Features:
1. Distributed Application: The application has an online web-based component as
well as an offline native component that is installed in mobile devices.
2. Access permissions: The application requires users to login. Different users
have different access permissions.
3. The application can sync with online system and download information about assigned
outlets and schedule. Similarly, the data from native application can be uploaded
to the web server where collective data is analyzed.
4. The native application allows users to store the information gathered offline.
5. Statistical analysis can be performed with the data gathered from various sources.
How does it work?
1. The assignment schedule is updated from the web interface of the application.
Stores can be assigned to different personnel for carrying out surveys.
2. Once the data is stored to native application, the assigned person can use the
mobile phone for recording offline sales data obtained through surveys.
3. The user can enter name of retail store, fill up different questionnaires created
for survey, and store the data.
4. The questionnaire is designed to enter the data of the company vis-à-vis its
competitors. So the user can record the shelf space allocated, frequency of new
models launched, availability and advertisement data, etc.
5. The application also allows verification of the retailer’s knowledge about the
product in order to check awareness about various features and identify training
requirements for the retailers.
6. The surveyor can capture images to keep track of visuals for each retail outlet
surveyed.
7. The application also keeps track of the stores visited or missed by a surveyor.
8. Finally, the surveyor can connect his device to the Internet and upload the data
gathered.
9. The application performs statistical analysis of data uploaded by all personnel.
The results are then displayed in the web interface.
10. The survey results help company in identifying sales trends by retail locations
and thus identifying areas for improvement in its supply chain.