Dashboards give us numbers, but they are not quality. It is Field visits which verify data quality in practical terms.
Confirming Timestamps Against Real Conditions
It is easy to log the wrong time for a visit to have taken place. This type of error is only revealed when someone actually goes to the location in question. Field operatives check the timestamp against the conditions that can be observed at the location such as open/closed signage, staffed/unstaffed, trading/open, etc. and against a particular time frame.
Checking Stock Counts Against Physical Shelves
The simple act of matching the surveyor’s tally with the physical state of the shelves can reveal all sorts of errors such as a recent restock that took place during the surveyor’s visit or a count having been skipped on occasion.
Verifying Location Tags Match Store Layouts
Field staff can confirm that a recorded location still refers to the correct internal feature (e.g. shelf, end display, etc.), store section (e.g. health & beauty, electrical, etc.) or even store entrance (e.g. main door, front entrance, etc.) even though GPS location tags for that feature have drifted over time due to changes in the store’s internal layout.
Spotting Entry Errors Only Visible On the Ground
Some errors will have been made by the surveyor but can only be detected by someone seeing the evidence left by the surveyor – for example a product recorded under the wrong category heading or a display which was reported to be present but which has since been removed.
Structured Verification Across Multiple Sites
All data analysis companies operating within retail networks will require a consistent framework of field verification that goes beyond random checks to key sites. For Data Analysis Company, visit https://shepper.com/.
Field verification is a crucial process in turning data that could be correct into data that is correct.
