LEVI’S + GoSpotCheck by FORM

Levi’s Excels with World Class
Retail Execution

It’s In Their Jeans

About the Company

Levi Strauss & Co., referred to simply as Levi’s, was founded nearly 150 years ago in 1873. Levi’s is an international powerhouse with a presence in over 110 countries. The company is famous for its original jeans, for original people—a slogan Levi’s wears well.

Christine Nyman-Maffei, Sr. Operations Manager, MC Organization, at Levi Strauss & Co., explained how Levi’s uses GoSpotCheck by FORM to collect real-time data, analyze photos to find trends, and leverage technology to drive the brand forward another 100 years.
The Challenge

Without an execution management software solution, Levi’s struggled to store photos of
retail displays, report actionable metrics, and share data within a critical window of time
that informs decision-making.

Before implementing GoSpotCheck by FORM, Levi’s used an internally-managed tool that was not
keeping up with the demands of their business. The system had a variety of restrictions,
including a limited number of question types, storage shortages, and an inability to
collect real-time data.

“There was no way for Levi’s to fill out information on a real-time basis without going from the store to a home office,” Nyman-Maffei explained.

The retail survey capability of Levi’s prior solution was skeletal and difficult to use. As a result, the Levi’s team often spent time recording data instead of spending time in store fostering relationships. Additionally, Levi’s had no photo management tool—uploading and storing photos was disorganized and chaotic.

Levi’s began searching for new technology with the understanding that many enterprise solutions require heavy training, a lot of time, and a large pool of resources. Levi’s did not have an IT team to dedicate to a software rollout, so the company looked for a platform that was intuitive, easy to implement, and scalable for large enterprise demands.

The Solution

To begin collecting critical in-store data and compensate for previous tech inadequacies,
Levi’s implemented GoSpotCheck by FORM. Levi’s provided training sessions and user documentation for reference, but teams found GoSpotCheck by FORM easy to use and adaptable. The rollout was seamless across all company levels, including management and the teams responsible for reporting and data analysis. The GoSpotCheck by FORM Customer Success team helped Levi’s initially transition critical data like account numbers, addresses, and customer information.

Currently, the Customer Success team assists Levi’s with any troubleshooting and offers
strategic guidance. “The support we received after implementation — including getting back
to us if we have questions—is really outstanding. That’s very important to have in a vendor
that you work with, especially with a new tool like GoSpotCheck by FORM. It was a really smooth,
easy launch,” Nyman-Maffei said.

Missions, the core of the GoSpotCheck by FORM solution, connect People, Places, and Tasks. Missions can operate as a survey or audit to gather store-level intel, real-time feedback, and more. Levi’s teams visit stores and complete Missions to monitor graphic needs, location quality, and seasonal merchandising. Each Mission functions as a comprehensive checklist to answer questions like “Are there any comments from store management that we need to know about?” and “Is there any kind of competitive information that you want to share?” The quantitative data functions as a management information tool for Levi’s to understand the market, brand performance, and competitor activity. The granularity of collected data enables easy examination of specific issues at certain stores, including back wall heights, display parameters, and adjacency types. Levi’s also uses GoSpotCheck by FORM to track square footage inside stores to determine the brand’s current footprint. Questions involving square footage include the number of occupied square feet, changes in square feet, and the location of Levi’s products in store. The data reported informs calculations like sales per square foot and effectiveness of marketing collateral.

It’s just amazing how much faster we can get the information using GoSpotCheck by FORM than using the process we had before.

CHRISTINE NYMAN-MAFFEI
Sr. Operations Manager, MC Organization, at Levi Strauss & Co.

Business Impact

Empowered by GoSpotCheck by FORM, Levi’s has moved their retail operations forward in three core areas: business operations, in-store visibility, and reporting capabilities.

Business Operations

GoSpotCheck by FORM effectively addressed the issues Levi’s had with their previous solution, including accessibility. Levi’s employees can answer questions on mobile devices such as tablets and phones—recording real-time data on-thego from any account. Storage limitations are no longer a problem, and GoSpotCheck by FORM Missions, as a means of data collection, have been embraced by the Levi’s team.

The GoSpotCheck by FORM mobile application has minimized the time Levi’s previously spent filling out reports from the home office. This increase in efficiency gives Levi’s the opportunity to reallocate time towards optimizing in-store relationships.

“Our team can access GoSpotCheck by FORM at any location while they are working out in the field. It’s something they can use in store each day and send the answers to questions back in real time. All of this is doable without going home and working. We’re getting more people out from behind their desks and onto the floor—merchandising and working with their account partners,” Nyman-Maffei said.

The support we received after implementation—including getting back to us if we have questions—is really outstanding. That’s very important to have in a vendor that you work with, especially with a new tool like GoSpotCheck by FORM. It was a really smooth, easy launch.”

CHRISTINE NYMAN-MAFFEI
Sr. Operations Manager, MC Organization, at Levi Strauss & Co.

In-Store Visibility

GoSpotCheck by FORM photo management and image database enable Levi’s to quickly document and analyze new product sets, retail execution, and monthly service visits.

“We use GoSpotCheck by FORM as a photo repository for all locations. If we need to see what a specific floor looks like, then we have that information available. With our previous system, there was no way we could house that many photos,” Nyman-Maffei said.

Levi’s teams adjust Missions to manage current initiatives and collect timely data surrounding seasonal products and promotions.

“When we need to know if certain frames are at certain stores, we develop the Mission to say: ‘How many of these types of frames do you have at this store?’” Nyman-Maffei explained.

During spring, Levi’s easily distributes a Mission requesting photos of the new spring short set.

Those photos—and similar photos across different stores—can be added into presentations for internal use or for reports given to account partners.

Reporting Capabilities

GoSpotCheck by FORM reporting is built upon a centralized dashboard with tables, graphs, and photos. The dashboard displays real-time data visualizations and aggregated data sets with customizable filtering. Streamlined charts and analytics provide Levi’s with a holistic view of in-store activity. The data collected through GoSpotCheck by FORM affects the merchandise and collateral that Levi’s distributes to its accounts.

“It’s just amazing how much faster we can get the information using GoSpotCheck by FORM than using the process we had before,” Nyman-Maffei said.

As a result of implementing GoSpotCheck by FORM, Levi’s has a wealth of market knowledge, increased accessibility to data, and unlimited storage for critical information. Levi’s continues to grow globally as international consumers fall in love with Levi’s denim jeans—some of the most recognized apparel in the world.

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