Help Guide - Review Impact
The Review Impact step is where you test whether your full plan genuinely delivers the outcome you need.
Up to this point, you have built activities.
You have created listings. Price moves. Coverage changes. In-store support. Investments. Promotions.
Now the question changes.
It is no longer have I built a plan?
It becomes: Have I built the right plan?
This is one of the most important steps in Growzz because it converts many separate decisions into one commercial outcome.
It does that through a waterfall.
A value creation waterfall shows where you started, what each layer of activity contributes, and where you finally land.
That matters because strong plans are not judged only on the final number. They are judged on the quality and balance of the build-up behind that number.
Before analysing the plan, choose the right lens.
You should review impact through the metrics that matter most to both sides of the relationship.
For the supplier, that may include volume, Net Sales Value, and total investment.
For the retailer, it often centres on retail sales and, critically, gross margin.
That distinction matters.
A plan that creates supplier volume but weak retailer margin can easily be challenged or rejected.
So do not assess success through one metric alone. Assess whether the outcome works for both parties.
Then review the waterfall itself.
Does the movement from the starting position to the final projection feel logical?
Does each layer make an appropriate contribution to the result?
If the result looks ambitious but the steps underneath feel weak, confidence will be low.
Then think about balance of contribution.
Where is growth really coming from?
Is the plan diversified across multiple levers?
Or is it relying too heavily on one promotion, one listing gain, one pricing decision, or one assumption?
The strongest plans usually combine structural growth levers with well-targeted commercial activity.
Then think about sustained versus temporary value.
Are assortment changes, pricing, distribution, and activation doing enough heavy lifting?
Or is too much dependence being placed on short-term promotions?
Promotions can be powerful, but they should amplify a strong base plan rather than compensate for missing fundamentals.
Then think about investments and commercial support.
Are OIs that support ongoing margin proportionate?
Is total investment sensible relative to the return created?
Would both internal stakeholders and the retailer view the package as fair and commercially credible?
Then challenge the plan from multiple perspectives.
How does the outcome look by brand?
By subcategory?
By customer priority area?
By activity type?
Have the right mechanics been used?
Are some levers overused while others are missing?
Sometimes the total result looks strong, but underneath it may be concentrated, unbalanced, or strategically weak.
This is where judgement matters.
Then compare the final projection with any target.
If the plan misses target, identify why.
Is it lack of scale?
Weak mix?
Missing opportunities?
Over-cautious assumptions?
If it exceeds target, ask whether the assumptions remain believable.
Finally, remember what this step is really testing.
Not just the arithmetic. The commercial logic.
Can you defend the plan internally?
Will the retailer believe in it?
Can both sides see a fair path to value creation?
If yes, you are looking at a plan you can feel confident in, and one the retailer is more likely to back.
Here are the key takeaways
This step tests whether you built the right plan, not just a plan.
Review how all components build up to the final outcome.
Judge success through supplier and retailer metrics.
Check balance across structural levers, support, and promotions.
Great plans combine strong numbers with strong logic.