There are several steps in creating a promotion. The system will not let you move on to the next step until all prior required steps are completed. If you receive an error message, it may be because you have not completed all the necessary steps first.

You can save your work at various stages along the way. Merely saving the promotion does not cause it to become active.

The system allows you to keep track of your progress in creating the promotion. As you complete each step, the system changes the status automatically and displays it in the Planning Data screen. For example, a "Listing" status means that listing conditions have been created and that the promotional merchandise is listed in all stores participating in the promotion. Once the promotion attains a certain status, you can no longer change earlier articles.

In addition to overall status, the system displays the number of elements assigned to the promotion, such as the number of themes and assortment modules and whether advertising media have been created. This also affects what you can and cannot do; for example, once pricing conditions have been activated, articles can no longer be removed from the promotion.

You can also compare the business volume generated by earlier promotions (e.g., last year’s January white sale vs. this year’s January white sale) and set a target revenue for the promotion you are creating. By accessing the Retail Information System directly linked to Promotions, you can keep track of expected vs. actual revenues.

After you have completed all the necessary tasks and once the promotion prices are activated, you have the opportunity of analyzing the effects that the promotion will have on the resulting margins. This can be done for the full promotion or for individual articles, themes, or vendors.