Mobile data collection apps have revolutionized the way retailers, CPG manufacturers, and sales and marketing companies perform merchandising and other activities at the point-of-sale.
Not that long ago, in order to perform and report in-store activities, field reps relied on the almost-anecdotal process comprised of paper and digital camera and then had to transcribe everything onto computers, sometimes long after completing the actual activity.
With a mobile data collection app, field reps can capture and synchronize answers, pictures and signatures on the spot, translating into more accurate information reaching management, faster.
Surprisingly, the real-time characteristic of mobile data collection apps has led to one additional benefit: Because the focus is no longer in the data collection itself, since it becomes second-nature on a mobile device, field reps can now shift their attention to customers and store managers.
This focus-shifting by-product of mobile data collection apps translates into better relationships with target audiences and decision-makers, with more meaningful information-gathering and, therefore, potentially increased sales and market share.
VisitBasis Mobile Data Collection App allows creating custom task templates for every in-store activity, from planogram checks to customer surveys, and helps you streamline your data collection so your field reps can increase their customer-facing time and be more productive. VisitBasis Mobile Data Collection App is available for both Android and Apple mobile devices, so field reps can keep their own devices and shorten the learning curve.
Small businesses and international companies implement data collection software to improve the efficiency of data capture process and streamline data workflow. If your company does not use data collection software yet, consider the opportunity to start. Below you’ll find the reasons why companies implement data collection software.
Make planning easier. Scheduling of retail visits is time-consuming when relying on paper-forms and phone calls. Data collection software allows you to quickly organize the schedule of visits for any period of time for any numbers of reps and, at the same time, increase your field team’s efficiency. Field reps can also optimize their day route at the click of a button to make sure they have the shortest path between locations and add an extra visit or a new customer from mobile devices.
Enhance interaction between the office and the field. With data collection solution you can automate notification of the scheduled appointments and reporting. Field reps can also view all the information about every point-of-sale, including location, contacts, history of visits. Data collection software provides instant data exchange between field reps and the managers due to automatic synchronization, so field reps do not have to visit the office to get tasks and report back.
Eliminate fraudulent reports. With data collection software solution field reps are being monitored on the map in real time. Field team managers can see their routes, the arrival time, and time spent at each point-of-sale and for each task. All the data collected at retail locations, including photos, is time-stamped and GPS-confirmed, so a manager can always see where each task was performed.
Minimize data entry mistakes. Data collection software provides automated data entry by virtue of mobile data collection forms for tablets and smartphones. All the data collected at retail locations is automatically transferred to corporate database and is available for integration with company’s back-end system, export or analysis. Mobile forms allow to collect data very quickly and accurate eliminating paperwork and minimizing mistakes.
Simplify reporting. No more need to compile the information across paper forms or Excel spreadsheets, manually entering data to corporate database. When using data collection software, all the data, collected at points-of-sale, is instantly available for analysis. The up-to-date data collection solutions allow customers to get custom reports and dashboards in seconds, filter data to get the exact information they need at the moment, display information in different formats (graphics, charts, tables) and safely share the reports with third parties.
To start automating your data collection activities today, register at www.visitbasis.com for a free trial or book a free online demo to see how it works.
Many tech-savvy companies use data collection software to eliminate paper forms, enhance productivity and streamline data workflow. The intensive development of cloud technologies and mobile devices provides new opportunities to save money on software due to evolving software pricing models. Today you can find many ways to optimize your software costs without loosing in quality of service and efficiency. Here are 7 tips for keeping your software costs low while enhancing productivity and improving the bottom-line.
SaaS pricing model
When you implement a SaaS data collection solution, you save huge amounts of money on servers, hardware, and IT staff. The important benefits of a SaaS data collection solution is that it’s typically extremely easy to deploy. No installation needed and you have Web access to the application from anywhere.
Free Trial
When you just start to automate your data collection activities, the first and the most obvious way to save money is to find data collection software vendor that offers free trial, so you can decide if the software fits for your company without upfront spending.
Scalable Solutions
Scalable data collection solutions can grow with your business and have the lowest possible price at an early stage.
All-in-One Tool
Buying a comprehensive data collection solution a company can cut the budget bringing value to several departments at the same time. For example, a comprehensive data collection solution can help you automate retail audits, merchandising, and field marketing activities and simultaneously provides tools for order taking and retail analytics, so your sales and marketing departments can both use it, saving money and improving communication.
BYOD
The up-to-date field marketing software solutions run common software platforms, such as Android and iOS, which allows BYOD-implementation. When using personal tablets and smartphones to perform data collection tasks at retail locations field reps are more efficient and happy with their work, while the company saves money on mobile devices and staff training.
Built-in Analytic Capabilities
When you get data collection software with powerful analytic capabilities, you save money on various analytic tools and can aggregate, store, share and analyze data using one easy-accessible database.
Cloud data storage
To eliminate data storage costs move your retail data to the Cloud and find software vendors that offer Cloud data storage as a part of their service. Cloud data collection software allows companies to easily operate retail data worldwide with the same functionality, which is particularly important when the business is international or runs different timezones.
VisitBasis is a mobile data collection and field representative management software for businesses with field merchandising, field sales and store audits operations. VisitBasis uses latest technologies to bring companies to cost reduction very quickly. In order to help companies save money on data collection software, we offer different pricing models and many optional features, making our data collection software one of the most competitive products on the market. We regularly receive feedback from customers who experience great success in retail data collection and storage cost reduction. Sign up today for a free trial at www.visitbasis.com or book a free online demo to see how it works.
Leveraging mobile technologies into the field allows companies to streamline retail data collection, get data faster, and gain insights for marketing strategies. Today there is a great number of retail data collection solutions designed to automate retail audits, merchandising and field marketing activities by eliminating paper forms and manual data entry. To make the choice of data collection software for your company less confusing and stressful, follow these steps.
Define business processes that you are going to automate.
Keep in mind that when you implement a comprehensive data collection solution, it can bring value to several departments within one company helping to cut the budget. For instance, an all-in-one data collection app can be used to automate merchandising activities, perform customer surveys, manage POS materials, or even create analytic reports based on the retail data collected by field reps.
Decide which pricing strategy better fits your company.
Finding a fair and transparent pricing model suitable for your budget you can saves your money and even reduce some expenses to zero. In today’s world, where mobile devices are quickly becoming a huge part of retail space enabling field reps to easily collect field data, a long-time trend is a choice of SaaS solutions that can run common software platforms like Android & iOS. When you implement a data collection solution for Android and iOS tablets and smartphones, you save money on servers, hardware, and IT staff. If you’ll manage to find retail data collection solution that allows BYOD implementation, you can also completely eliminate costs for field reps’ mobile devices and the need to train the staff on how to operate the software.
Try to find out the additional costs and benefits.
The price for data collection software can vary depending on the features you need. Look for data collection software vendors that offer a free trial, so you can decide whether the application fits for your needs without upfront spending. Opt for scalable data collection solutions, which can grow with your business and won’t cost so much at an early stage. Consider the opportunity of moving to the Cloud as many Cloud data collection software vendors offer free data storage as a part of their service.
Find data collection application that is easy to deploy and use.
The important benefits of a SaaS data collection software is that it’s typically extremely easy to deploy. No installation needed, you get Web access to the application from anywhere. Cloud data collection software allows companies to easily operate retail data worldwide with the same functionality, which is particularly important when the business is international or runs different timezones.
Clarify how your data is going to be aggregated and shared?
Data sharing capabilities and integration with a third-party software are also important issues that should be considered. If you plan to work with big data Cloud implementation is a must. Cloud data collection software provides real-time data workflow and 24/7 access to information worldwide and allows processing huge amounts of data, including thousands of photos, very quickly. The most advanced types of data collection solutions provide sophisticated reporting and powerful analytic capabilities so the managers can get the precise data they need at the moment in a format they need it.
In order to help companies find data collection solution that fits as well as possible VisitBasis has developed several retail data collection software pricing models and offers many optional features to customers, which makes our data collection software one of the most competitive products on the market. Please, register at www.visitbasis.com for a free trial or book a free online demo to get answers to all questions.
Traditional data collection methodologies often result in incomplete coverage of retail locations due to significant paperwork, human resource constraints, and big time gaps between a store visit and reporting results to management. Companies, which adapt mobile technologies into data collection process, are those looking for ways to enhance productivity and improve the bottom line.
By going paperless a company can significantly reduce the costs of data capture, storage and analysis, shorten the time between gathering data, quickly get data-driven insights and motivate field representatives and their managers by making their job less manual and more rewarding.
VisitBasis is a SaaS company that offers retail companies a comprehensive data collection solution to improve the efficiency and accuracy of merchandising, service audits, mystery shopping, field sales and promotions. The VisitBasis Data Collection App is a comprehensive solution designed for managing, scheduling, and monitoring field team activities in real-time.
VisitBasis data collection solution for retail execution provides in-store photo tasks, audits, surveys, out-of-stock, ordering, price checks and more instruments to maintain efficient data workflow between manufacturers, distributors, and mobile workforce.
The VisitBasis Mobile Data Collection App allows the managers to configure forms, data and manage data workflow using Web-based dashboards and reports. VisitBasis uses the latest mobile technology to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of data collection process: field reps can perform all the tasks using their tablets and smartphones, and their supervisors are able to monitor the results of data collection activities in real time.
From assigning territories to scheduling visits and GPS tracking your mobile staff, VisitBasis is a complete, real-time data collection solution. VisitBasis data collection app can significantly improve your field team’s bottom-line by reducing their time traveling to appointments, planning routes, accessing information and providing real-time audit and survey data.
To make data collection process a breeze, the VisitBasis mobile data collection application provides the following benefits:
Barcode scanner for fast product search
Fast numeric input keypad
Search products and actions for faster input
Ability to add a new customer from mobile app
Visual GPS proximity indicator
The use of the up-to-date data collection methods ensures statistically reliable results to understand the present and plan the future. Sign up today at www.visitbasis.com to move your data collection activities to the next level free of charge.
Retail data collection is one of the most important business units in CPG and FMCGcompanies, since its main objective is to generate insights for marketing strategies.
Data collection automation refers to the use of technology to collect retail data in real time using wireless devices, tablets and smartphones, to capture data. All the data, collected at retail locations, is transferred immediately to back end systems through Wi-Fi, 3G or GPRS).
Retail data collection automation avoids manual double entry data errors, reduces time delays, and enhances field reps’ productivity. Availability of retail data in real time allows planning delivery schedules and reducing inventory levels, improving customer service, and a company’s bottom line.
An effective data collection solution needs to empower field reps with real-time access to corporate data (customer database, product catalog, retail locations info and history of previous retail visits), and mobile tools to quickly capture various types of data (photo reports, automated data entry, bas code scanner, electronic signature and task templates).
VisitBasis is a mobile data collection and field representative management software for businesses with field merchandising, field sales and store audits operations. VisitBasis is a complete data collection solution: It improves communication between the office and the field so outside reps can have everything they need to succeed, at their fingertips. VisitBasis mobile data collection software allows field operations managers to oversee all stages of the store audit, field merchandising and field sales processes, from assigning territories and scheduling visits/tasks to immediately retrieving results through VisitBasis online dashboard and reports. And there is no need to invest in new hardware since the VisitBasis data collection app works on most smartphones and tablets.
Create a free account today at www.visitbasis.com to learn more about mobile store data collection! Start your own data collection automation campaign just after the registration! You can also schedule a free online demo here to see for yourself how it works.
Retail data collection, including merchandising audits, customer survey and competitor analysis, are also among the activities that are often being outsourced. On the one hand, when outsourcing retail data collection activities, a company can concentrate on manufacturing and distribution. On the other hand, using a third party for retail data collection may impact company’s bottom line due to the lack of control. Check out pros and cons of retail data collection outsourcing to choose which is better for your company: in-house or a third party retail data collection.
When Retail Data Collection Activities Are Outsourced You Can
Receive professional approach to retail data collection
Reduce costs due to economies of scale
Concentrate on critically important aspects of your business
Get broad coverage of retail locations
Retail data collection outsourcing may have the following disadvantages:
Formal attitude to the work that has to be done
Loosing some important part of retail data
Lack of control of retail data collection activities
Big time gaps between the data being collected and reported
In general, when you hire a third party to perform retail data collection for your company, you run the risk of poor customer service, lower levels of brand loyalty and drop in sales due to weak control of data collection activities and lack of cooperation between your management and a third party field team.
Today there is a great option to reduce the costs of in-house retail data collection, which consists in adopting of retail data collection software. Software vendors offer comprehensive retail execution solutions, to automate store data collection, so every company can afford in-house merchandising audits, surveys, compliance checks, getting broad coverage of retail locations and real-time data from points of sale.
VisitBasis is up-to-date mobile data collection software that requires almost no time and resources to implement. After registration at www.visitbasis.com you get free access to our data collection software and will be able to organize your first automated data collection activity in 15-20 minutes. You will not incur any costs to hardware or training – VisitBasis Data Collection App works from browser (for office managers) and can be downloaded for free on Google Play and App Store (for merchandisers). Your team members can use their own mobile devices to perform data collection activities and you don’t have to invest in training, as VisitBasis Data Collection App is intuitive and user-friendly.
Unlike traditional paper-based approach that is time consuming and subject to data-entry errors, mobile data collection software provides accurate and efficient data transfer directly from your workforce into your workflow. Due to mobile data collection software all the information from the field is uploaded as it is collected to corporate database, which eliminates the time wasted from using paper forms and streamlines your data collection processes.
Most of the companies opt for SaaS solutions for paperless data collection to avoid the extra costs of server hardware and IT support. Even so there are at least two things to be considered when deciding to go paperless: the cost of software itself and the cost of hardware. Here you’ll find the best ways to reduce costs of going paperless:
Opt for a SaaS data collection solution to avoid the extra costs of server and IT support
Implement BYOD allowing employees to use their own tablets and smartphones for task performance to eliminate hardware costs and save time and money on staff training
Choose Cloud data collection software to cut data storage costs and get the best service availability
Open up pay-as-you-go pricing to only pay for what you use, to reduce software expenses, and to start your data collection automation at no risk.
Mobile data collection forms help to improve the accuracy of data collection process, reduce data-entry errors, and instantly aggregate the data collected. Paperless data collection eliminates the time wasted from using paper forms and streamlines your data collection processes. Data collection automation allows companies to improve productivity of field reps that immediately increases the overall efficiency of an organization.
Data collection automation software grants your field reps the ability to capture data anytime and anywhere using their own mobile devices. Besides your office managers using automated data collection system are able to process large amounts of data by pushing a single button. Data collection automation eliminates manual data entry, saving time and lowering the rate of errors, increasing efficiency and revenue.
Today you can completely eliminate paper forms by implementing a retail data collection software solution. Automated data collection allows companies to reduce the cost of its operations by cutting the amount of paper used in the field and large number of staff and office space required to handle that paper.
Of course, if a company decides to develop its own software solution for retail data collection, and to specifically provide its field reps portable mobile devices so they can go paperless, it can quickly get very expensive. The cost of a software development varies greatly depending on the needs and opportunities of a company. Usually it works for large companies that are able to invest in new technologies to obtain competitive advantages and to be up-to-date.
Therefore most of the companies opt for SaaS solutions for retail data collection to avoid the extra costs of server hardware and IT support. Even so there are some things to be considered when deciding to go paperless. Although up-to-data data collection software provides the ability to capture data offline, your field reps still need Internet connection to synchronize and share the information. Corporate business plans for 10 lines start at $90/month for 20GB shared data. Adding unlimited talks and text we get $240 – $440 per month, and $2280 – $5280 per year. Assuming that field reps also need the devices to store mobile forms and collect data we may think that the idea of going paperless is not cost-effective at all.
Fortunately the advanced software solutions for data collection offer BYOD implementation to reduce communication costs and to completely eliminate the cost of hardware. Instead of the company purchasing tablets and smartphones, the employee uses their own devices to perform data collection. Besides saving on hardware, you save time and money on staff training and your field reps can be more effective using devices they already get used to.
Data collection software implementation allows companies to improve the accuracy of data collection process and to reduce data-entry errors that immediately increases the overall efficiency of an organization. VisitBasis retail data collection software is extremely easy to deploy and deal with. And you can do it completely free. To automate you retail data collection activities with VisitBasis just register free account at www.visitbasis.com, then download free VisitBasis Retail Execution App on Google Play or App Store and start working.
You can also watch the demo videos to see for yourself how automated data collection solution can help to improve your field team performance.
Retail data collection software can help to increase the efficiency of retail operations and improve field reps productivity. Here are the key benefits of retail data collection software, that some of the most experienced and sophisticated retailers adopt to become more efficient both in the field and in the back-office.
When collecting retail data great number of companies relies on traditional paper-based forms and general-purpose software like MS Word and MS Excel, Google Docs, Notes and etc. They also use traditional ways of communication with field reps – paper reports, phone calls, SMS, and email messages. At first glance it may seem economical and cost-effective, but as a matter of fact it can really be costly in terms of time expenses and low productivity.
Therefore some of the most experienced and sophisticated retailers opt for paperless data collection to reduce costs and become more efficient both in the field and in the back-office. In this article we’ll consider in what ways paperless data collection can improve the bottom line of the company and increase the efficiency of field force management.
Timely and accurate data. Through GPS-technology, track your field reps positioning and activities live on the map. See all the retail data as soon as it is collected with activity dashboards and reports. Every mobile activity is GPS and time-stamped. Fraudulent check-ins become easy to detect and dealt with.
Sophisticated data harmonization and aggregation. Using retail data collection software you can instantly aggregate store data, anytime get exact data you need due to analytic capabilities and data filters, provide role-based access to information, and easily integrate retail data to your corporate database.
Streamlined retail data workflow. Retail data collection software allows you to coordinate all the stages of your data collection operations to improve your retail management and enhance the productivity of your field reps. Using retail data collection software you can easily organize the schedule of visits for any period of time and improve your field team bottom-line by reducing their time traveling to appointments, planning routes and accessing information.
Less time spent on data entry. Retail data collection forms are faster than paper forms due automated task templates, drop down lists, bar-code scanner, search boxes and built-in photo-reports. Besides, field reps, who use a retail data collection app, don’t have to visit the office to provide a report. All the data collected in stores is automatically synced with the corporate database.
Eliminate hardware costs. Top retail data collection software solutions work on newer mobile platforms such as Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, which enables BYOD policy implementation. Use BYOD policy to leverage common tablets and smartphones in the field so your field reps can bring their own devices and be more effective. Field team members will save time on training by using the devices that they already know and you save on hardware costs.
VisitBasis 