Understanding the critical role of a single inventory view, Zitcha’s Inventory Management tool enables comprehensive tracking of available media spaces across all fixed tenancy media channels. It is essential for organisations to maintain a unified view of inventory to maximise the efficient use of advertising space and avoid underutilisation or clashes.

Learn more about Clash Management

The system serves as a pivotal tool for both networks and advertisers, ensuring that every ad set is accounted for across all states of its media journey. With Inventory Management, every ad set placement is transparently tracked and managed, ensuring optimal allocation aligned with strategic media planning and execution.

This unified view supports effective decision-making, allowing for real-time strategic placements to enhance organisational performance and consumer experience.

To access Inventory Management, you must be a network running a fixed tenancy, calendar period buying model or an advertiser linked to a network running a fixed tenancy, calendar period buying model. Advertisers will have one inventory view per network relationship.

Inventory Table Components

The inventory management tool represents key pieces of information about an ad set and its context in a simple, high level view:

• States: Represented by the colour of the cell.
  Learn more about Ad Set States
• Media Type: What type of media the inventory represents.
• Placement: Where the media will be delivered.
• Rate: The original cost for the media.
• Calendar Periods: The networks defined calendar periods, represented along the x axis.

Viewing Inventory

To view inventory:

1. In the Zitcha platform, under the menu, select Inventory.
   Note: As an advertiser you will have to select the retailer network you would like to view inventory of.
2. Observe the inventory table.
3. The y axis will represent each combination of placement and media type within the network. For a combination of placement and media type that can be bought more than once for any given period, this will be represented as a new row.
4. The x axis will represent the networks defined calendar periods.
5. The cells within the table represent the inventory at the point of intersection of the x and y axis.
6. Cells are coloured according to the state of the ad set within them. Cell values are the name of the linked organisation that occupies the inventory. Cells with no data, represent unused inventory.
   Learn more about Ad Set States
7. Click Previous Phase to navigate to the previous set of calendar periods.
8. Click Next Phase to navigate to the next set of calendar periods.
9. Use the filters Media Types, Placements and/or Schedule to view particular inventory.

Filling Inventory

Having an overview of the available inventory allows you to quickly fill certain spots based on the context of surrounding ad sets.

To add an ad set:

1. In the Zitcha platform, under the menu, select Inventory.
   Note: As an advertiser you will have to select the retailer network you would like to view inventory of.
2. Observe the inventory table.
   Learn more about the Inventory Table
3. Click New Ad Set.
4. Choose the plan you want to add an ad set to.
   Note: An ad set must be added to an existing plan. If no plans exist, you will first need to create a plan.
   See Creating a Plan
5. Click Edit Ad Set.
6. Under Schedule, use the calendar picker to select your start and stop dates.
   Note: If the network your plan is linked to is operating a fixed calendar period model, select from the list of predefined calendar periods.
7. Under Media Type, scroll and select the format you’d like your ad set to take.
8. Under Placement, select the destination of your ad set.
   Note: The rate of your ad set will automatically populate once you have selected a schedule, media type and placement.
9. Optionally, complete any additional ad set details.
   See Creating an Ad
10. Click Save Ad Set.