Many CPG companies develop in-house, proprietary
coursework and expect their employees to progress through a rigorous curriculum over the course of their career. Some CPG companies mix and match proprietary coursework with industry-offered coursework that professional training firms, consultants, and suppliers of syndicated data and analytics software offer. Industry trainers off er a wide selection ranging from off -the- shelf to fully customized training. Some also off er consulting to
products and promotion recommendations. If retailers advance their category management skills to match that of their suppliers they will benefi t from having a broader and more in-depth understanding of what true category management has to off er and be able to decipher a sales pitch from an actionable insight. Profi ciency in category management at higher levels provides the perspective necessary for making wise business decisions. Certifi ed Professional Category Analysts (CPCAs) possess basic industry knowledge, plus spreadsheet and presentation skills. Th ey also have worked with retail POS and syndicated data and have provided pricing, promotion and assortment analysis and have training plus experience with space planning soſt ware and relational databases. Th e more advanced Certifi ed Professional Category
Managers (CPCMs) understand category management’s ethical expectations and legal implications and possess experience with geo-demographic/behavioral data. Th ese professionals have conducted category reviews and comprehend root cause analytics, shopper behavior, retailer economics and the supply chain. Certifi ed Professional Strategic Advisors (CPSAs) are
advanced in Customer Relationship Management and are 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, they are specialists in leveraging data for advanced shelving and assortment solutions and can provide advanced pricing and promotion analysis.
develop a total category management strategy. Leading training companies have certifi ed their coursework, to align with certifi cation requirements for each professional level. Retailer certifi cation helps buyers assess shelf-set
recommendations of suppliers and distributors who are submitting shelf plans, assortment recommendations, new
For a copy of the certifi cation standards, or for more
information about how to use them as guidelines for your internal training curricula, contact the CMA’s Blaine Ross, EVP Global Sales and Marketing, Certifi cation Evaluation at bross@cpgcatnet.org; call 630.799.8086; or visit www. cpgcatnet.org. SCR
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