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Before founding PlanIT Retail, John Plows built a long and successful career in merchandising, working with some of the biggest names in the industry. Known for his common-sense approach and knack for intuitive solutions, he’s helped simplify planning processes and deliver real results. We spoke with John about how his experiences shaped the thinking behind PlanIT Retail’s next-generation planning tools.

What was the merchandising landscape like when you were starting out?

My first ever task as an Allocator was to copy weekly sales and stock data from a dot-matrix computer printout to a pre photocopied line card. I remember thinking that maybe I had made a mistake moving to head office and that if every day was going to be the same, I would soon get bored. Luckily that wasn’t the case and anyone who has worked in planning or merchandising knows that the constant changes and challenges make the role a varied, interesting and rewarding career.  

“There was too much focus on what had already happened and not what might happen in the future.”

As I progressed through my Merchandising career these basic tools became the foundation of my planning and trading arsenal. I had a wealth of historical data due to the improvements of business intelligence reports however Line Cards and WSSIs had (except for Arthur Planning) just moved on to Excel or Lotus 123 spreadsheets. There was too much focus on what had already happened and not what might happen in the future. I used to get really frustrated sitting in trading reviews where the teams quoted variances to plan or last year that everyone could see without suggesting any quantifiable future actions.  

To be fair I was as guilty of the same myself. It was hard to maintain my WSSIs and Line Cards and I often spent more time updating actuals than quality forecasting and decision making. I often relied on gut feel and instinct to make trading decisions. Some worked, some didn’t but one of the biggest issues was that my decisions and actions were not visible or fully justifiable to the business.

How did you go from merchandising to building planning tools?

I loved the buzz that I got from trading: making decisions that increased sales and margin, minimizing the impact of overstocks and ultimately contributing to the company’s success. To do a better job I needed to automate as much as possible and give myself as much time and data as possible to make informed decisions.

And so unconsciously my journey towards retail software development began. I attended a Lotus 123 training course. I was lucky as it was a one-on-one session and I’m not the most patient student. My ask was “Just show me what it can do. Not how to do it”. This was perfect for me, and I left knowing the art of the possible.  

I very quickly started building and developing merchandising tools for myself. My objective for each tool was simple: automate and highlight exceptions. Ultimately give me more time to make decisions and focus on what’s important as a priority.  

How have planning tools moved on since you started out?

I am still amazed if not slightly saddened that so many retailers still rely on Excel for their only forward-looking forecasting tools. Understandably there is a huge interest in AI, with sophisticated AI forecasting algorithms being pushed as the ultimate solution. They can absolutely bring benefits, but they are not the panacea.  

We have used various complex forecasting algorithms over the years and still do, but it’s worth remembering that these forecasts are mainly built on data from the past. The past gives an indication of the future, but algorithms built on past data, no matter how sophisticated, will never get it 100% right. Retailers are eager to embrace AI but struggling with aligning it with the right business processes and existing established tools.

What is the PlanIT Retail approach to AI and automation?

Over the years we have developed and delivered planning solutions around the globe. The basic principles still stand. Automate and prioritise to drive actions but ultimately guide the user to make the final decisions in a much more informed and enlightened way.  

“…it’s more important than ever to focus on the future…”

Yes, we use large language models.

Yes, we use machine learning.

Yes, we use sophisticated statistical models.

But you wouldn’t blindly hand over important trading decisions to a brand new hire without providing strategic direction! So why should we expect to be able to do this with AI?

In today’s volatile trading environment, it’s more important than ever to focus on the future, as past performance is an increasingly unreliable guide to future trends. The key is to facilitate interaction between the algorithms and the planners. Allow the planners to overlay their experience, give strategic direction and apply market swings, while letting the AI algorithms do the legwork.

Our solutions are helping retailers to reduce inventory costs while maintaining availability. By guiding planners towards the most impactful decisions, we’re reducing workload and helping them protect margins in an increasingly challenging retail landscape.  

Find out more about WSSI and Line Card on our Solutions page.