Profile Cluster Builder™ (PCB)
Build reliable profiles for improved forecasting and planning.
Reduce Forecasting Errors with Smarter Profiles
What is Churchill’s Profile Cluster Builder™?
Churchill’s Profile Cluster Builder™ (PCB) is an excellent application for a wide variety of retail planning and forecasting applications. Accurate profiles are essential to the foundation of any reliable forecast. Churchill’s PCB produces these profiles for any number of retail planning functions, including:
Seasonal Profiling
Store Clustering
Assortment Clustering
Size Profiling
PCB Product Capabilities
Churchill’s Profile Cluster Builder™ (PCB) is designed to cluster products based on similarities in demand patterns. By grouping products with comparable demand behaviors, PCB enables more accurate forecasting and streamlined inventory planning.
- Determines appropriate hierarchical groupings of entities (ie: item/store, class/size/store, etc.)
- Identifies similar demand patterns within each grouping and clusters accordingly
- Profiles are then built using the demand patterns that fall within the Cluster Fit Threshold
- Cluster Fit Threshold can be adjusted to individual requirements
- Outliers and anomalies are clustered with higher levels until an appropriate profile is created
- Each entity is then automatically assigned a corresponding profile
- A compatible file of the profiles and assignments is then imported into the existing retail planning system
Address Demand Variability with Precision Profiling
From improving demand accuracy to simplifying complex clustering tasks, PCB delivers transformative results with minimal disruption to your existing processes. Its innovative features and streamlined implementation ensure you can achieve immediate and lasting improvements to your operations. Here’s how PCB empowers your business to succeed:
Features
- Stand-alone application to support any retail inventory planning system
- PCB is offered as implemented software or as a hosted service
- Designed to process the high volumes of today’s Tier 1 retailer
- Highly automated process allows user to focus on exceptions
- Powered by Churchill AI™
Benefits
- Set up and running within 90 days
- See improvements to demand
- Forecasts almost immediately
- Multiple iterations of profile/cluster building ensure optimal results
- Allows analysts to focus on exceptions and high margin items
- Minimal IT investment is required
Additional Resources
Where Demand Forecasting Actually Pays Off
Better demand forecasting isn’t a dashboard upgrade — it’s a profit engine. When you tighten error and bias, you sell more at full price, carry less inventory, cut expedites and chargebacks, and free planners from spreadsheet firefighting. So, Where Does Demand Forecasting Actually Pays Off? Read this blog and explore.
Why Sell-Through Forecasting Is Retail’s Most Underrated Advantage
Most retailers track sell-through, but few forecast it. This article explores why Sell-Through Forecasting is one of retail’s most overlooked tools — and how it helps retailers allocate smarter, reduce markdowns, and protect margin by acting earlier in the product lifecycle.
How to Leverage Halo and Cannibalization Effects in Retail Forecasting
Retail success isn’t just about predicting how one product will sell; it’s about understanding how your entire assortment interacts. A price drop, a new launch, or a headline promotion can ripple across categories, boosting some products while stealing sales from others. These cross-product dynamics, known as Halo and Cannibalization effects, shape true demand and profitability far more than most retailers realize.