FAQs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you have questions? We have the answers! If your question has not been answered below, please contact us at RDI@stayinfront.com and we will be happy to help you.
Can you give any examples of categories where you have seen promotional execution analytics successfully deployed ?
All grocery categories that participate in promotional displays benefit from an unweighted focus. I have seen particular success in categories with a high level of secondary displays notably soft drinks and confectionery.
In your experience is the effort required offset by the gain when using promotional execution analytics?
Simple answer is yes, the payback is significant . Often the payback on any investment on technology in this area is recovered from one major promotion.
It is important to be able to access granular POS data to uncover the insights, but what about markets where this data is not available ?
StayinFront RDI Predictive Analytics uses machine learning to estimate the likely sales value in outlets where POS data isn’t available, such as emerging and Traditional Trade markets. Store level predictive alerts are generated that guide field sales teams to the highest value “size of prize” opportunities to improve ROI and further develop business in these markets.
Which product helps Consumer Goods manufacturers measure the value that is added by the sales team?
StayinFront RDI ROI View® automatically calculates the ROI of field sales operations at the most granular level. The StayinFront RDI ROI View® dashboard highlights opportunities to improve the productivity and efficiency of field sales.
What are the root causes of On-shelf Availability (OSA) and why isn’t it improving?
The first root cause is a Distribution gap – where the store has stopped selling and the retailer’s stock control system reports no stock at store level.
Second is a ‘Stock no sales’ issue – a likely book stock error, the store has recorded no sales but the retailer’s stock control system reports that stock is available in store. Find out more here.
What is Field Sales ROI and why does it matter?
Knowing the ROI of the Field Sales Force has never been more important to ensure the optimum level of resource is allocated to ensuring perfect execution.
How is ROI typically measured and calculated in the grocery channel today?
Using StayinFront RDI ROI View®, The Scan or POS (Point of Sale) data can then be used to calculate the incremental effect of specific sales actions taken in store.
How often and how long should you send your sales teams to stores?
The key point is the idea of flexibility. The retail world is constantly changing, so why would the route plan of the salesforce ever be static? Data can prove that the opportunity in any given store ebbs and flows and there is a strong argument that resource assignment should follow suit.
Does StayinFront Retail Data Insight offer Sales Consulting?
Yes, we do. We offer a fact-based consulting approach using data to develop innovative sales strategies and plans. Click here to learn more.
How long does it take for the StayinFront Retail Data Insight solution to provide a Proof of Concept (business case) using my data?
This can be done within 6 weeks of the POS (Scan) data being provided to us.
What kind of data do I need to be able to use StayinFront Retail Data Insight’s solution?
Ideally, we work with retailers’ POS (Scan) data at the most granular level – by SKU, by store, and by day.
If we cannot get POS data on a daily basis, would weekly data suffice?
We can work with weekly data in StayinFront RDI Field View®, but the likelihood of the issue still being present when the field representative arrives in the store deteriorates over time. Weekly data is perfectly acceptable for StayinFront RDI Field View ROI® and StayinFront RDI Sales View®.
We need POS data on a daily basis, but our retailers won’t release it. Can we use your expertise to share some examples with the retailers which may persuade them to release the data?
We can help by showing the additional sales that can typically be generated using daily rather than weekly data in similar categories to your own.
How long after POS data is received are alerts generated for the field team to fix?
We typically receive data from the retailers’ systems early in the morning and issue alerts within 2-3 hours. If we can get the previous day’s sales data early enough, the alerts can then be with the field team before they leave for their day’s work.
Is your Field View solution a stand-alone app or integrated into a Sales Force Automation (SFA) solution?
StayinFront RDI Field View® is available as a fully integrated module within StayinFront’s TouchCG solution. It is also available as a standalone app for both iOS and Android devices.
What are the barriers for manufacturers completing On-shelf Availability (OSA) issues for themselves?
The main barrier for clients themselves is the complexity in sourcing the scan data, gathering this from the retail partners’ websites, and homogenising it. This will be tricky as each retailer has their own individual code that they tribute to a manufacturer’s SKU. See how StayinFront Retail Data Insight’s solution can help with this here.
Can anything be done in markets where scan data by-store-by-SKU is not available?
The StayinFront Retail Data Insight team is very focused on this. We are currently producing an application of set machine learning and artificial intelligence tools which we are referring to as StayinFront RDI Predictive Analytics to help us unlock and use different data sources from clients.
In your experience, what are the most pressing OSA problems that need to be solved?
Big data analytics can help solve a range of problems. This can be factors such as highlighting execution gaps, planning incremental sales opportunities, optimizing forecasting, tracking trade terms compliance and ROI. Find out more here
Who are the main Stakeholders for big data analytics?
Sales, Customer Marketing, Supply Chain and Revenue Growth Management teams.
How could StayinFront Retail Data Insight help?
StayinFront Retail Data Insight has deep expertise in big data analytics employing a mixture of seasoned CPG experts and combining this with data scientists. We retrieve the retail data for clients and undertake the analytics and provide software solutions which deliver the actionable insights to your relevant stakeholders in an easy to digest format. Find out more here.
