Remote data checks using planning portals and databases can be completed quickly and easily, but some information can only be gathered from a field visit. This article outlines when a field visit can beat remote data checks.
The Site Has Changed Use
Portals and databases take time to catch up with reality on the ground. Whilst a planning database may have a unit recorded as a shop (e.g. a takeaway), it is actually now a nail bar, a gym or indeed long closed down. A visit will quickly confirm the reality within minutes as opposed to minutes of searching for inaccurate information which at best only suggests the possibility!
Local Conditions Are Distorting the Numbers
Roadworks, temporary closures, new one-way systems or seasonal markets all can drastically affect footfall figures. As a data analyst you are only basing your counts on historical figures. You have no idea that a road has been closed for the last 6 weeks and you are counting all the traffic for that area.
Physical Compliance Needs Confirming
Whether you’re checking that the products are being displayed in the correct location, that the correct signage is being displayed in the correct location, and that the customers have adequate access to the unit then photographs or signed checklists are far better than a remote tick-box for auditors and clients alike.
A Client Is Disputing a Data Point
When a retailer or landlord disputes your findings it is rare that a screenshot of a retailers dashboard will resolve the matter.
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Photographic Evidence Is Required
Some audit, compliance and contractual processes require visual confirmation of certain items. Although accurate data has been collected by remote means, photographs are required to prove certain facts. Therefore include a visit in the data collection process from the outset rather than adding as an afterthought.
Even when you price in the cost of being wrong, a field visit is probably cheaper in the long run.
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