Brian F. Harris

Harris eventually became the Director of the Food Industry Management Program and a marketing professor in the Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Southern California, where he co-founded the Quaker Oats Buying Skills Seminar.

[2] The product was developed in conjunction with an organization called ABA Groups, which Harris founded.

The basis of category management, according to Harris models, is to: force consumer focus during retail decisions; create strategy for differentiation and competition; provide a model for collaboration; promote information sharing for the sake of better decision-making; provide strategic logic when developing tactical decisions; clarify decisions when it comes to asset allocation; and clarify employee responsibilities.

[3] In 1990, Harris founded a category management consultation services firm in Cincinnati called the Partnering Group.

[2] The Partnering Group became known for establishing best practice policies for collaborations between retailers and suppliers.