How to Create a Retail Price Audit that Validates Scans Against a Database
Step-by-Step Tutorial
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1. Create a Service
2. Select ‘Validate Scans with a Database’
Set Where to Validate
Our Recommendation: Select to validate ‘On-Device and Later Sync Online’ as many indoor locations do not have stable internet connections throughout the facility.
Create a New Database
Provide the name of your database here, you will build your database later in step 8.
Status of Duplicate Scans
By default, any scan that has already been scanned will be marked as ‘Invalid’. You can change this to ‘Valid’ if you need to scan the same barcode more than once.
3. Name the Service
You can optionally add a description for the app user to see.
4. Authorize App Users for Access to this Service
Note: You can have an app username and password for each app user or a single one for all users.
We suggest you add one or more app-users. A common method is to have the username prefix be the initials of your organization followed by text or numbers, e.g. ABC-001, ABC-002, etc.
5. Add Questions for Data Collection
You can add one or more Questions (prompts) for data collection. Create your own custom questions or select questions from the list of ‘Available Questions’.
The most common prompts for Price Audits are ‘Short Answer’ question types, ‘Multiple Choice (Single Answer)’ question types, and ‘Dropbox Collection’ question types where a photo can be taken and saved in the scan record.
Example of Question Hierarchy
| Question | Question Type |
|---|---|
| If the displayed pricing the standard price? | Multiple Choice: Single Answer |
| If not, is the price the promotional price? | Multiple Choice: Single Answer |
| If neither, enter the displayed price here. | Short Answer: Manual |
| Take a photo to document the discrepancy. | Dropbox: Image Only |
Select ‘Add a Question’
Define the Question and the Answer Type
Set What the Questions Respond to and Their Order
Drag the questions from the list of ‘Available Questions’ into the appropriate field to the left i.e. ‘Ask after submitting a Valid Scan’.
Add a Short Answer for Invalid Scans
We suggest adding a short answer: manual after an invalid scan.
Example: “This item is not in the database. Enter item description and displayed price if it should be added to the database.”
Once Complete, Select ‘Save and Continue’
6. Advanced Settings
| Advanced Setting | Additional Information |
|---|---|
| Allow users to delete scans saved on device | This option is useful in case the app user made an entry mistake. |
| Allow users to edit answers saved on device | |
| Manual Sync (auto check for new database after scan upload) | |
| Email me when on-device scans are uploaded | Check this option if you need an immediate alert and you don’t plan on creating a report template option on the Scans page – the place where scans are normally filtered and downloaded on demand. |
| Track the device’s location at the time of each scan. Collect it … | Check this option if you want to track the app user’s GPS location. (The most common selection is ‘without interruption as a scan property’ which we call ‘background GPS’.) |
| Improve performance by targeting the barcode format(s) of this service | Check this option if you know the barcode type(s) you will be scanning – it can make scanning faster. |
7. Review
Review the service and select ‘Done’ to complete service creation.
8. Fill the Database
Note: To have this new service loaded to a mobile device or tablet, the app user will need to sign out and sign back into the app or refresh its services.
Create CSV File
Item UPC codes (barcode values) must be in column ‘A’
The ‘Response’ (The text or HTML content you want the app user to see after a scan) must be in Column ‘B’
To create a database CSV file in the correct format, please click here.
Below is an example spreadsheet for a retail price audit.
Upload the CSV File
Click the ‘Database’ link in the navigation bar
Select the ‘Edit’ option for the service in which you would like to edit
Select the ‘Import’ tab
Click ‘Browse’ to select the CSV file from your computer, then click the ‘Import Database’ button.
After your file has been uploaded and processed, your barcode’s value and responses will quickly fill your database.
Important: Updated databases for ‘On-Device’ service types must be uploaded to the mobile devices or tablets when the devices have access to the internet.
Helpful Resources:
How to create an Export Template
Please Read our Best Practices: Price Audit – Retail article