"Thank you so much for keeping my nose to the grindstone on the iControl program. I know this is going to be a long term relationship for iControl and Chevron. What a great company you [and] your team put together. I just wish I had done it earlier."
Setup & Maintenance of Data
- Collaboration Success Begins... and Never Stops... with Data Integrity!
Precise, on-going data synchronization is the key building block for any data-driven initiative. Few retailers or CPG companies have the resources or economies of scale to keep-up with the kind of non-stop item file and pricebook maintenance that is essential across from so many trade partners. As a result, real time data is frequently out of sync between trade partners, resulting in considerable administrative inefficiencies. Consequently, merchants and sales executives spend most of their time correcting errors, and not nearly enough time growing sales.
At its core, the iControl System is built to enable our clients to reach and maintain a state of statistically-maximal accuracy in their item file and pricebook.
We reach this goal without expecting our clients to perform IT calisthenics; we customize our solution and workflow to correspond to each retail client’s unique environment.
Removing burdens to participation, not adding any, are what we’re about.
A dollar “saved” or “earned” by a well-structured collaboration program delivers more than just a dollar – it ensures on-going supply and a consumer that can trust our retailer – and keeps coming back!
Why are we fanatics for data accuracy?
Precise, on-going data synchronization is a non-negotiable requirement for Scan-Based-Trading, but also for any project focused on gleaming actionable insights from data. Few retailers have the internal resources or time to deliver the kind of vigorous, non-stop item file and pricebook maintenance that true collaboration require.
It's not at all that they are bad or indifferent operators. Far from it. Most of our clients are the best in their class of trade. The reason we've seen numerous item file and pricebook that are suboptimal is because no single retailer has the resources or economy of scale to manage a pricebook and item file across so many trade partners with the kind of focus and attention to detail that today's supply chain requires.
Before you can pay on scan or act on data, you must remove known and unknown obstacles to data accuracy, and then never stop working to keep the obstacles from reappearing!
Achieving maximal accuracy is not a destination to reach. It is an on-going process to follow. Today’s 99.999% accurate database can become next week’s 99.1% accurate database, and 98.9% the week after, and so on in a downward spiral.
For this reason, iControl has not only the most comprehensive Account Setup procedures of any company in the field, but the largest team of analysts by a country mile. Our analysts are dedicated to making sure our retail partners don’t just reach a high level of data-accuracy, but as importantly maintain it, to ensure the long-term success of any initiative based on the data.
Without accurate data – on day 1, day 100, or day 1,000 – someone along the supply chain will suffer, which in turn will begin a downward spiral of nasty consequences:
- Dirty data means decisions will be based on false premises
- Replenishment will be off, causing Out of Stock or Overstock situations
- Voids may result from misconstrued information
- Planograms will be impossible to properly evaluate or maintain
- Profits will sag for CPG supplier and retailer alike
- Separating high performing products from dogs will be much more challenging
- ultimately, consumers will stop trusting the retailer to carry the products they want
- Both the retailer and the CPG supplier will suffer from lower sales and less loyalty
In other words...
Trying to make business decisions without taking the time to develop, refine and maintain a pristine data set, is the ultimate example of a strategy that is a penny wise, and a dollar foolish!
