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StoreBuddy: make every store visit effective
Every store visit should leave the shelf better than it found it. With StoreBuddy, field reps photograph the cooler, StoreBuddy reads the shelf against its planogram within seconds, and the survey turns what the photo found into a specific list of actions. A final photo proves each action was done.
Watch the walkthrough
Watch the StoreBuddy walkthrough on YouTube.
Why it matters
A typical audit asks "is the shelf okay?", and the rep fixes what they happen to notice. StoreBuddy finds the empty space and asks exactly what to do about it: tag it and pack it out, request an order, or record why it can't be fixed.
- Real numbers from one photo: share of shelf, out-of-stocks, purity and planogram compliance, measured while the rep is still at the cooler.
- A different action list for every visit: built from what the photo found, not from a fixed checklist.
- Proof, not a guess: before and after photos show each gap was filled.
- A closed loop: submitted surveys stay on the outlet, so issues are fixed instead of just escalated.
How StoreBuddy works
StoreBuddy has two parts that work together:
| Part | Who uses it | What it does | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile app (field execution) | Field reps and merchandisers | Find the store, take the before and final photos, work through the action list and submit the survey. | Survey, Surveys tab on an outlet |
| Playbook (configuration and analytics) | Administrators and managers | Build questionnaires, schedule surveys and assign them to outlets and users, then review submissions, dashboards and results. | Overview; set up with Questionnaires, Outlet Groups, User Groups and Surveys; review in the Inbox, Dashboard and Result Analysis |
A store visit in the app
The rep's side of StoreBuddy, in the order a visit happens:
- Open the StoreBuddy link and sign in. Reps open the StoreBuddy link on their phone and sign in with a one-time passcode, so there is no password to remember. Your account can be configured to allow automatic sign-up for your company email domains: a rep from one of those domains who doesn't have an account yet is offered one right there.
- Find the store. The app lists outlets that are ready for a survey, nearest first. To find a specific store, type its store number with a
#in front (for example#1234), or start typing the address, city, state or zip code. - Start the survey. Opening the store shows the survey assigned to that rep. The cooler's planogram is one tap away, showing what every shelf should look like.
- Answer the cooler questions as the survey asks them.
- Take the before photo. Pull all items forward and face them, with labels toward the customer and the doors open, then take the photo. The image is analysed within a few seconds, and never more than thirty: every product is detected and matched against the planogram. If the cooler has the wrong planogram assigned, the rep can swap it and the same photo is analysed again against the right one.
- Work through the action list. For each gap the photo found, the rep completes the action and records the result, or picks the reason it can't be fixed. If a product was in the cooler but not recognized, they select Recognition Error. Either way, the item isn't asked about again after the final photo.
- Take the final photo. It confirms what was fixed. Anything still outstanding is raised right away.
- Submit. The rep adds a comment if needed and submits. The survey is saved in the outlet's Submitted tab, where it can be reviewed and any remaining issue followed up.
Behind every visit
What the rep sees is set up in Playbook. An administrator builds a questionnaire (the questions, photo steps and logic), schedules it as a survey, and assigns it to outlets and users. Submissions then flow back to Playbook for review and analysis. See StoreBuddy in Playbook for each screen.