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Why using EPOS analytics data in retail is a game changer

Written by Kevin Green | Mar 2, 2021 9:27:18 AM

Data plays an important role in field sales, today more than ever. Being able to use data to effectively direct teams to act efficiently in store in resolving issues that block or prevent sales, is what allows us as a field marketing agency to transform the sales of our clients, both increasing their product availability and presence in store, whilst providing a strong return on field investment.  

How do we do that? By using DART, our EPOS analytics solution which we built in partnership with Retail Insight. It allows field teams to spot opportunities in store, alerts them to where they need to intervene in any given location, and tracks product sales performance using daily EPOS data to direct field teams on where they can add value for brands. It has been proven to unlock significant sales growth, whilst making the teams who use it more efficient. You can check out one of our client case studies here. 

One of the most exciting areas of my role as the Product Manager for DART, is setting a progressive roadmap that ensures we are consistently adding value for our clients, whilst also staying at the forefront of the EPOS analytics tool market. We do this by ensuring our customers (the client) are aligned to the feature developments we deploy for the users (the field team), that is strongly supported by the data (EPOS and interventions data). This recipe works well; we’ve shipped 5 new features in the last 12 months, all of which our clients gain access to without having to pay more. This ensures their investment not only provides the right tools for their field teams, but the latest and market leading enhancements too. 

One of the great new features that we've shipped in the last 12 months, is our Product Profile feature.  

Particularly in the current store environment, field reps will spend too much time in store searching for a store colleague with a Telcon/HCC gun so that they can check the selling profile or the stock holding of a product. This is precious time that could be spent at the fixture, adding value for the brands. That’s why we set out to help our field teams with this problem! 

The Product Profile feature uses barcode scanning functionality built within the application to provide a selling profile for a SKU. A user can scan the barcode of any client product in the store, and within seconds, they are presented with a Product Profile for that SKU. Within a 28-day rolling calendar view, users can see metrics such as Total Sales, Total Volume, Availability %, Lost Sales Value, Regional Ranking, and most importantly, Current Stock Holding.  

The Product Profile page has been a fantastic addition to the DART Field App, enabling users to be more efficient with their time in-store, more informed with their decision making, and build more credibility with store contacts by using live sales data to support their priorities. 

Mark Gould, Territory Manager on our Unilever account said: 

“With the DART Product Profile feature, you and your store colleagues will be flying through detailed SKU analysis on any product in a matter of seconds!” 

And Stephen Lennox, Regional Manager on our Kerry Foods account said: 

“It’s very intuitive and is a much smarter way of working for my team regarding finding products.” 

Stay tuned this month for more insight into our Data & Digital capabilities. If you would like to find out how we can help your field sales team achieve more in store through smart EPOS analytics, get in touch here.  

We are currently offering a free trial for DART too, so if you would a free three month pilot in one of the top four Multiple retailers, find out more below.