Choosing planogram software is no longer just an IT decision: it determines how quickly your category strategy gets executed, how well headquarters and stores collaborate, and ultimately your revenue on the shelf. But which criteria should you actually compare solutions on?
Planogram software is more than a nice-looking shelf layout
Many solutions stop at producing a visual of the shelf. Good planogram software goes further: it needs to connect merchandising to sales data, allow updates in a few clicks instead of several days, and make information accessible across the whole chain — from the category manager to the store’s shelf manager.
The criteria that make the difference
Interactivity and update speed: a planogram frozen in a quarterly PDF can no longer keep up with the market. Being able to share a change with the store in real time, instead of waiting for the next display campaign, makes a real difference to execution speed.
Field accessibility: a planogram only headquarters can view loses much of its value. A dedicated mobile app, usable directly on the shop floor, reduces implementation errors and unnecessary back-and-forth.
Collaboration between suppliers and retailers: category management is inherently a collaborative exercise. The software needs to let a category manager, a store area manager and a supplier work on the same version of the plan, without files circulating by email.
Free, with no barrier to entry: being able to test a solution with no upfront investment or long-term commitment remains, for many retailers, the only way to validate a tool before a wider rollout.
AI integration: automatic offer segmentation, assortment recommendations, space optimization — AI is starting to transform how planograms are built, not just how they’re displayed.
What industry professionals say
These criteria aren’t theoretical: they come up regularly in the experience shared at the CATMAN French Forum, OPENCatman’s flagship annual event on category collaboration. Mehdi Mouhsine, from LabelVie, summed up the value of a tool built for action rather than mere presentation: «OPENCatman, a fast solution for developing a new store concept».
Beyond this testimonial, the Forum’s sessions return year after year to the same conclusions: sales data must feed directly into the shelf plan, AI is becoming a real accelerator for assortment decisions, and execution speed between decision and shelf remains the main factor that sets retailers apart.
OPENCatman: planogram software built for collaborative category management
OPENCatman was designed around these same field observations. The solution lets you create and update planograms interactively, make them available in real time at the point of sale via a dedicated mobile app, and collaborate on the same plan across marketing, purchasing and store network teams — all in a free version, with no commitment.
Want to compare these criteria concretely on your own category? Try OPENCatman for free and build your first planogram in a few minutes.