What is Blue Yonder Space Planning Plus?
Blue Yonder Space Planning Plus is the premium, administrative edition of the Space Planning application, designed for "Power Users" and Category Captains who require full access to the Category Knowledge Base (CKB) to manage libraries, write automation scripts, and configure the workspace for the rest of the organization.
While the standard Space Planning edition is used by merchandisers to draw planograms, Space Planning Plus is used by administrators to engineer the system. It grants the highest level of authorization (often referred to as "Level 8-10" access). It unlocks the ability to modify the "Master Data" (such as Global Product Libraries and Fixture Libraries) and creates the templates, reports, and automation logic that the standard users rely on daily.
Why It Matters: The "Architect" vs. The "Builder"
If a standard user is a "Builder" who puts bricks on a wall, the Plus user is the "Architect" who designs the blueprint and decides what kind of bricks are available. Space Planning Plus ensures consistency and efficiency.
- Master Data Integrity: Standard users shouldn't be allowed to change the dimensions of a "Coke Can" because it would break the data for everyone else. Plus users have the rights to update these dimensions globally in the library, ensuring accuracy for the whole chain.
- Automation Hub: It is the environment where automation scripts are written. A Plus user writes a script once (e.g., "Auto-fill shelves based on Days of Supply"), and then deploys it to 500 standard users to use.
- Standardization: It defines the "Look and Feel." Plus users configure the legends, labeling rules, and highlight spectra so that every planogram produced by the company looks identical, regardless of which merchant drew it.
Key Capabilities
- Library Management: The ability to open and edit the Master Product Library and Fixture Library. Plus users can add new items, update dimensions, and delete obsolete SKUs from the central database.
- Space Automation Scripting: It includes full access to Space Automation Professional. Plus users can write, debug, and compile the C#/.NET scripts that automate complex merchandising tasks.
- Advanced Analytics Configuration: While standard users can view charts, Plus users can build them. They define the complex mathematical formulas (KPIs) and graph layouts that appear on the planogram dashboards.
- Planogram Generator Template Design: It is the required tool for setting up Planogram Generator (PG). Plus users define the "Target" and "Template" logic that allows the server to generate thousands of planograms automatically.
The Blue Yonder Difference
Blue Yonder differentiates the Plus edition through Hierarchical Control. By strictly separating "Usage" (Standard) from "Configuration" (Plus), retailers prevent data corruption. A large retailer with 200 merchandisers might only have 5 "Plus" licenses. This ensures that the heavy-lifting configuration is centralized among a few experts, while the broader team focuses on execution, protecting the integrity of the enterprise database.