk pricing slabs
• Review where price increase in the past has been well absorbed and continue to
increase price gradually
• Identifying brand leaf which are price sensitive
• Drive higher sales on vendor supported schemes
• Value Pricing
• Higher price on new launches
• Higher price on non competitive portfolio
• Higher price to factor the cost of logistics relative to pick up from the physical vendor
• Supply/Demand
• Supplier call out to Pan- India supplier base/ different local markets to understand if
we have the right procurement price
• Understanding price change process/frequency for top brands
• Identify products linked to dollar and increase price