ABSTRACT
Initially devised as a marketing tool to support brand campaigns in the 1980s, day one analysis was soon picked up by the procurement community and adapted to support the category management process. The theoretical concept is that preliminary analysis related to product/market positioning can capture a 'day one snapshot' of the supply and demand variables that need to be considered. This in turn may prompt further thinking around potential programme issues that could arise during the category management process. Some of the well-known players in the field of category management consultancy have dropped the technique from their defined methodologies, focusing more on frameworks that deliver distinct quantifiable output, although there are a few that maintain that day one analysis is integral to the preparation process. As the majority of category management processes can include over 40 different models, tools and templates, accepted practice amongst practitioners tends to be 'sized to suit'.
