Field-force, research & distribution teams
Field data collection and site verification in South Africa.
A managed field collection service for organisations. Tell us which places to check and what you need to know. Nearby people collect the specified observations; AI handles routine checks and people review what is unclear.
What it does
Built for one clear job.
Check whether a place or outlet is present, document a specified visible condition, or answer a structured question at an agreed location. A site list starts a verification job; a bounded area and an outlet definition start a discovery job. Those are different collection tasks.
Field observations can help prioritise worksite and corridor visits. They do not, on their own, prove demand, a sale, market share or the cause of a change. Decide what the observation can establish before putting it into a deployment plan.
How it works
From signal to defensible decision.
Define the question
Specify the geography, existing site list or discovery area, questions and decision the evidence should support.
Agree what counts
Set required evidence, safe access, consent, freshness and review rules before collection starts.
Collect and review
People in the network capture the observations. Routine checks and human review separate usable evidence from unclear submissions.
Inspect the sample
Review the agreed report or structured file, its exceptions and limitations before deciding on a larger collection.
Core capabilities
What you get.
Place and site checks
Check specified places against the question in your brief, rather than assuming an existing database is current.
Evidence with context
Photos, location and time help a reviewer understand what was observed and when.
Structured answers
Agree the requested attributes and output format so observations can be compared with your own records.
Revisit planning
Discuss a return to the same places when a decision needs fresh evidence. Availability and cadence are confirmed for the project.
Evidence with a boundary
Published examples span outlet submissions, flood reports and billboard checks. They establish experience with different collection jobs, not complete coverage or independent certification of every place.
Who it's for
For distribution, research, GIS and field-force teams
Teams deciding where to send a rep, verify a place record or investigate a physical condition, who need to inspect the evidence behind the decision.
Outcomes
What changes for you.
- A scoped observation job with an explicit acceptance rule
- Evidence you can inspect before expanding the collection
- A clear distinction between observed, uncertain and unverified claims
Before commissioning collection
Write a field brief that can be checked.
A useful sample answers a specific question at specific places. Use this checklist to make the collection, review and delivery requirements explicit before agreeing the job.
1. Places and access
Supply the site list or draw the discovery boundary. Say whether an observation can be made from a public place or needs permission to enter. Agree consent and safe access before collection; the brief is not permission to enter private premises.
2. Question and evidence
Define the visible condition, required photo and structured answer. State when the observation must be made and how recent it must be. Do not ask a photograph to establish a transaction, ownership or a cause it cannot show.
3. Acceptance and exceptions
Agree the evidence needed for acceptance and the treatment of unclear, incomplete, conflicting or duplicate submissions. An inaccessible location or an uncertain match is an exception to report, not a reason to invent a completed visit.
4. Delivery and feasibility
Agree the report or file format, permitted uses and any recheck. Geography, travel and access, task complexity, evidence requirements, review effort and revisit frequency affect cost and timing. The sample scope confirms feasibility; this page does not promise a national service-level agreement.
Illustrative requested output fields
Use this as a scoping checklist. Fields, review labels and delivery format must be agreed for your project.
- Record and requested site
- An observation identifier and the site or area it is intended to answer.
- Observed answer and time
- The structured response and when it was observed, including an uncertain response where needed.
- Location and photo reference
- The requested location evidence and a reference to the supporting image, subject to agreed access and privacy rules.
- Review and exception
- The review outcome, reason for an exception and any unresolved question. Confirm the status vocabulary in the brief.
Field observation is not a cadastral survey, engineering inspection, regulatory certification or financial audit. If a decision needs a qualified professional or independent validation, include that separately in the project design.
Before you start.
What the evidence can tell you, what it cannot, and how to scope the work.
What can a field visit verify?
A visit can check whether a place, outlet, billboard or specified condition is present, with a photo, location, time and structured answers. The question and acceptance rule are agreed first, so the evidence answers the decision you need to make.
How are field observations checked?
Timbuk2 checks the observation and its supporting evidence before accepting it. AI handles routine checks and people review what is unclear. An approved submission is a review status, not automatically an independently audited premise or a complete census of an area.
Where can Timbuk2 collect field evidence?
Published examples include outlet submissions in Soweto, Langa and Umlazi, flood reporting in Cape Town, and billboard collection in Abidjan. These are dated examples of work, not a promise of live coverage. Share your target places so the team can confirm feasibility and scope.
See it against your own market.
Tell us the geography, question and decision that matter to you. We'll confirm the scope and what evidence would answer it.
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