CASE HISTORIES

Company	FMCG Confectionery
Our Client	Trinity - Field Market Research
Summary	W@P Solution for Field Data Gathering
Background & Requirements
A major supplier agreed the planogram with the top 4 major multiple retailers to have their goods displayed prominently near the till points. To ensure that this was working effectively, a team of 60 merchandise support staff would visit each major store twice a week, complete paper forms which were then sent on to Head Office. To sell in a new product launch (approx once every six months) a team of 150 merchandisers would visit 40,000 outlets to audit all stores. Time delay in getting information back to base meant that often low or no stock situations could take several days to respond to. Cost of hand-held computers would be high if that option chosen. Client required real time analysis. Cost of system needed to be low. Training requirements need to be minimised.

	DES designed a solution that used PAYG mobile phones to communicate with a W@P enabled website to audit and confirm activity carried out at call.
	Field agents would enter Store ID and database would prompt store-specific questions that could be easily answered using the numeric keypad of the phone.
	Front end site developed for client interrogation to view activity, stock and display reports.
	Real time data therefore available for the client.
	Minimal training required as all staff were conversant with using mobile phones for text messaging (similar).
	Cost of phones negligible as got them on low contracts with free data bundles which the W@P connection uses, so no call charges.
	Battery Life excellent.
	Ease of replacement if phones lost or damaged.
	No data stored on phone so no data lost with loss or damage.
	Quick to implement amended questions.
	Immediate notification of nil-stock situations.

DES Computer Services is part of the DES Group