Category Management Training & Certification Program Guide to Category Management Certification April 2011 Retail Manager s Guide to the Acosta Retail College Page 1 of 9
Guide to the Category Management Training Program Business leaders increasingly understand that a highly skilled, knowledgeable workforce is critical to achieving growth and success in an ever changing retail market. So, whether it s for a new hire, or in position job advancement, keeping employee skills and certifications current is the best way to ensure continued success. Learning Evolution has been developing targeted learning solutions and engaging, high impact e-learning coursework for nearly a decade. Our clients include a virtual Who s Who of Fortune 500 companies, including Anheuser-Busch, Diageo, Georgia-Pacific, Hallmark, Hormel Foods, Kellogg s, Mars, McCormick, Red Bull, Safeway and Wrigley to name a few. DESIGNED IN COOPERATION WITH THE WORLDS S LEADING CPG COMPANIES AND RETAIL EXPERTS ALL COURSEWORK IS CERTIFIED BY Learning Evolution, is a premier e-learning solutions provider, and has THE CATEGORY MANAGEMENT partnered with leading global consumer packaged goods companies and retail experts to develop a comprehensive series of Certification Learning Programs ASSOCIATION for Category Management that satisfies all the requirements designated by the Category Management Association (CMA). The Category Management Association (www.cpgcatnet.org) is the recognized, industry-wide standard that quantifies the skill level of individual category management or sales professionals. Our comprehensive curriculum provides category professionals, sales and support teams with: Real-world insight, extensive industry knowledge, and unsurpassed category expertise Fast track to online certification, eliminating costly learning curves and travel expenses Clear understanding of the competencies expected at various levels of responsibility Thorough and consistent learning process that develops individuals to their fullest potential, making more knowledgeable and better prepared to serve clients and customers Overview of the Learning Evolution Category Management Certification Program This program provides learning opportunities for all positions in your organization to help build awareness, enhance, and refresh our overall expertise in category management and the retail industry. This will ultimately help your employees and associates to be more effective in their roles. Certification is comprised of three different levels: Category Analyst, Category Manager and Strategic Advisor. Within each series, there are pre-assessments to gauge and benchmark current knowledge levels. The courses are designed with specific learning objectives for each role. Post assessments provide learning validation for all employees and associates. Successful completion of the assigned curriculum will allow employees and managers to gain the knowledge necessary to achieve additional levels of responsibility and accountability within the organization. As a Certified Professional Category Analyst (CPCA), Category Manager (CPCM) or Strategic Advisor (CPSA) a CMA certification is an objective, third-party designation and ensures that a minimum agreed-upon standard at each level has been met or exceeded. Certified Professional Category Analyst Certified Professional Category Manager Certified Professional Strategic Advisor Version 1.4 2014 Guide to Learning Evolution Category Management Programs Page 2 of 9
We make it easy to implement a Category Management Training Program Our e-learning programs provide an organization with a wide range of flexible learning opportunities so your employees or partners can improve their skills and knowledge or attain / upgrade their certification qualifications. With e-learning, learners can instantly access their certification training programs at the office, at home, or on the road 24x7. A learner s responsibility begins with understanding the value of Category Management training and which learning track is of the most benefit for them to complete. There are three levels of professional certification. Skill proficiency is cumulative so higher levels are expected to have already mastered the skill sets at lower levels. The process is simple. Follow these 4 simple steps: Complete all pre-assessments, courses and knowledge assessments in the Category Analyst Series. Complete all pre-assessments, courses and knowledge assessments in the Category Manager Series. Complete all pre-assessments, courses and knowledge assessments in the Strategic Advisor Series. Practice: What will you do specifically to practice what you have learned? Find opportunities in the workplace to challenge and test your new skill set. Like any newly added feature, you must test, retest, and then test again to be sure that the requirements have been satisfied under a variety of conditions. Why an e-learning approach offers the best solution and key benefits LE certified courses are all e-learning and online allowing you to: Train the entire organization- unlimited users and unlimited access 24/7/365 Minimizes time-out of market needed for classroom training. Significantly reduces associated cost of travel, hotel, car rental etc. Extreme flexibility customize with proprietary content; add PDF s, Process documents, case studies even include own e-learning as part of the tracks Engaging and dynamic content design enhances subject retention Reduces learning curves Speeds time to competency in job newly promoted no need to re-engage a consultant or wait for the course to be taught also serves as refresher training Prep for Top-to-Tops Provides performance support in the field to Catman and Sales people due to total access to courses. Free content updates ensure the curriculum remains current Pre- and post-testing and complete performance tracking and reporting through the LMS multiple reports allow for easing monitoring of progress and documentation to verify completion for certification through the CMA All courses are Certified and Endorsed by the Category Management Association if CMA certification is sought. Plus options to engage Channel Partners for a nominal cost, allowing the entire value chain to be levelset in category training. Version 1.4 2014 Guide to Learning Evolution Category Management Programs Page 3 of 9
10 required competency areas 15 required competency areas 8 required competency areas Learning Evolution s Category Management Certification Programs Certified Professional Category Analyst The Professional Category Analyst program solidifies category knowledge and lays the foundation for success in the category management field by emphasizing industry knowledge, history, and basic data analysis. CPCA s develop the skills and category expertise to establish themselves as front-line resources for our retail partners. Additionally, this level of certified professionals have worked with retail POS and syndicated data. They have provided pricing, promotion and assortment analysis and have training plus experience with space planning software and relational databases. Target Audience: All client/customer facing associates including but not limited to: Sales, Business Managers, Business Manager Assistants, National/Category Development Managers, Customer Managers, and Retail & Insights Analysts. Course Offerings Certified Professional Category Analyst (CPCA) Courses CPCA Course ID Coursework Modules Course Description Duration 1 CPCA_101 Basic Industry Knowledge Provides a general understanding of the retail landscape, as well as key dynamics and trends that can affect category performance including Identifying the typical industry acronyms and their meaning, the current channel dynamics and trends, the current retailer landscape for their respective category (i.e. major players, channels, etc.) and more. Version 1.4 2014 Guide to Learning Evolution Category Management Programs Page 4 of 9
2 CPCA_102 Category Management History and Process Provides an understanding of the history, origins, and best practices of Category Management. Learn the key steps in the Category Management process and gain exposure to the application of the process through review of practical examples and its use at retail. 3 CPCA_103 Pricing Analysis Provides the basic skills of understanding key pricing metrics (i.e. non-promoted price, promoted price, average price, etc.) as well as the ability to assess a given retailer s prices compared to the overall marketplace. 4 CPCA_104 Promotion Analysis Provides the skills to evaluate category promotion effectiveness. Analysts at this level will be able to identify the best and worst promoted weeks, as well as the level of effectiveness (i.e. lift, reach, depth and support). 5 CPCA_105 Assortment Analysis (Basic) Provides the basic skills of assortment analytics. Analysts at this level will understand the basic methodologies to provide data-driven assortment recommendations. 6 CPCA_106 Spreadsheet Development (Basic) Provides the basic skills of working with spreadsheet development software such as Microsoft Excel including: creating worksheets, performing calculations, modifying worksheets, formatting worksheets and printing worksheets. In addition, learning programs at this level will impart advanced skills that leverage the use of formulas, calculate data across worksheets, organize the worksheet and data tables and create charts. 7 CPCA_107 Presentation Development (Basic) Provides functional proficiency of presentation development software such as Microsoft PowerPoint to include creating, navigating and editing presentations with high visual impact. 8 CPCA_108 Syndicated Scanner Data (Basic) Provides the basic skills of utilizing syndicated scanner data software such as Nielsen or IRI. Analysts at this level will demonstrate the ability to identify the market or customer-level data measures required when confronted with a specific task. 9 CPCA_109 Syndicated Panel Data (Basic) Use consumer household panel data to evaluate how shoppers purchase and use products of key brands and categories. Provides managers with the ability to engage retailers with a better understanding of basic consumer and shopper behavior. 10 CPCA_110 Retailer POS Data Analysis (Basic) Provides analysts with the ability to access and use store level data to assist in category performance evaluation and in-store execution. Additionally, analysts will learn to use store clusters to determine category performance (control/test stores) and how to integrate store POS data with syndicated and other data for analysis. 50 min Version 1.4 2014 Guide to Learning Evolution Category Management Programs Page 5 of 9
Certified Professional Category Manager (CPCM) The Certified Professional Category Manager program promotes the ability to develop comprehensive category reviews that utilize scanner data and household panel to identify and prioritize retailer opportunities. CPCM s are at an advanced level with all the aforementioned criteria as well as understand the ethical expectations and legal implications of category management. CPCM s also possess experience with geo-demographic/behavioral data and can identify actionable insights. These professionals have conducted category reviews and comprehend root cause analytics, shopper behavior, retailer economics and the supply chain. Target Audience: All client/customer facing associates including but not limited to: Senior Sales, Sr. Business Managers, National/Category Development Managers, Customer Managers, and Retail and Insights Managers. Course Offerings Certified Professional Category Manager (CPCM) CPCM Course ID Coursework Modules Course Description Duration 1 CPCM_201 Assortment Analysis - (Advanced) Demonstrate the ability to integrate different data and software resources in order to create the appropriate assortment recommendations. This includes connectivity with space planning software solutions in order to create multiple "what if" scenarios. 2 CPCM_202 Spreadsheet Development - (Advanced) Provides the advanced skills of developing pivot tables, streamlining workflow, collaborating on worksheets, auditing worksheets, restricting worksheet access, tracing cell precedents, importing data and linking multiple worksheets. 3 CPCM_203 Presentation Development - (Advanced) Provides proficiency of advanced functions of presentation development software such as Microsoft PowerPoint to include the use of: custom themes, graphics, media clips and animations. At this level managers should be proficient at animation, multimedia and integrating with other Office Tools. 4 CPCM_204 Syndicated Scanner Data - (Advanced) Utilize syndicated scanner data software such as Nielsen or IRI with the ability to apply advanced techniques, such as filtering, scripting and aggregation. Identify the appropriate store-level data and combining different data sets to perform in-depth analyses. 5 CPCM_205 Syndicated Panel Data - (Advanced) Advanced household panel data skills that increase proficiency to leverage this consumer and shopper data in ways that identify current behavior and growth opportunities. This level will be fluent in key concepts such as conversion, leakage and share of wallet. 6 CPCM_206 Retailer POS Data - (Advanced) Use retailer POS data in conjunction with syndicated store level data to evaluate category performance and in-store execution. Create store clusters and measure before/after performance. 7 CPCM_207 Space Management Strategically manage shelf space and provide effective recommendations to optimize space productivity. Understand key metrics used to measure shelf productivity and inventory hurdles. Version 1.4 2014 Guide to Learning Evolution Category Management Programs Page 6 of 9
8 CPCM_208 Store Level Data - Advanced Provides the ability to use store level data to evaluate category performance and in-store execution. Create store clusters and measure before/after performance (i.e. control/test stores). 9 CPCM_209 Syndicated Geodemographic and Behavioral Data 10 CPCM_210 Opportunity Identification for Actionable Insights Learn key skills to effectively use geodemographic/behavioral data (i.e. Spectra). Include demographic profiles by products and retailers in your analysis as well as identifying product demand by store and zip code. Identify associated leisure activities for these targets. Learn the overall process and key skills for identifying and quantifying a business situation, a cornerstone for solving business issues with fact-based recommendations. 11 CPCM_211 Root Cause Analytics Learn key analytical skills to uncover the key drivers of sales growth or decline, as well as identifying fair share performance and category opportunities. 12 CPCM_212 Comprehensive Category Reviews Learn to develop comprehensive category reviews that utilize scanner data and household panel to identify and prioritize retailer opportunities. 13 CPCM_213 Understanding Category Shopper Behavior 14 CPCM_214 Leveraging Data for Basic Business Solutions 15 CPCM_215 Retailer Economics and Supply Chain (Basic) Learn to use consumer data such as household panel data to understand consumer and shopper behavior within the category and thereby identify opportunities to improve category performance. Utilize scanner data, household panel, Spectra, and other research (i.e. shopper decision factors) to develop basic in-store retail solutions (i.e. distribution, shelving, merchandising, pricing, etc.) Understand the key economic drivers for category and supply chain management and how they affect decisions made between manufacturers and retailers. 50 min Version 1.4 2014 Guide to Learning Evolution Category Management Programs Page 7 of 9
Certified Professional Strategic Advisor (CPSA) Certified Professional Strategic Advisors (CPSA) are advanced in Customer Relationship Management and adept at joint business planning and value creation. CPSA s are experts in collaborative partnerships and consultative selling. As experts in understanding retailer shopper segmentation and shopper behavior, beyond their given category, they are specialists in leveraging data for advanced shelving and assortment solutions and can provide advanced pricing and promotion analysis. Target Audience: Senior management including Director, Vice President, and Senior Vice Presidents. Course Offerings Certified Professional Strategic Advisor (CPSA) CPSA Course ID Coursework Modules Course Description Duration 1 CPSA_301 Retailer Economics and Supply Chain (Advanced) 2 CPSA_302 Joint Business Planning and Value Creation Learn about the important advanced metrics used by retailers to understand the economics and drivers of performance in their business. The most common metrics are discussed including calculation and interpretation of the results under various business scenarios. Discussion of the supply chain/distribution system from manufacturer to consumer. Specific topic areas reviewed include the retail industry differences (advantages and disadvantages) across classes of trade (grocery, c store, drug, mass, non traditional, internet and various distribution systems (direct, dsd, 3 tier, etc.). Customization of this module will include the industry in which the participating organization is involved. This module is on the process for creating business plans for long term sustainable results and value creation. Specific topics discussed include understanding business dynamics, identifying objectives and priorities, setting strategic and tactical goals, communication, execution, and metrics/benchmarks. 3 CPSA_303 Collaborative Partnerships The module focuses on the process for creating collaborative business relationships and trust. Specific topics discussed include identifying mutual interests and priorities, interaction and customer communications, building trust, creating strong relationships up and down the organization. 4 CPSA_304 Consultative Category Management Communication Learn how to take a consultative approach to the retail sales process. How to incorporate, analyze, and deliver mutually beneficial recommendations and solutions to your retail customers. How to examine the pro and cons of business issues from multiple perspectives; namely your customers, the consumer, and your organization. How to blend both strategic and tactical thinking into the delivery of mutually beneficial solutions to meet the retailers and your organization. Version 1.4 2014 Guide to Learning Evolution Category Management Programs Page 8 of 9
5 CPSA_305 Understanding Shopper Behavior Beyond the Category Examine the current shopper trends and insights from a macro standpoint and how they can be utilized to set strategic direction for innovation within the organization. Interactions between and across categories are discussed and how they can be useful in design and development of a business plan. 6 CPSA_306 Retailer Shopper Segmentation This module discusses the various shopper segments most commonly found in today s retail environment. Specific methodologies for determining shopper segmentations along with the most common segmentations found and utilized in developing category business plans are discussed. 7 CPSA_307 Leveraging Data for Advanced Shelving Solutions 8 CPSA_308 Leveraging Data for Advanced Assortment Solutions Learn the best practices for designing practical shelving recommendations that simplify the shopping experience and optimize category sales and shelf productivity. Managers will also learn advanced programming skills that leverage space management automation and efficiencies. Learn the skill sets to critically assess assortment efficiencies and provide recommendations that maximize category performance. Strategic Advisors at this level will understand advanced concepts such as cannibalization, source of volume and incremental item contribution. Please Contact Us 1855 Gillespie Way San Diego, California 92020 (800) 783-3100 (619) 342-7111 (fax) Email: sales@learningevolution.com www.learningevolution.com Version 1.4 2014 Guide to Learning Evolution Category Management Programs Page 9 of 9