The Task
To achieve a higher standard of service, the end client required detailed information on how servicing was being carried out, as well as how problem-areas that were requiring more frequent service (and more cost), could be best managed.
Mistral Technical Services Ltd was engaged to implement an auditing solution which would involve Mistral's auditors visiting the 400+ sites to complete audits on all technical retail components; to name a few, air-conditioning, lighting and refridgeration.
The data gathered through these audits then needed to be presented in an informational way so that the supermarket giant could take action and improve their servicing processes.
Live
Data needed to be live and active. This is so that actions that could be considered 'critical' (safety issues) can be carried out before an incident occurs. Waiting for a pool of data to be presented after 2 years wouldn't be sufficient and/or useful.
Accessible
The data provided by the audits needed to be accessible for stakeholders across the country and in a format that was informative and easily understood.
Actionable
Presenting the data in an actionable form was a key requirement. With over 400 stores being audited twice in a two year period, raw data would be massively labour-intensive to analyse and create actions upon.
Accurate
To produce useful, actionable information, the underlying data needed to be accurate and relevant, whilst still being simple to gather for the auditor in the field.
Products Featured
Managed Devices
Deploying iOS devices in the field across the country was only possible after ensuring security and manageability.
Google Workspace
Google Workspace acting as the 'glue', was vital to ensuring communication across the business was efficient.
iAuditor
iAuditor, a cloud-based auditing solution, enabled the auditing teams to complete their inspections from anywhere.
Vonage
Vonage enabled the auditors to call ahead to the stores from a landline number without sharing their mobile numbers.
Ostratto Support
The auditors in the field can feel confident in knowing they are technically supported at all times.
Professional Services
Designing, implementing and maintaining the solution to requirements was all completed in-house by Ostratto.
Implementation
The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.
Live
By adopting a cloud-based auditing solution, iAuditor, auditors use an app on their issued mobile devices to complete the audits. Sets of pre-defined questions provide multiple choice options, with the ability to add notes and photos as required.
The data is then instantly available online with automations triggered when the answer to a question is deemed an immediate risk.
Actionable
To date, over 2,100 audits have been completed, resulting in more than 17,400 items flagged as issues.
Forming useful information from this amount of data involved creating specific dashboards and report outputs which highlighted key areas the end client is focused on.
Each audit also produces a written report automatically, for distribution to the relavant business areas.
Secure
With potentially-sensitive data being collected across over 400 stores, it was absolutey vital that all information was accessed securely, whilst still retaining the mobility that the solution required.
Utilising Google Workspace, all users accessing the data and auditing systems are authenticated at every endpoint. All of the team at Mistral use Google Workspace for their productivity needs already, so using their account to access the auditing solution is intuitive and seamless.
Combined with the requirement to use a company-issued device to complete the audits, the entire solution is inherently secure, yet simple.
Accessible
Stakeholders were issued their own logins, as well as a managed mobile device, so that they can review the live, incoming information as necessary.
Automated, live graphs and reports were created based on key data so that stakeholders would only see the information that mattered. I.e. Stores in the South West using a common refridgeration supplier were experiencing more fault call-outs than stores using a different supplier.
Accurate
Mistral Technical Services Ltd, with their extensive knowledge in the technical areas, were able to produce bespoke audit templates with mostly a 'yes/no + take a picture' response. This meant that each question was simple to respond to, and all responses included an image for reference.
Approaching the templates with a simple choice response meant that auditors could complete the audits efficiently, whilst the answers they chose held specific weighting in the overall audit score which would produce a highly accurate report.
Manageable
Building on top of the secure user management offered by Google Workspace, all auditors are also issued a managed mobile device.
The managed devices are geographically tracked, apps and features are managed and restricted centrally, and security measures such as strong passwords are enforced. The devices are consistently monitored for non-compliance with automatic alerts being sent to Ostratto Support for investigation.
By managing the devices centrally, all stakeholders can be confident using them in the field so that more time and resource can be spent on achieving the overarching objective(s).
Result
At the time of writing, 2,694 audits have been completed with 20,171 items flagged for review across 421 stores. A confirmed value of over £500,000 has already been recognised as a cost saving due to proactive identification of failing refrigeration systems resulting in minimal stock loss. The information provided by this cutting-edge auditing solution has resulted in massive service overhauls within the end client's operations, improving efficiency and reducing costs significantly by taking a proactive approach to service issues.
Although initially only contracted for two years, the auditing service is now into it's fourth year of operation due to it's incredible success. The service is now deemed a vital part of the end client's service plan with no intention of ceasing Mistral's input or the solution implemented by Ostratto.
At Ostratto, we're fundamentally customer-success focused. This means instead of designing solutions based on our expectations, we focus on customer requirements and needs to ensure their success. In turn, we find success in shared success as our customers' trusted technical consultancy partner whom they can rely upon.
We solve complex business problems with cutting-edge technology, whilst keeping everything simple for our customers. Be sure to check out other examples of how we have helped businesses make their work, less work.
