Retail Execution with VisitBasis

Data collection in retail used to be limited by the data compiling and processing capacity of the business conducting the operation, whether it was a retailer, a sales and marketing company, or the merchandising department of a CPG manufacturer. Some surveys, for instance, had to be limited to especially selected markets or even stores in order to get a sample of shoppers similar to the product's target audience so data transcription and processing wouldn't slow down critical go-to-market decisions . Mobile data collection software has revolutionized this scenario. With mobile data collection software, field reps can perform surveys, product tastings, etc., at the point-of-sale on their own mobile devices, and the information collected will be instantly available for management to analyze and use as part of their decision-making process. Therefore, by doing away with the limitations of data transcription and processing, mobile data collection software opens the door for...

Retail audits can be tedious, messy and overwhelming. It takes a lot of organization and coordinating to get retail audits done effectively and on time, and transcribing audit checklist findings can mean losing time and important information. It doesn't come as a surprise, then, when retail businesses outsource their audits to companies specialized in the process. However, outsourcing retail audits has some considerable disadvantages , that include higher costs and uncertainty concerning the qualifications and experience of subcontracted auditors, as well as confidentiality issues. By outsourcing retail audits, businesses also miss out on the benefits of store self-assessment , especially the round-the-clock awareness it can create among team members when combined with proper training and mentoring. Retail audit software is an ideal solution for businesses concerned with outsourcing their store audits. With retail audit software, businesses can reach their compliance object...

In general, salespeople hate reporting. After all, every minute spent on reporting means time away from customers and, therefore, sales opportunities. However, reporting is obviously a necessary "evil", especially in sales organizations with widespread territories. The good news is that mobile technology along with SaaS (Software as a Service) now allows for outside sales reps to fill out customer visit reports on their mobile devices. With field sales management software, reps can place orders, take visit notes, present new products, and notify management of their current whereabouts, among others, all on their smartphones and tablets. And once the sales call is over, the report is already synchronized with the office so there is no need to spend more time away from sales opportunities. Field sales management software has also many other benefits that can help field reps increase customer-facing time, including: Route optimization: With a field sales managemen...

"Out-of-stock" is a dreaded term in retail. When there is no stock of a certain product, there can be no sales of such product, so out-of-stock means lost revenue. Period. The customer that didn't find their favored product in stock at a certain location might even be lost forever, since the absence of that product could mean settling for - and then liking - available alternatives. In summary, out-of-stocks mean more than lost sales, they can mean losing customers due to poor reputation and brand loyalty. Therefore, consumer product goods (CPG) and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies have systems in place in order to prevent frequent out-of-stocks. One such system involves having merchandising teams going to each and every store where their products are sold in order to verify the quantities still available and request more product if necessary. Field merchandising software has revolutionized how out-of-stocks are handled. Before, companies had to rely on...

Field marketing aims to better promote brands in stores and also to make sure that customers have a positive brand experience. Easier said than done, right? For CPG and FMCG companies, field marketing can become a nightmare simply due to the army of people needed to implement effective point-of-sale strategies. A field marketing software can make help brand and marketing managers make sure that their retail plans are correctly implemented. With a field marketing software, there can be significant improvements not only on field marketing operations management, but also on the accuracy of data collected and in planogram consistency. Here is how field marketing software can make a difference in the following everyday in-store activities: Planogram compliance and shelving A field marketing software allows access to planogram schematics for each point-of-sale on the rep's smartphone or tablet and also captures store photos. This clearer communication along with stricter superv...

A  highly-productive and efficient field force is a must-have f or retail-related businesses. Merchandising departments and sales and marketing agencies in CPG, however, have a hard time managing their field force mostly due to high rep turnover. While some factors that lead to high turnover cannot be controlled - such as personal expectations and lack of knowledge of what the field rep job entails - it is proven that effective mentoring can dramatically reduce turnover and improve rep productivity and efficiency . The "field" aspect of field forces, however, can make rep mentoring a challenge, to say the least, since one-on-one monitoring becomes highly costly and time-demanding. A field force monitoring solution can be an invaluable tool in mentoring reps.   When reps have a  field force monitoring solution in their mobile devices, they can view their schedule, perform tasks, answer questionnaires, take pictures, capture signatures, and place orders, among othe...