Category Management Transformation Implementation & Center of Excellence Activation
Clarkston Consulting supported a CPG client on a category management transformation implementation. Read a synopsis of the project below or download the full case study.
Download the Category Management Transformation Implementation Case Study Here
A global food and beverage company built upon its earlier work with Clarkston Consulting to bring its category management transformation to life. After the first phase of work defined the future-state operating model, the client needed support turning that strategy into day-to-day execution. This next phase focused on hiring, onboarding, training, and preparing new onshore and offshore analysts as part of a global business services team to support the category management function.
First, Clarkston supported the hiring process by developing role descriptions that outlined the core responsibilities, technical skills, and professional skills needed for analysts to succeed in the new category management operating model. Simultaneously, Clarkston created a structured training program that would help these analysts learn the business, understand category management processes, use key tools and templates, and build the skills needed for reporting, analysis, and insight development.
As part of the work, Clarkston also helped refocus an existing category-focused business development team into a more centralized Category Management Center of Excellence. This included helping the team set priorities for national category stories, select best in class tools, build dashboards, standardize reporting support, and develop category stories alongside the client team.
Clarkston delivered best-in-class training curriculum, materials, and logistical support for these onshore and offshore resources and their managers. Clarkston also developed a “License-to-Operate” framework that gave the team a clear way to evaluate readiness and identify where additional training was needed. This framework consisted of a knowledge assessment, readiness surveys, feedback loops to help leaders track how analysts were progressing.
As a result, the client was able to move from a designed operating model to a fully trained global team of analysts and managers. Plus, the organization had a repeatable approach for training and developing category management capabilities over time.
