Traditional field reporting requires a lot of notes and back and forth to complete a report. However, by the time you visit a your destination and complete the task you’ve been assigned, whether it’s reviewing compliance at a construction site or taking a retail inventory, conditions have already changed by the time you’ve left. Even more time passes was you then prepare the report to distribute to your team. This is where field employee tracking app comes in. FReD is a type of field data collection software that streamlines and speeds up workflow processes. Harnessing your mobile device as the ultimate data collection tool, FReD is easily integrated and improves efficiency by cutting out delays in information gathering and reporting. Here are just a few things that FReD can do for you when you’re in the field.
Real Time Data Collection
The biggest difference between doing a field report a few decades ago and now is that you have the benefit of real time technology. For example, every inch of a retail space should be strategically presented to logically pair merchandise and set up points of sale using a planogram, but that tactic needs to be monitored and checked up on. With FReD, you can walk through your store with your phone and make observations, take notes, and even snap pictures that will all go into the report after the fact, the real time component makes the data collected much more useful. The Balance recommends that when using a planogram, field data should be collected once a month to check up on compliance.
Minimal Set-up and Equipment
One of the best aspects of FReD is the fact that all you need is a mobile device to start using it immediately. That can be a tablet or smartphone, and the software is compatible with both Android and iOS. This system uses the cloud to store all the data you collect and is accessible and shareable any time with the simple press of a button. In terms of investment value, using this type of data collection software requires no major equipment purchases and will increase your efficiency while working with the technology you already have.
Report Generator
Reports are one of the most important parts of conducting field data collection. FReD allows you to create reports with the data you collect in many different formats, viewable on your mobile device’s screen or exportable as common file extensions such as xls or csv. Using FReD, you can also share reports with authorized users at different levels of seniority across the system.
Affordability
No matter how great a system sounds, it’s hard to understand it until actually using it yourself. FReD offers free trials for potential customers to check out how mobile field data collection can work for you. This is a great solution for SMBs, especially since plans are built on the idea that you only pay for features that you’ll actually use. Deciding whether you want to invest in a more involved plan with features you’ll pay a little more for is dependent on your needs. For example, the major categories you miss out on if you go for a simpler, less expensive plan with FReD are modules like SKU features and Purchase Order functions. The bottom line is that there’s budget flexibility.