Plays Catalog

Pre-built. Retail-specific.
Executable verbs.

Plays are not configurable workflows. They are parameterized procedures written in the language of retail operations. Thirty ship at launch. Six are fully detailed below; the remaining twenty-four are stubbed and shipping in waves.

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KPI
SOR

Six universal plays.
Live across every vertical.

These ship in every Ward deployment. Trigger conditions, procedures, write-backs, outcome metrics, and a real example. The page is a product spec, not a marketing page. Screenshot anything.

Play · Grocery · C-Store · Pharmacy · Home Improvement

Stockout Escalation

Forecast says zero-on-hand within 48 hours. Ward opens a case, raises replenishment against the SOR, and notifies the buyer. Case closes when the shelf reads green.

Target KPIOn-shelf availability
Executes in≤ 6 hours
System of recordManhattan · Blue Yonder · Relex · SAP
Trigger condition

Per-SKU sell-through velocity, current on-hand, lead time, and supplier reliability cross the predicted-zero threshold within a configurable horizon (default 48 hours).

Write-back

Replenishment order created in Manhattan / Blue Yonder / Relex; PO line written to SAP MM.

Procedure
  1. Confirm the deviation against the per-store baseline (rule out promo pull-forward and weather lift).
  2. Compute the recommended replenishment quantity using the cluster-level demand forecast.
  3. Match against current open POs; suppress if a sufficient PO is already in transit.
  4. Open a case; assign to the category buyer or auto-routed by lane.
  5. Draft the replenishment order against the WMS / supplier portal.
  6. Gate the write-back on buyer approval; default 4-hour SLA before escalation.
  7. Verify on-shelf reads after delivery; close the case when fill rate returns above threshold.
Outcome metric

Fill rate delta vs. baseline over the 14 days following close. Case is "outcome-positive" if fill rate ≥ pre-agreed threshold for ≥ 7 of those 14 days.

Real example · Ward voice

06:42 AM — Store 22, fresh-produce category, lettuce SKU trending to zero by 11 AM Thursday. Per-store demand forecast: 84 units/day; current on-hand: 38 units; supplier lead: 18 hours. Ward opens case 4421; assigns to Maria (produce buyer); drafts a 220-unit replenishment against the regional DC. Maria approves at 07:18 AM. Truck arrives 02:14 AM Thursday. Fill rate at Store 22 produce reads 96% by Friday close.

Play · All

Vendor Invoice Dispute

Ward reconciles invoice line items against receipt logs and contract terms, drafts the dispute packet, and routes to AP with the full evidence chain attached.

Target KPICOGS recovery
Executes in≤ 24 hours
System of recordSAP · Coupa · Oracle Financials · NetSuite
Trigger condition

Invoice line item ≠ receipt-log line item, or invoiced unit cost ≠ contracted unit cost on the active price list, beyond the configured tolerance ($25 or 0.5%, whichever is greater).

Write-back

Dispute opened in Coupa / SAP VIM; credit memo expected line written; AP queue updated.

Procedure
  1. Pull the matching PO, GRN, and contract clause.
  2. Compute the dispute amount; classify the cause (over-billing, short-ship, off-contract pricing, freight misallocation).
  3. Assemble the evidence packet: invoice scan, GRN signature, contract clause excerpt, calculation table.
  4. Draft the dispute letter using the vendor-specific template on file.
  5. Open a case; assign to the AP analyst by vendor portfolio.
  6. Gate the dispute send on AP approval; default 24-hour SLA.
  7. Track the dispute through credit memo or settlement; close when funds recovered or written off.
Outcome metric

Dollars recovered as credit memo or short-pay. Case is "outcome-positive" if recovery ≥ 80% of disputed amount within 60 days.

Real example · Ward voice

Tuesday — invoice INV-9912 from Vendor C lists 1,200 units at $4.28; the active price list per contract clause 3.2(b) is $4.12. Per-unit overage: $0.16. Dispute amount: $192. Ward drafts the letter, attaches the price-list excerpt and the GRN, and routes to Priya in AP. Priya approves and sends. Vendor C issues credit memo CM-3344 nine days later for $192. Case closed positive.

Play · Grocery · Fashion · Pharmacy · C-Store

Promo Conflict Cancellation

Cannibalization detected mid-promo. Ward proposes to kill the offending overlap and pings the merchandising lead. Approval required before write-back.

Target KPINet promo lift
Executes in≤ 2 hours
System of recordPromo engine · POS · JDA · SAP CAR
Trigger condition

Mid-flight promo measurement shows net category lift below threshold (default +3%) due to cross-SKU cannibalization or overlap with a halo SKU on a concurrent promo.

Write-back

Promo end-date pushed in the promo engine; flag set in JDA / SAP CAR; POS price-rule expired.

Procedure
  1. Decompose gross promo lift into incremental, cannibalized, pulled-forward, and pantry-loaded volume.
  2. Identify the overlapping promo or adjacency that's eating the lift.
  3. Model the scenarios: kill A, kill B, narrow A's scope, change A's discount.
  4. Recommend the lowest-regret action; show the expected net lift under each.
  5. Open a case; assign to the merchandising lead for the category.
  6. Gate the cancellation on merchandising approval (writes are revenue-affecting).
  7. Track post-cancellation lift; close when net category lift returns above threshold or promo ends.
Outcome metric

Net category lift over the remainder of the promo window vs. the modeled counterfactual. Case is "outcome-positive" if cancellation moves net lift above threshold within 48 hours.

Real example · Ward voice

Thursday Day 4 of a BOGO on Brand X crackers — gross unit lift +34%, net category lift only +6% after cannibalization of Brand Y (-28%). Ward models scenarios; recommends ending the BOGO and replacing with a 15%-off on Brand X (modeled net lift: +11%). Routes to Daniel (Snacks merchandising). Daniel approves. POS rules update at 14:22 ET. Net category lift returns to +12% by Saturday close.

Play · Convenience · Specialty · Pharmacy · Grocery

Planogram Correction

Sales-correlated drift flagged. Ward issues the corrected planogram to the field, tracks the reset, and verifies compliance with next-cycle photos.

Target KPICompliance + sales lift
Executes in≤ 12 hours
System of recordJDA · field-ops app · POS
Trigger condition

Per-store sales for a managed category fall below cluster benchmark by more than 1 standard deviation, AND the planogram-compliance signal (photo-verified or sales-pattern-inferred) flags drift on at least 2 of the top 10 facings.

Write-back

Corrected POG pushed to field-ops app; reset task created; audit photo schedule queued.

Procedure
  1. Cross-check sales drop against the compliance signal to confirm planogram cause (rule out promo, weather, traffic).
  2. Render the corrected planogram for the affected category and store.
  3. Open a case; assign to the district manager.
  4. Push the corrected planogram to the field-ops app with a 24-hour reset SLA.
  5. Notify the store via the standard ops channel.
  6. Schedule the next-cycle photo audit; auto-trigger when due.
  7. Close the case when photo audit confirms compliance and category sales recover above cluster benchmark for 7 days.
Outcome metric

Category sales delta vs. cluster benchmark over the 14 days post-reset. Case is "outcome-positive" if sales gap closes by ≥ 75% within that window.

Real example · Ward voice

Tuesday — Store 14, snacks endcap, weekly units −18% vs. cluster while traffic is flat. Compliance photo from Sunday shows 4 of top 10 facings drifted (off-shelf adjacencies). Ward opens case 5108; pushes corrected POG to field-ops app; assigns to DM Alex. Reset completes Wednesday 11 AM. Photo audit Sunday confirms compliance. Snacks sales return to cluster average by following Friday.

Play · All

Shrink Investigation

Cause attributed: dock vs. floor vs. admin. Ward opens an LP case with the transactions, the camera windows, and the recommended next interview.

Target KPIShrink %
Executes in≤ 48 hours
System of recordLoss-prevention case mgmt · WMS · POS
Trigger condition

Per-store shrink rate exceeds estate baseline by more than 1.5×, OR shrink-by-cause segmentation crosses an attention threshold (e.g., dock-receipt mismatches > 3 events / week).

Write-back

LP case created with evidence chain attached; corrective-action task assigned.

Procedure
  1. Decompose total shrink into theft, damage, spoilage, dock-receipt mismatch, and admin error.
  2. Identify the dominant cause; isolate its most likely interval (day, daypart, dock vs. floor).
  3. Pull the matching transactions, GRN events, and POS exceptions.
  4. Pull the camera windows for the relevant intervals (where camera integration exists).
  5. Open a case in the LP system; pre-fill the evidence chain.
  6. Recommend the next investigation step (interview, dock audit, floor recount).
  7. Track resolution through the LP system; close when corrective action is logged and shrink trends back toward baseline for 14 days.
Outcome metric

Shrink rate trend over 30 days post-action vs. pre-action baseline. Case is "outcome-positive" if shrink moves toward estate baseline by ≥ 50% of the gap within 30 days.

Real example · Ward voice

Monday — Store 37, shrink at 4.2% (estate baseline 1.8%). Cause segmentation: 78% attributable to dock-receipt mismatches on three Tuesday deliveries from Vendor B. Ward opens LP case 9912; attaches the GRN events, the WMS line items, and the dock camera windows; recommends a dock audit on the next Tuesday delivery. LP investigator Marcus runs the audit, finds vendor under-shipping. Vendor scorecard updated; dispute filed under the vendor-invoice play. Shrink at Store 37 trends to 2.3% over the next 30 days.

Play · Fashion · Home Improvement · Specialty

Markdown Cadence Reset

Style velocity below cluster. Ward proposes a shallower-but-earlier markdown ladder and writes the schedule into the pricing engine on approval.

Target KPISell-through at full margin
Executes in≤ 24 hours
System of recordPricing engine · POS · PIM
Trigger condition

Style velocity for a season SKU lags the cluster benchmark by ≥ 25% at week 4, AND the current markdown ladder ends in deep clearance.

Write-back

New markdown ladder written to the pricing engine; POS price-rule schedule updated.

Procedure
  1. Forecast end-of-season sell-through under the current ladder.
  2. Model alternative ladders: shallower-but-earlier (5% at W5, 15% at W8, 30% at W12) vs. status quo.
  3. Pick the ladder that maximizes margin-weighted sell-through.
  4. Open a case; assign to the merchant for the category.
  5. Gate the new ladder on merchant approval (writes are price-affecting).
  6. Push the ladder into the pricing engine; sync POS price rules.
  7. Track sell-through against the modeled curve; close when SKU clears at modeled or better margin.
Outcome metric

Margin-weighted sell-through vs. the modeled counterfactual (status quo ladder). Case is "outcome-positive" if margin recovered ≥ modeled, less the cost of the earlier markdowns.

Real example · Ward voice

Week 4 — Style "Linen Tee, slate, M" at Cluster B stores selling 22 units/wk vs. cluster benchmark 41. Status-quo ladder ends at 50% off in W14, modeled total margin $4,210. Ward proposes a 5%/15%/30% ladder ending in W12, modeled total margin $5,840. Merchant Sarah approves Tuesday 09:30. New ladder writes to pricing engine; POS rules sync by close of business. Style clears at W11 at 30% off; total margin realized $5,920.

Twenty-four more plays.
Specs coming with each wave.

Vertical-tuned. Outcome-bound. Each one ships with the same shape: trigger, procedure, write-back, outcome, example. Ask us which wave a specific play is in.

Markdown stop-loss
Fashion Margin
Cluster reassortment
All GMROI
Fresh waste prevention
Grocery Waste %
Receiving dock audit
All Shrink
Schedule mismatch correction
All Labor productivity
Daypart staffing rebalance
C-Store · Pharmacy Conversion
Endcap velocity check
C-Store · Specialty Endcap ROI
Cross-store transfer
All Sell-through
Slow-mover liquidation
All Inventory turn
Price elasticity recalibration
Grocery · Fashion Margin
Promo halo allocation
Grocery · C-Store Net lift
Pull-forward neutralization
Grocery Net lift
Cluster outlier triage
All Same-store sales
Replenishment cadence tune
Grocery · C-Store On-shelf availability
Pharmacy seasonal pre-position
Pharmacy Fill rate
Front-of-store attach lift
Pharmacy OTC attach rate
Size curve correction
Fashion Size accuracy
Returns root cause
Fashion · Home Improvement Return rate
POS exception sweep
All Shrink
Vendor scorecard update
All Fill rate · COGS
Cycle count prioritization
All Inventory accuracy
New SKU velocity gate
All GMROI
Discontinued SKU removal
All Shelf-share
Weather pre-position
Grocery · Home Improvement Sell-through

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