Tracking on-shelf availability and planogram compliance used to be the bane of every category manager’s existence since it is literally impossible to physically supervise many stores over large geographical territories. Having a merchandising team in place definitely helps, but gathering information on pen and paper through many people tends to lead to many entry errors.
The emergence of store merchandising platform solutions has eased the lives of category managers with digital data collection, but still, they have to deal with many solutions not meant for the specific purpose of tracking on-shelf availability at stores.
Some store merchandising platform solutions, however, do have embedded instruments for properly tracking on-shelf availability, and they include:
The ability to set up SKU distribution or must-stock-lists by store, set of stores or chain
This allows the mobile app to display only the products that should be available at each location, reducing the possibility of merchandiser mistakes.
Fully customizable forms
By allowing category managers to fully customize forms, a store merchandising platform is more than just a way to track on-shelf availability and planogram compliance. Fully customizable forms enable many other in-store activities – such as customer surveys, sets/ resets, and competition assessment – using the same platform.
GPS and time stamps
Information on on-shelf availability of items is only valuable if backed up by location and time data. A fraudulent check-in, for instance, may result in extra shipments to a store that does not need them.
Instant access to captured data
The timeliness access to on-shelf availability of items is of utmost importance since a lack of products at stores means no sale.
VisitBasis store merchandising platform provides all of the above solutions for streamlining on-shelf availability and planogram compliance checks. From any desktop or notebook, category managers have immediate access to survey reports as soon as the reps close their visits, and are able to plan ahead using the data captured.
See today how VisitBasis store merchandising platform can help you keep track of your product’s on-shelf availability
