German Business Awards 2021

36 EU BUSINESS NEWS / German Business Awards 2021 Oct21219 Best Category Management Consulting Firm 2021 - Europe Strategix is a boutique consulting company that has implementedmost space and category management solutions and processes within Central and Eastern Europe for the past 20 years. Recognised as the Best CategoryManagement Consulting Firm in 2021, Strategix provides the most experience and expertise within the market, with its consultants' tenures averaging over ten years. For over two decades, Strategix, situated in the Garath Castle in Duesseldorf, Germany, has helped leading retailers achieve growth and sustainability by progressing merchandising productivity. Strategix is a smaller firm within the industry but makes up for in size with its oversized customers, working closely with 15 of the top 30 retailers in Europe. In addition, its one-stop consulting shop provides customers with technology selection, business process definition, system implementation and integration, and training and a helpdesk in local languages. In order to find the optimal technology for the retailer Strategix works vendor-independent and shows solution expertise in all major Space Management solutions on the market. Overall, business in Germany is characterised by strong SMEs. Thus, Strategix is recognised for its vast experience and implementation within space and category management within Central and Eastern Europe. The company was founded by Jan Hanussek, a former qualified marine captain who has been in the retail and IT industry for more than 30 years. With his daughter Joanna Hanussek the founder and CEO Jan Hanussek has found a successor who is as passionate about space and category Management and retail technologies as he is. While he is the more geeky and natural born entrepreneur, she has a Master degrees in Entrepreneurship and SME Management from the Maastricht University and lectures Category Management at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University. Jan's expertise paired with Joannas modern and structured management approach result in a great team. Jan often quotes Confucius who stated "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day". In order to keep up with the local competition, market trends and high-industry standards, Strategix translated its family values with its business ethos to create an innovative and progressive workplace. These values are as such: trust and integrity toward all relationships, whether that is directed towards members of staff or a client, everyone will be treated with respect; enthusiasm and fun for its client's success, brought on by the talented minds of the Strategix team; and finally, comittment and consistency within its daily work, ensure quality efforts and a solid reputation. Germany has a long history and strong tradition within the retail sector, making the country rather conservative and cautious when it comes to new technologies and trends compared to other countries and regions. However, regardless of these long-standing reservations, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalisation process, and retailers are more encouraged join the journey. Due to the pandemic pressuring the digitalisation of existing processes, including assortment planning, supply chain and store operation, people noticed the differences between retailers – ones who had flexible assortments, agile supply chains, and efficient store operations those who did not. It is Strategix mission to support their customers on this journey. Space and Category Management plays a crucial role here as properly implemented it can improve the overall shopping experience, decrease inventory levels and waste and improve product availability. Moreover, with the retail business getting back on track after the shockwave of challenges caused by the pandemic, Strategix has flourished and is growing For 2022, the company is currently looking ahead to several innovative and exciting projects focusing on in-store navigation, shopper tracking, paperless planogram communication andshelf-aware assortments. With all these new additions coming steadfast, Strategix will undoubtedly remain a leadera within the industry indefinitely. Company Name: Strategix CFT GmbH Contact Name: Joanna Hanussek Web Address: www.strategix.de Contact Email: [email protected]