Map products
Reconcile variants, bundles and retired codes without double counting bundle sales.
RETAIL & COMMERCE / CAPABILITY
Look beyond sales.
Use consistent measures.
Align channels by product, store and period to compare contribution and stock. Show the effects of returns and discounts that sales rankings can conceal.
Explore the delivery scope ↓OPERATING MODELILLUSTRATIVE
- 01POS, e-commerce & stock
- 02Unify products and orders
- 03Review margin and demand
- 04Decide buying and promotion
Conceptual data-to-operation flow, adapted to the agreed project scope.
What makes
this workflow difficult.
Order, shipment, store sale and accounting dates may differ. Define which event drives each management metric.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Align channels by product, store and period to compare contribution and stock. Show the effects of returns and discounts that sales rankings can conceal.
DESIGN & DELIVERY
Design in the order the work happens.
Explain contribution
Separate cost, discounts, returns, payment and logistics charges; label estimates.
Compare interventions
Use comparable periods and conditions when evaluating advertising or promotions.
DATA READINESS
Required data and the conditions to check.
A consistent format does not ensure operational usefulness. Confirm meaning, refresh and exceptions with owners, and keep missing information explicit.
| Data | Required fields | Checks |
|---|---|---|
| Transactions | Lines, quantities, discounts and returns | Order-to-refund mapping |
| Inventory | SKU stock and movements by site | Reserved versus available stock |
| Costs | Cost, fees and advertising | Allocation and tax basis |
EVALUATION
Measure value in the workflow.
These are candidate evaluation measures. Establish a baseline and agree on data, period, targets and exclusions before work starts. They are not claimed performance results.
| Measure | Evaluation method |
|---|---|
| Reconciliation differences | Explain differences at order level |
| Reporting time | Time to finalize recurring reports |
| Inventory turnover | Agree on period, cost basis and average-stock calculation |
Customer linking follows agreed purpose, consent and identifier constraints. Purchase data is not automatically repurposed for advertising.
Define deliverables
and acceptance.
Review data mappings, workflow, prototype and evaluation evidence before choosing production scope. Estimates distinguish assumptions because permissions and interface terms affect implementation.
Select one category and channel for reporting or weekly forecasting.
QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU START
Questions before starting
Can Shopify and store data be combined?
We assess product identifiers, returns and available fields; CSV exports can be a starting point.
Can sparse items be forecast?
Limited observations make evaluation unstable. Compare category-level forecasts, replenishment rules and buyer judgement.
RELATED FIELD GUIDE
RETAIL & COMMERCE / GUIDE
Before retail demand forecasting: stockouts, returns and promotions
Sales history alone does not make a forecast useful for buying. Distinguish why sales were absent, what was known at prediction time and the constraints of ordering.
Read the guide ↗YOUR OPERATION / OUR STARTING POINT
Start with the work you do today.
Tell us about the workflow, systems and reporting or documents that need attention. We will define a suitable phase, deliverables and assumptions.
Retail and e-commerce — discuss your project How scope and estimates work ↗