Solving Information Loss in Merchandising Once and For All

Information loss used to be an inevitable consequence of retail merchandising. With many field reps performing a number of tasks on each one of the stores in their individual territories, it is easy to see how the amount of data collected on the field grows exponentially and is, therefore, increasingly difficult to handle and more subject to information loss.

Mobile merchandising software is the ideal solution to information loss in retail merchandising. When businesses implement a mobile merchandising software solution, they prevent information loss in the following stages of data processing:

 

• Data collection
  It is easy to see how information can get lost in traditional pen-and-paper merchandising. With mobile merchandising software, field reps perform tasks such as filling out forms and taking pictures in their mobile devices, leading to less misunderstanding and mix-ups.
  
  
• Data transcription
  With mobile merchandising software, there is no data transcription. The information goes directly from the rep’s mobile device to data storage, meaning that there is no information loss due to time gaps between data gathering and transcription or due to issues such as miscommunication between rep and transcriber.
• Data storage
  A state-of-the-art mobile merchandising software uses Cloud storage. Cloud technologies such as Google Cloud are the safest choice when it comes to data storage, simply because of the safety layers that these systems provide in addition to the worldwide data access allowed by them. This means that there is no data loss because of hard-copy file misplacement or system failures.

VisitBasis is a complete mobile merchandising software solution that runs in the Cloud. It is made for both Android and iOS tablets and smartphones, is extremely easy to deploy, and you can try it completely free. Just register at www.visitbasis.com, download free VisitBasis App on Google Play or App Store and solve merchandising information loss once and for all.

 

Promotion Optimization Institute Report Acknowledges VisitBasis as an “Affordable, Rapidly Deployed” Solution to Retail Execution

Miami, FL – VisitBasis, the startup mobile retail execution solution provider from Hallandale Beach, FL, has been included among the 20 representative providers of retail execution technology evaluated by the Promotion Optimization Institute (POI).

The POI Retail Execution Vendor Panorama 2016 report is a detailed analysis by the POI of the retail execution technology market and its vendors, including Accenture, SAP, and StayInFront, among others.

VisitBasis is evaluated in the report as being “a low cost and largely do-it-yourself solution with a global footprint” and “a starting point for affordable, rapidly deployed, and integrated on your own… merchandising solutions”.

“We feel that the POI Retail Execution Vendor Panorama 2016 captured the essence of what VisitBasis aims to bring to mobile retail execution: Simplicity and affordability, with global reach”, says Sergey Gorbunov, VisitBasis CEO. “As we continually improve our application, we will use this document as a roadmap to further providing exceptional mobile retail execution solutions. It is an honor to be included in a report by such an industry-leading organization.”

The complete POI Retail Execution Vendor Panorama 2016 report can be downloaded at http://poinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/POI-Retail-Execution-Vendor-Panorama-2016-FINAL-1.pdf.

For more information on the Promotion Optimization Institute, visit www.poinstitute.com.

About VisitBasis Tech, Llc.
VisitBasis is a B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) company specialized in the development of cost-effective, cutting-edge and comprehensive mobile solutions that aim to increase sales and reduce costs, improving the bottom-line of businesses that rely on field professionals. The key benefit of VisitBasis app is to optimize retail execution, merchandising, field marketing, mobile data collection, retail audits, territory management, sales rep planning, tracking sales, mobile staff management, electronic product catalog, sales enablement, among others, especially in the consumer product goods (CPG) and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries.

Mobile Data Collection in Retail and Its Surprising Real-Time Benefit

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.

Sign-up today for a free trial of VisitBasis Mobile Data Collection App!

 

3 Top Reasons Why Mobile Technology has Become a Must-Have in Retail Merchandising

In the past few years, mobile technology has caused a revolution in retail merchandising, to the point it is now indispensable. Here are the top reasons why mobile merchandising has become a must-have in retail:

1. Access to information at the point-of-sale: With mobile merchandising, reps can have immediate access to a multitude of information, from category and product presentation to detailed store data. This means knowing the store manager’s name or accessing the location’s specific planogram without having to go through paperwork or making phone calls. Instead, mobile merchandising apps give instant access to these critical pieces of information with just a couple of taps and swipes.
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2. No more admin people or tasks between reps and management: With a “legacy” merchandising system in place, throughout their workday, field reps collect merchandising information at the POSs, then either file reports online or send their paperwork to a person who will do it. This extra step means that information can get lost or misread, and that a lot of time has passed since the potential detection of a problem and its resolution. Mobile merchandising eliminates the intermediaries between data collection and analysis, so category managers can be on top of what is happening at the points-of-sale.
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3. Quality and precision of information collected: A top-of-the-line mobile merchandising system allows decision makers to design custom forms and request the exact information needed, with little room for guessing or interpretation errors. It is also possible to capture photos and signatures and the data will be GPS- and time-stamped, making sure it was collected at the right place and time.

Want to see a mobile merchandising system in action? Watch the below video and schedule a live demo today!

Learn more about VisitBasis Mobile Merchandising and sign up for a free trial.

Key Steps to Improve Your Merchandising Operations

 

 

 Managing merchandising activities can be quite a challenge, as managers and supervisors are overwhelmed with lots of data in retail locations. But this can be easily changed thanks to mobile technology that helps organize retail data and business processes.

When merchandisers have tools that enable them to work more efficiently, office managers can easily achieve company’s goals and increase the effectiveness of retail campaigns. Here are the best practices to develop highly organized merchandising activities and speed up decision-making.

Switch to paperless data collection to streamline retail data workflow. In today’s mobile-driven world you can find an app for everything, and retail data collection is not an exception. Merchandising applications for tablets and smartphones empower merchandisers to collect retail data faster and help supervisors manage tasks, ease collaboration and track goals in a more efficient manner. Choosing a SaaS merchandising solutions allows having 24/7 access to data and mobile data collection tools without spending time and money on IT support and server maintenance.

Move your retail data to the Cloud. When you adopt a Cloud merchandising solution to automate your merchandising operations you can count on the best service availability even if your company is multinational and runs in different countries and time zones. Being on the Cloud also makes it possible for merchandisers to collect retail data offline and synchronize retail data once an Internet connection is established.

Opt for merchandising software with CRM capabilities. Today there are plenty of merchandising applications on the market. However, not all of them are comprehensive solutions that allow such additional features as territory management, CRM capabilities and/or the possibility to connect with existing CRMs through APIs and export/import.

Use analytic tools to make data-driven decisions. The up-to-date merchandising software solutions don’t end with streamlining retail data workflow and CRM capabilities but provide managers and supervisors with an opportunity to receive instant reports and manage merchandising operations in real time. The web-based dashboards and reports help you identify productive employees and perform workflow analysis, taking data-driven decisions.

Learn more about the benefits of merchandising software at www.visitbasis.com. Free downloads of the VisitBasis merchandising app on Google Play and App Store for any number of users!

Step Up Your Company’s Merchandising Game with VisitBasis Merchandising App

 

When the New Year begins retail companies are usually anxious over sales figures for the post-Christmas season. When it comes to winning the naturally lower-paced market, merchandising activities is one of the best ways to increase the effectiveness of retail campaigns. In order to maximize the value of retail merchandising operations, a company needs to make sure that marketing campaigns are implemented in a consistent way, and merchandising software is a simple solution to achieve just that.

If a company needs to increase its sales numbers, merchandising activities at retail locations are as important as the characteristics of the product being sold. This is why automating merchandising activities in the field using mobile technology is so important: The up-to-date data collection solution will allow your merchandisers to perform more effectively, while helping you save costs.

Merchandising software provides real-time tracking and monitoring of in-store merchandising activities along with advanced task building, visit planning and scheduling, so the management can take control over what is happening in the field and make sure that marketing campaigns are implemented and followed through in compliance with marketing strategy.

VisitBasis is a complete merchandising software solution that offers unique features for CPG and FMCG companies, merchandising agencies and field-service based organizations alike. Since it was designed by retail professionals for paperless data collection it translates some essential business requirements into differentials that make VisitBasis merchandising software stand out of the competition.

1. Scheduling visits and tasks in bulk – With VisitBasis merchandising software you can quickly plan retail visits for any number of merchandisers in multiple retail locations for any periods of time.
2. Every mobile activity is GPS and time-stamped – Fraudulent check-ins become easy to detect and dealt with.
3. Route optimization both on mobile merchandising app and on management interface – When following the optimal route your merchandisers save a lot of time and fuel, and may be able to squeeze extra visits every day while your company saves in expense reimbursements.
4. Offline data collection – With the VisitBasis merchandising mobile app merchandisers are able to collect store data offline and the system synchronizes once online eliminating the need for paper forms and manual data reentry.
5. BYOD implementation – the VisitBasis merchandising app works on common Android and iOS mobile devices, so your merchandisers can use their own tablets and smartphones with familiar features and interface and your company saves on hardware and mobile workforce training.

Learn more about the benefits of merchandising software at www.visitbasis.com. Free downloads of the VisitBasis merchandising app on Google Play and App Store for any number of users!

Cloud for Merchandising: Make Away with Data Storage Costs With Cloud Merchandising Software

Looking for the ways to reduce costs of retail merchandising activities and increase productivity of your mobile workforce?

This can be easily achieved by leveraging mobile technology into merchandising operations. Merchandising software solutions provide paperless retail data collection in order to streamline data workflow and significantly reduce or even bring to zero data storage costs.

Retail data collected by merchandisers, who use mobile forms, requires much less space than paper sheets and therefore costs less money. In order to store 2 million paper documents, an organization can expect to spend between $40,000 and $60,000 on filing cabinets alone. Those same files could fit on fewer than ten CD-ROMs (Business Guide to Paper Reduction).

To store retail data completely free and have 24/7 access to all the information from anywhere, the most tech-savvy companies in retail opt for Cloud-based merchandising solutions. The up-to-date data collection SaaS providers usually offer Cloud storage as part of their service.

Here are the main reasons to move your merchandising operations to the Cloud:

• When choosing a Cloud-based merchandising software solution you can improve the efficiency of operations and increase productivity with minimum upfront spending.
• Cloud merchandising software allows companies to eliminate time and resources spent on operational issues, like IT-support and server hardware, so the management can concentrate on the things that matter.
• Adopting Cloud merchandising software you get the best service availability even if your company is multinational and runs in different countries and time zones.
• If you move your merchandising operations to the Cloud, all the data can be accessed both by field reps and office managers anytime, anywhere and on any device.
• Being on the Cloud also makes it possible for merchandisers to work offline, and to synchronize once an Internet connection is established.
• Cloud merchandising software allows retail organizations to quickly transfer big amounts of data, including photos from retail locations, which provides real-time data workflow.
• Merchandisers can easily perform retail audits using just their tablets and smartphones and office managers are able to analyze all the retail data as soon as it is collected with activity dashboards and reports.

VisitBasis is a complete merchandising software solution that runs in the Cloud. It operates common Android and iOS tablets and smartphones, is extremely easy to deploy, and you can try it completely free. Just register at www.visitbasis.com, download free VisitBasis App on Google Play or App Store and start use the advantages of being in the Cloud today.

Three Ways to Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Merchandising Operations

If your goal is to maximize merchandising performance, then you definitely should concentrate your efforts on boosting your merchandisers’ productivity while working in the field. Your merchandising team is the most important productivity engine that provides the overall effectiveness of your company’s marketing strategy.

One of the best ways to increase productivity of your merchandisers is to manage merchandising-related activities using the up-to-date technology and tools. Below you’ll find the examples of how you can maximize your merchandisers’ potential by virtue of mobile technology.

• Go mobile to get real-time data workflow. Empower your merchandisers with up-to-date tablets and smartphones instead of relying on paper or bulky laptops. Paired with an application for merchandisers, mobile devices provide your field team members with 24/7 access to corporate data from anywhere, so they can quickly get customer information, schedule of visits, product catalog, presentations, videos, and even history of orders and returns for each customer. Having all this data literally at their fingertips, your merchandisers can easily make efficient data-driven decisions and stay on top of their productivity.
• Use mobile tools to speed up data workflow. With tablets and smartphones all data collection operations become faster, allowing your merchandisers to maximize their effectiveness in the field. Mobile applications for merchandisers provide all the tools for easy data collection, making retail execution a breeze. Automated data-entry, fast numeric keypad, barcode scanning, electronic signatures and real-time data exchange with the office are the excellent means to maximize your merchandisers’ potential. When your merchandisers don’t have to waste time on paperwork and visit the office to get tasks and submit reports, they have more enthusiasm to perform their duties better than ever.
• Collaborate globally with Cloud technology. Moving your merchandising operations to the Cloud provides unique opportunities for sales team collaboration worldwide. If you opt for a merchandising software solution that operates in the Cloud, you get the best service availability in different countries and high-speed data exchange. Cloud merchandising solutions boost engagement, encouraging merchandisers to share their results with the rest of the team. Being on the Cloud also makes it possible for merchandisers to capture retail data online and synchronize when Internet connection is available.

To learn more on how to maximize the effectiveness of your merchandising operations, visit www.visitbasis.com, or sign up for a free online demo today.

Improving Your Retail Sales Process with Mobile Merchandising

 

With the development of mobile devices the growing number of companies take advantage of mobile technologies to improve merchandising efficiency and increase revenue. Present-day mobile merchandising solutions are affordable and easy to use, which makes their implementation a must in our mobile fast moving world.

VisitBasis merchandising software allows merchandisers to easily collect store data, performing retail visits and merchandising inspections using just their tablets and smartphones. VisitBasis merchandising application is designed for Android and iOS tablets and smartphones and provides a lot of advantages for merchandisers and their managers.

 

Merchandising Software: Key Features for Merchandisers

While managers and supervisors are able to manage all merchandising activities using just one comprehensive merchandising software solution, merchandisers enjoy their work made less manual and more rewarding since they are able to:

1. See the schedule of retail visits and tasks assigned in their mobile devices
2. Access customer and product databases on their tablets and smartphones
3. Capture retail data faster using automated data entry, bar code scanner, built-in photo reports, and electronic signatures
4. Instantly report back without spending a minute due to automatic synchronization
5. Add new customers and optimize travel routes via mobile application
6. View the history of previous visits to retail locations
7. Capture data offline and synchronize when internet connection is available.

Merchandising Software: Key Features for Managers

While merchandisers perform data collection activities on their mobile devices, eliminating paperwork, their managers and supervisors are able to:

1. Design task templates assigned to field merchandising teams to get the exact information needed from retail locations
2. Manage all merchandising-related issues including tasks, schedule of visits, territories, product and customer catalogs, field reps database, and analytic reports in one easy-to-use system.
3. Monitor in real time merchandising activities in the field, getting time-stamped and GPS-confirmed data on travel routes and results of merchandiser’s work.
4. Generate with just a few clicks up-to-the-minute
   reports based on the data collected, using filters and different formats to get the exact information that is needed at the moment.

Start your mobile merchandising today with VisitBasis – the most affordable and easy-to-use merchandising software solution on the market. Sign up for a free trial at www.visitbasis.com or schedule a free live demo to see how it works.

Merchandising Software Through the Eyes of Your Merchandisers

When it comes to the adoption of a merchandising software solution by field staff, a company may face a number of challenges, due to the need for employees to get used to the new order of things. There are different reasons why your merchandisers may not like the new business solution, including the fear of changes and the unwillingness to be constantly monitored and controlled, or negative attitude to the whole idea of automation. Nevertheless all the issues must be solved as soon as possible; otherwise the whole idea of merchandising automation is at risk.

The best way to overcome merchandisers’ resistance to merchandising software implementation is to explain the benefits and outline the prospects for improving their work that will become less manual, thus persuading them that automation is good for them also. Below you’ll find some arguments that you can use to explain your merchandisers why do they need a merchandising software solution to be installed on their tablets and smartphones.

Save time to be more efficient. Merchandising software allows performing daily merchandising routines very quickly, saving time for communication with customers. Having more time to negotiate with customers your merchandisers will be able to improve the quality of customer relations, ensure higher level of customer service, providing an increase in sales and the arrival of new customers.

Say Goodbye to Paperwork. Merchandising software saves a lot of time for merchandisers due to automated data entry and mobile data collection forms, allowing concentrating on clients, not paperwork. Using just a regular tablet or a smartphone your merchandisers can conduct merchandising audits and customer survey, manage shelves and inventory levels, and even make product orders and returns with just a few clicks. They can even bring their own tablets or smartphones to perform retail visits, to feel extremely confident with the features and the interface, as long as up-to-date merchandising software solutions allow BYOD implementation.

Have 24/7 mobile access to information. Merchandising software allows companies to built the unique retail data exchange system that provides merchandisers with the real-time access to all the necessary information from their mobile devices. Empowered with a mobile application for merchandising, your merchandisers are always able to get information on the products, price lists, history of previous visits, orders, returns, multimedia, files, presentations, schedule, customers, locations, contacts, and more. Having all the data in a mobile device means your merchandisers will not have to carry a mountain of paper to perform retail visits.

Get tasks and report back without spending a minute. After merchandising software is adopted, retail data is fully synced between field teams and the office. That means that all the information, collected by your merchandisers, including merchandising audits results, survey data, photos, electronic signatures, orders/returns and etc., is instantly available to the management. Accordingly, all tasks assigned and retail visits scheduled, multimedia attached and notes, made by the managers in the office, become instantly visible in merchandisers’ tablets and smartphones, so your merchandisers have absolutely no need to visit the office.

To learn more about merchandising automation or to get a comprehensive merchandising software solution free of charge, register at www.visitbasis.com