Product assortment and assortment policy of the enterprise. Components of the product policy. Assortment of goods and commodity nomenclature Assortment and commodity policy

Product policy is a set of measures, as well as strategies aimed at defining business goals and achieving them. This is a pre-formulated action plan for a company that produces or promotes goods of a certain type on the market. It includes the assortment policy of the enterprise and the use of product strategies. The commodity strategy is determined by the general strategic course of the enterprise.

Assortment policy is the definition of a set of those commodity groupswhich become most preferred for successful work enterprises and provide economic efficiency its activities, the formation of a range of products in accordance with the needs of the market, and its strategic goals.

- determine the number of models, as well as modifications of the same product;

- to determine the composition life cycle each manufactured product, as well as the prospects for updating the range.

The assortment policy is formed to achieve long-term goals and is especially significant under tough competitive conditions that place high demands on the product both in terms of assortment and quality. Its questions are taken at the strategic level of the enterprise and takes into account its overall strategic goals.

Assortment policy, its development and implementation is created under the following conditions:

There must be a clear understanding of overall strategy this enterprise on the market;

Good knowledge of the market and the nature of the requirements of the target category of buyers is required;

It is necessary to have a clear understanding of the available resources and capabilities of the enterprise, both today and in the future.

Assortment policy should be justified on the basis of general principles providing for the entry to the market of the following product groups simultaneously:

The main ones are goods that bring the company the bulk of the profit;

Supporting - goods that bring the enterprise less profit than the main ones, but constantly entering the market and stabilizing revenue;

Strategic - goods from which the company plans to make significant profits in the future;

Tactical - products designed by the main product group.

Assortment changes can be based on three approaches:

1. Vertical changes in the assortment. Such processes are part of the vertical diversification of the company's production activities and are aimed at expanding or narrowing the production of those components that were previously purchased from suppliers, as well as creating our own trading network in order to promote products manufactured by this company.

2. Horizontal change is one of the components of horizontal diversification. This is the name for changes in the assortment within the framework of existing activities or in related areas or access to new market within the framework of cooperation without transitions to adjacent levels.

3. Comprehensive changes. They are diversification both horizontally and vertically.

Expansion or narrowing of the assortment can be due to two reasons. Usually this is an expansion associated with the diversification process, or a contraction caused by the need to integrate both horizontal and vertical.

Assortment planning is one of the most important functions of marketing, the role of which is growing in connection with the intensification of competition and the development of scientific and technical progress.

The product range includes all assortment groups that the company produces. The product range is characterized by width in terms of the number of offered assortment groups, depth in terms of the number of positions in each assortment group and comparability, which is determined by the ratio of assortment groups in relation to the common end use, consumers, price range and distribution channels.

An assortment item represents a specific model, brand, or type-grade-size (TSR) of a product that an enterprise offers to consumers.

The change in the range of the company's products is based on the following main factors:

Research and development is the main driving force under the influence of which there is a change in the structure of the product range;

Changes in the product range of competitors;

Changes in demand for individual goods.

The factors contributing to the expansion of the product range include:

Industrial buyers prefer to purchase several different items from the same supplier;

A sales agent can successfully sell several different products;

The sale of several different goods helps to reduce sales costs;

Special modifications are the basis for the development of new products;

A wide range of products attracts wholesalers;

Unused power;

Use of production by-products.

There is no need to prove the need to change the product range as a result of scientific and technological progress. Development history of various technological processes indicates that their improvement occurs to a certain limit exponentially, after which this process gradually fades away and is replaced by another. it is generally accepted that the same trend is observed in products that are treated as products for industrial purposesand to goods popular consumption... This is the premise behind a company's product portfolio analysis.

Stages of product assortment planning:

The first stage consists of 7 main points and aims to find out the current state of the company's product range and its capabilities in the use of internal resources to improve the structure of the product range.

1. Revision of the product range:

Analysis of sales figures, gross and net profit for each product separately, market share calculation various goods;

Research of customer attitudes towards various products.

2. Analysis of production capacity, technology and available material resources;

3. Evaluation of R&D efficiency;

4. Research and analysis of the system maintenance;

5. Analysis of the organization and activities of the sales service;

6. Analysis of financial resources;

7. Analysis of personnel policy.

The second stage involves the organization of product planning and the creation of new products. Consists of 7 main elements:

1. Companies engaged in the development of new products have a research department or center and an administrative group dealing with R&D, maintenance, market research and sales organization, and a product planning department. These specialists are united under the one-man command of the appointed manager until the launch of a new product into production. At various stages, everyone is involved in the work in one way or another. functional units companies, some of them throughout the entire process. Their resources should be used to the maximum, overcoming their natural reluctance to cooperate.

as a rule, goods that require significant R&D are created within 5-10 years from the moment the idea was born.

2. Search for an idea for a new product.

3. Evaluation of ideas and selection of the best one.

4. Research of consumer properties of a new product.

5. Study of the features of the production process.

6. Organization of pilot production and trial sales (commercialization).

7. Transition to serial production and implementation of a comprehensive marketing program.

Termination of production of goods

The process of removing obsolete or unsuccessful goods from production is always painful. This process is necessary because "losers" can slow down the development of production as a whole and take a lot of time and money from the company, which will never pay off. The removal of a specific product from production must be carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Selection of candidates for discontinuation:

Reduction in sales volumes;

Decrease in the rate of return;

Decrease in market share;

The emergence of a more perfect substitute product;

Rising production costs;

The need for constant monitoring by management to ensure break-even.

2. Collection and analysis of information for decision-making:

Revealing the reasons for the dysfunction of the goods:

Are there ways to save the product;

What will happen to the capital invested in the equipment;

Withdrawal losses;

How will the removal of goods from production affect?

3. Procedure for removing goods from production. It is necessary to notify customers in advance about the discontinuation of the product. The discontinuation process must be carefully planned. Choosing the optimal time to discontinue a product is a serious problem.

In reality, there are very few firms that offer only one product to the market. Typically, the firm manufactures and sells several products, and may also provide some services. All these goods and services define the company's product range.

Commodity nomenclature is the totality of all goods and services produced and offered by the company for sale. Considering such a set, it is possible to single out individual groups of goods that are similar in their consumer characteristics or are designed to satisfy a certain need. These product groups are called assortment groups. They, for example, for a perfumery and cosmetic company can be: cologne, perfume, lipstick, etc. Each assortment group consists of separate assortment items (brands, models, varieties).

The totality of all assortment groups of goods manufactured by the company determines the so-called assortment of goods. The assortment of goods is a group of goods that are similar in their functions, the nature of the consumer needs for which they are bought, or in the nature of their distribution. It is characterized by: breadth (the number of manufactured assortment groups); depth (the number of assortment items in the assortment group); saturation (number of assortment positions in all assortment groups); harmony (the degree of proximity of goods of different assortment groups from the point of view of their consumer or some other indicators).

Assortment of goods - a group of goods related to each other either due to the similarity of the scope of their functioning (application), or within the same price range. The assortment of goods - according to GOST R 51303-99 - a set of goods, united by any one or a set of signs http://www.glossary.ru/.

To ensure effective entrepreneurial activity, the firm must constantly develop its product range. The need for this is due to a number of factors:

• -changes in demand for certain goods;
• -the appearance of new or improvement of existing products as a result of research in the field of engineering and technology;
• -changes in the product range of competitors.

In addition, important factors in the development of the product range are:

• -the expediency of using free capacities;
• - the desire of intermediaries to purchase a wide range of goods;
• -the expediency of using production by-products.

In the current conditions, when the consumer places increased demands on quality and assortment of goods, the assortment policy is one of the most important directions of marketing activities for each enterprise. As the world experience shows, leadership in competitive struggle gets the one who is most competent in the assortment policy, owns the methods of its implementation and can manage it as efficiently as possible.

The development and implementation of a commodity policy requires compliance with at least the following conditions: a clear understanding of the goals of production, marketing and export for the future; good knowledge the market and the nature of its requirements; a clear understanding of their capabilities and resources at the present time and in the future.

In addition, the urgency of the problem of forming an assortment policy is associated with a large supply of goods on the market, with the growing needs of buyers and an increase in non-price competition. The specificity of the Russian aspect of the problem lies in the fact that the situation is complicated by general economic instability, inflation, low level of effective demand, low level of population growth, and imperfect market relations.

An important role in marketing strategy assortment concept plays. It is a directed construction of the optimal assortment structure, product offer, while, on the one hand, the consumer requirements of certain groups (market segments) are taken as a basis, and on the other, the need to ensure the most efficient use of raw materials, technological, financial and other resources by the enterprise in order to produce products with low costs.

The assortment concept is expressed in the form of a system of indicators characterizing the possibilities of optimal development of the assortment of this type of goods. These indicators include: a variety of types and varieties of goods (taking into account the typology of consumers); level and frequency of assortment renewal; the level and ratio of prices for goods of this type, etc.

But the completeness of the assortment is not an end in itself, it is important how much it contributes to the satisfaction of the consumer, and many factors influence the satisfaction.

The study of the company's competitive capabilities creates the preconditions for organizing a well-thought-out product policy, which allows to optimize the process of updating the product range.

The essence of the planning, formation and management of the assortment lies in the fact that the commodity producer offers in a timely manner a certain set of goods that most fully meet the requirements of certain categories of buyers. When forming the assortment, problems of prices, quality, guarantees, service arise, the structure of the assortment is predicted for a long-term period, in which such important features of the product as aesthetic characteristics would be taken into account.

The tasks of planning and forming the assortment are, first of all, to prepare a "consumer" specification for the product, transfer it to the design department, and then make sure that the prototype is tested and brought to the requirements of consumers.

In other words, the decisive word in the formation of the assortment should belong to the heads of the marketing department of the enterprise. It is up to the marketing manager to decide whether it is time to introduce new products to the assortment to replace or supplement existing ones. At the same time, great importance is attached to the study of the distribution of a particular product among potential buyers.

Product policy determines a specific course of action for a commodity manufacturer or reseller based on a clearly formulated program of market behavior. It is designed to ensure the continuity of decisions and measures to form the assortment and its management, to maintain the competitiveness of goods at the required level;

finding optimal product niches (segments) for goods, developing and implementing a strategy for packaging, labeling, and service of goods. The lack of a product policy leads to an unstable assortment structure due to the impact of random or transient current factors, a loss of control over competitiveness and commercial efficiency goods. When forming a product policy, it should be borne in mind that products may differ:

- functional purpose;

- reliability;

- durability;

- ease of use;

- aesthetics appearance;

- packaging;

- service;

- a guarantee;

— accompanying documents and instructions. By their type and period of use, goods can be:

- long-term use (\u003e 1 year);

- short-term use (completely consumed in one or several cycles);

- market novelty (there may even be ideas);

- pioneering, ensuring the satisfaction of a completely new need or a more complete and qualitative satisfaction of existing needs. Pioneer products are key to a firm's commercial success. Typically, the firm assigns monopoly prices to these goods.

A product range is a group of goods related to each other either by a common use and functioning, or sold through the same outlets, or having the same price range.

Nomenclature of goods - an assortment group of goods and commodity items sold by one seller.

Commodity policy assumes acceptance of any of the alternatives: modification of an existing product, rejection of a product, creation of a new product. Modification of the product, giving it novelty based on the need to extend its life cycle is possible in the following ways (see diagram).

In practice, most companies trade multiple products in different markets. In this case, the concept of "product portfolio" is often used, which means a set of products manufactured by a company.

Correct choice of the product line is essential in the product policy. A product line is a group of products that are closely related to each other either due to the similarity of their functioning, or sales to the same groups of consumers, or sales through the same types of stores, or sales within the same price range. A product line is called short if it is possible to increase profits by expanding the range of products of a given product line, and long, if it is possible to increase profits by narrowing the range.

When selling, a distinction should be made between BRAND and trademark. Every brand is a trademark, but not every trademark can be a brand.

Components of the product policy. Assortment of goods and commodity nomenclature

Commodity policy is the scope of activities to ensure the cost-effective, profitable operation of an enterprise. It consists of segmentation, positioning, assortment definition, product nomenclature, product life cycle management, trademark decision making, packaging manufacturing, quality assurance and product competitiveness. Segmentation is the separation of a part from a whole according to certain criteria. Segment products, consumers, markets, competitors. Positioning is the placement of goods on the market, as well as the creation in the minds of consumers of certain incentives to purchase goods.

The company's product policy determines which goods and in what quantity should be produced, decides on the advisability of developing and manufacturing a new product. Depending on the buyer, an enterprise can make existing goods for new buyers, make new goods for existing buyers, make new goods for new buyers.

One of the main directions of product policy is to determine the optimal range of products, as well as the development of a "product portfolio". A product range is a collection of products different types and varieties, combined by consumption, trade, production or material and technical characteristics. The assortment types are industrial and commercial. To define a product range means to include in the production program those products that are focused on market needs and ensure the economic efficiency of the enterprise. These products bring profit to the company and contribute to achieving a greater market share.

The quantitative indicators of the assortment are: structure; latitude; completeness; sustainability; the degree of renewal. The assortment structure is a quantitative ratio of product groups, subgroups, types, varieties and names of individual goods in the general set of goods. Assortment structure indicators are indicators that have natural or monetary terms. They are calculated as the ratio of individual groups, types, names of goods to the total number of goods included in the assortment.

The breadth of assortment is the number of names of types or varieties of goods included in the assortment under consideration. The breadth of the assortment is an indirect indicator of the saturation of the market with goods. The saturation of the market is the higher, the wider the range of products.

The completeness of the assortment is the number of types, varieties and names of goods in a group of similar products. The completeness of the assortment is characterized by the coefficient of completeness. The coefficient of completeness is calculated based on the ratio of the available assortment to the basic one, determined by the supply agreement, standards, and assortment list. The coefficient of completeness is of greatest importance in a saturated market. The higher the completeness of the assortment, the better the customer's needs are met.

The stability of the assortment is characterized by the fluctuations of the assortment during a set period of time. The assortment depends on the level of development of industrial and agricultural production, as well as on the level of scientific and technological progress, which makes it possible to master modern scientific and technological achievements to improve the consumer properties of goods.

The product assortment management process includes:

carrying out activities to determine the volume and identify the structure of customer needs;

taking measures to take into account the demand for products and the level of material security of the population in order to establish the actual assortment corresponding to the calculated one;

customer satisfaction;

winning new customers by expanding the scope of existing production program, which implies lengthening the life cycle of obsolete goods by finding new sales markets; diversification of the spheres of activity of the enterprise and the inclusion of non-traditional industries for it;

expansion of the areas of production and services of the enterprise, interconnected by a certain technology, a single qualification of personnel and other dependence;

production of a wide range of products at the same time, when the assortment set of products is divided into types that represent the final product of the production cycle ( trucks, cars), subtypes by functional features, quality level and price, intended for certain categories of consumers or sales through certain sales channels, forming a wide parametric range (cars with engines of different power), modifications into which subtypes of products are divided and which are the most detailed product classification corresponding to the needs of individual market segments (various finishes and colors of cars, etc.);

establishing the ratio of the simultaneous presence on the market of new goods and goods at different stages of growth, maturity and decline, the optimal ratio of basic models and their modified subspecies.

In the case of expanding the range of products, the company strengthens its position in the market, increases sales and can flexibly respond to the transition of goods from one stage of the life cycle to another. At the stage of introduction to the market, they usually release the most popular, basic models that are in high demand; at the stage of growth, the assortment and parametric range of manufactured products is expanded; at the stage of maturity, a complete set of products of the entire parametric range is introduced. In the recession stage, they leave the most popular models and take care of their maintenance.

Commodity nomenclature is a collection of all assortment groups of goods and commodity items offered to the buyer. It is characterized by depth, saturation, harmony, etc. Depth is the options for the proposals of each individual product within the assortment group (if the product is offered in three different packages, then the depth of its proposal is three, but if it is also characterized by two different flavors, then the depth of the sentence will be five). Saturation is the total number of constituents of individual products in an enterprise. Harmony is the degree of closeness between products of different assortment groups in terms of their end use, distribution channels, etc.

A commodity unit is a separate entity, which is characterized by price, indicators of volume, weight and quality, for example, a woman's dress of a certain size perfume at an agreed price, etc. The product unit is included in a separate assortment group. Women's suit is included in the assortment group women's clothing, perfumes - in the assortment group of perfumes. Several groups of the product range produced by the enterprise make up the product range of the enterprise.

The main factors determining the range of products of the enterprise, as well as the need to expand and diversify its product range, are:

research and development projects for the creation of new, improved products and technological processes, taking into account the requirements of specific market segments;

changes occurring in the product range of competitors, since enterprises that produce similar products also pursue a product policy and work to optimize the product range and update the product range. To the enterprise so as not to lose competitive positions or win them, you should constantly be aware of changes in the product range of competitors;

optimality of sales of a distribution network of several types of goods at the same time, which reduces distribution costs, attracts wholesale and retail buyers, reduces the risk of working with a limited range of goods, and reduces advertising costs;

development of trade for special orders of individual consumers, for example, individual production of products of certain properties and characteristics. In the future, these individual modifications can become an addition to the product range, contributing to the expansion of the company's product range.

Commodity diversification implies the expansion of the scope of the enterprise and the implementation of the production of a large number of, as a rule, unrelated goods and services. The use of diversification ensures the stability and stability of the enterprise, as it serves as a guarantor against the risks of a decrease in demand and crisis phenomena in the production of one product or one industry. It allows you to use the management, production, marketing and other experience accumulated by other enterprises, increases the prestige of the enterprise, testifying to its success and financial capabilities.

The commodity policy of the enterprise is determined by the characteristics of the commodity nomenclature. An active product policy implies planning for the expansion and renewal of the product range. To expand its activities, an enterprise can expand its product range by including new assortment groups of goods; increase the saturation of already existing assortment groups of goods; deepen the product range by using more options from the available products; improve the harmony between products of different assortment groups.

If for a long time the enterprise has excess production capacity; if the main profits of the enterprise give only two or three goods; if there is not a sufficient number of goods corresponding to the market opportunities and the volume of demand; if the sales and profits of the enterprise are constantly decreasing, it is necessary to make changes to the product policy.

The “product portfolio” developed by marketers is designed to solve problems of ensuring the production and market stability of the enterprise. It assumes the presence of several goods at the same time: those that are basic for the market; those that are most profitable and those that are most competitive and promising.

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