6 “Red Flags” Make You Say No To Manual Retail Audit Checklist
One of the common conditions of retail brands today is the habit of using pen and paper or spreadsheets in most jobs without using a digital retail audit checklist.
This is because this is a procedure that has been in place for a while. It is difficult for retail businesses to change this method immediately, although this method causes many difficulties for managers and employees.
However, it still has to be said that in order to have sustainable development, businesses should consider digital transformation of their retail audit process.
The reason is because the manual method will create a lot of inadequacies. And here are 6 “red flags” that will make you say no to manual retail audit checklists.
Retail audits for better store operations
6 “Red Flags” Make You Say No To Manual Retail Audit Checklist For Store Audits
#1. No Real Time Reflection For Timely Processing
Since manual methods cannot provide immediate visibility or real-time recording, stakeholders will typically receive information after market forces complete their assessment in stores and General in the office.
It is estimated that this process can take up to 3 weeks (According to Ms. My, Assistant to the Operations Manager at KAO). Using software to support the retail process will be able to cut down to 70% of the time for the entire process mentioned above.
The reason is that all information and data provided by supervisors, promoters or PGs and other market forces are recorded in real time on the system as soon as the user uses the mobile device to do the task. and click “Submitted”.
Not only that, all submitted data is stored on the Admin tool's Timeline on the web.
Visual reports are also automatically compiled from the above numbers from line charts to pie charts, helping managers at all levels to have a preliminary grasp of the business's performance when looking at the charts. thing.
When they need in-depth reports, they can also download aggregated data tables from the system to the device, for in-depth analysis to make correct and timely decisions.
As you can see, the application of technology in store inspections or store layout or retail audit helps a lot.
The digital solution both cuts down on lead times and reduces the workload placed on their shoulders.
Digital checklists ease issues raised by traditional methods
#2. Ineffective Communication Between Managers and Employees
In fact, when performing an spreadsheet or paper-based retail audit checklist, the exchange of information between management, supervisory staff and employees at the store becomes difficult and inefficient.
The reason is that the requirements can hardly be expressed in detail and completely based on words. In addition, sending paper documents to relevant personnel can create cumbersome checks when traveling across multiple stores and points of sale.
One of the other difficulties when using traditional solutions in retail audit is the problem of sharing audit reports. Paper reports or spreadsheets can prevent management from reviewing and checking to make the necessary decisions properly and in a timely manner.
Types of retail audit are different
One of the benefits of using an application to audit a retail outlet is the speed and efficiency of communication, especially between management and employees.
Reports are instantly aggregated on a digital solution to help capture performance, trends and share information more quickly. In addition, existing problems can be resolved more quickly.
#3. How Hard to Track Checklist Execution
As you probably already know, the goal of performing a retail audit is to capture the quality of the store's operations or promptly detect security and safety related issues here.
However, the question is “How can you tell if testing is still underway at the target points?” Information may drift or get lost when sent by email.
Not only that, transparency and credibility may not be guaranteed when implemented by traditional methods.
In addition, when timely solutions to ongoing problems are needed, paper or spreadsheet audits can create delays in management decision-making for your retail store.
FieldCheck digital audit solution provides job management features. Accordingly, when you discover any problems, you will be able to report or assign work directly to the relevant person.
You can then use the system to track the progress of the problem, without having to visit the retail store in person or communicate directly with the person responsible for that part of the work.
More specifically, to ensure the security of some information, we provide a decentralization feature for users. Accordingly, you can limit viewing or editing rights for different accounts.
#4. Making Report Takes So Long
After finishing all retail audit checklist while visiting various stores and points of sale, supervisors or auditors will be able to return to the office.
The next job will probably be to summarize everything after performing the audit with an Excel file, attaching photos taken directly at the points visited, even scanning the evidence on paper.
Not only is this process laborious, but it also causes a lot of time and delay, reducing the number of audits that can be conducted.
Meanwhile, with a retail audit checklist done directly on mobile devices, the above steps are not necessary.
You can directly attach images taken with the device, click answers on checklists created by previous management, and add comments or notes at the office if needed.
Reporting becomes easier with FieldCheck
As you can see, this process saves a lot of time, cutting down on the time of doing the audit, especially in aggregating the data collected in each audit.
More specifically, with the application that supports retail store audit, you only need to click a few clicks to have a professional report automatically generated by the application.
According to actual data, app users can save 5 times time on retail audit and reporting by using a retail audit software with audit templates, like FieldCheck.
#5. Difficult To Track Audit Effectiveness
Traditionally, when getting metrics from market forces, it's difficult for retail store managers to know if audit scores are getting better or going down. Or they can hardly know the answer to the question “What are the top 3 outstanding problems?”
By having this information, you will know how you can improve your business.
One of the common problems when performing audits with paper or spreadsheets is that the data is scattered from many different sources, making it difficult to aggregate and retrieve data.
Meanwhile, in the case that all retail store audit checklist data is recorded on one system, you will easily recognize the situation and trends of activities at your stores or points of sale regardless of time and place. place.
Not only that, this information is recorded in real time. All you need to do is click on the Dashboard feature and select the data you need to see. In addition, you can also download reports from the application to send to your partners easily.
#6. Data Inconsistency
Due to the easy nature of "A tale never loses in the telling" because the way each person does the work is different, the aggregation of information or audit data may lose consistency.
This not only makes it difficult to summarize and report, but also greatly affects the transparency of the numbers from the store audit.
Manual data entry can also easily lead to human error, affecting the accuracy of the store audit.
Meanwhile, when doing testing based on a digital retail audit checklist, you will be able to minimize human error by creating questionnaires that agree on answers.
Not only that, the statistics, synthesis and later analysis of data also become easier, and can even be done automatically thanks to technology.
From there, you will save a lot of time from aggregating information and numbers. This time you will be able to spend on researching and coming up with strategies to research consumer behaviors for growing your business and attract more customers more effectively.
FieldCheck with digital reports
Wrapping Up
Here are 6 reasons why manual checklists can affect retail store audit results. Not only does it consume a lot of forces involved in the same mission, but it also consumes a lot of time.
In addition, grasping the situation and activity trends at the stores is also difficult when using manual checklists.
Seen as the optimal method to help solve the above problems, current SaaS applications support audits more easily, reduce the workload for the workforce while optimizing working time.
More specifically, the data is updated in real time, ensuring transparency. The retrieval of analytical charts is also done automatically by the system.
So managers can access and get a glimpse of the retail situation easily regardless of time and place.
Learn how FieldCheck can assist your business today
