A Field Visit Brief (also known as a ‘Visitor Brief’ or ‘Data Collection Brief’) is a document that is read by a visitor prior to their visit. The quality of this brief is critical in ensuring that the data collected is of good quality.
The Precise Objective and Metrics
Ensure the precise objective(s) are clearly outlined. Make sure that when recording the shelf availability of certain products that all relevant products (by SKU) are clearly listed, along with their respective positions on the visited shop’s shelves. Confirm whether answers are to be recorded in yes/no format or numeric and that the visitor is aware of how they should answer.
Location Details and Access Notes
The full address, correct entrance, any access codes, contact names and car parking information for difficult sites should all be included in the Field Visit Brief. It only takes twenty minutes to find the correct entrance to a site, but if the visitor has only an hour on site, that is forty minutes less for completing the tasks required.
Data Capture Format and Tools
Apps, forms, and templates that need to be used by the visitor should be specified and also whether or not photographs are required in addition to written records.
If you want a Data Collection Company, https://shepper.com/ is a good place to start.
Timing and Sequencing
State a time-frame within which the field visit is to take place and clearly outline the sequence of activities to be completed within that time-frame. As a Data Collection Company we issue many field visit briefs simultaneously to hundreds of locations.
On-Site Validation Steps
Identify one point on site that the visitor can verify against the data collected. This could be as simple as counting the number of items on a shelf and recording this against a product, or cross checking a printed-Out version of information against what was entered. companies House management information: identity verification statistics.
Handling Unexpected Conditions
Outline what the visitor should do if he encounters any of the problems listed above such as a store being closed, moved products, or a product not being available at all. For example record the condition, take a photo, note the reason for the problem.
A good brief takes about thirty minutes to write but will save hours of subsequent correspondence.