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The Key Features are explained below.  To jump to a specific area of interest, please click on the section links below:

• Inspection Software Maintenance Services
• Server Administration and Hosting Services
• Audithost™ Optional Components

Inspection Software Maintenance Services

This service consists of the following components: 

• Laptop-based software facilitating on-site collection of inspection data and associated photos. 
• Ability for individual inspectors to remotely install the laptop software and automatically receive updates to the software and the evaluation form when changes are required. 
• Support for synchronization with a server backend hosted by PAI. Synchronization includes two-way communication supporting both the receipt of inspection data, digital images and sending of updated site and scheduling information. 
• Web-based tools supporting the service, which include: inspection assignment scheduler, backup inspection data entry system, and inspection editing system. 
• Web Services: Command Portal and Corporate Web Portal

Overview: The Command Portal

The Command Portal is a web portal designed for the Corporate Program Administrator to control and oversee the program. The Command Portal includes a web site with a specific log in for the Corporate Administrator, and includes the following four web-based tools: auditor tracking report, audit level editor, site level editor and rollup level editor.

The auditor tracking report shows 'up- to-the-minute' receipt of audits broken down by program wave, auditor and corporate rollup. This report allows the Program Administrator to identify the inspections that have been completed vs. those requiring completion in any given program wave.

The audit level editor facilitates changes to the results of any specific inspection in the program. Inspections changed by the editor are rescored and updated in the database. This function is primarily used for handling disputed inspections.

The site and rollup editors allow the Program Administrator to conveniently keep site and field rollup information (example: names of territory or regional field representatives) up to date between automated data updates from corporate IT. Automated data updates are explained further within the Server Administrator and Hosting service section below.

Please note that the Command Portal's auditor tracking report and audit level editor tools are also provided to the inspection firms associated with the inspection program.

Overview: The Corporate Web Portal

PAI provides a 'Corporate Web Portal' supporting corporate management staff, field staff, and site owner access to the mystery shop data. This web portal is a 'one-stop shopping location' for any and all information related to the program. Services include the initial design of the web-portal, the hosting of the web-portal on PAI's servers, as well as the on-going maintenance to the web-portal as described below.

Corporate Web-portal contents

The Audithost™ web-portal consists of six basic screens: Home, About, News, Programs, Reports and Contacts. Home is the start point or home page of the portal. The design of the home page can be configured to company's specification, assuming that the links or menu selections to the basic screens as described above are retained.

The About screen is a single screen explaining the nature and purpose of the web-portal. The News screen contains links to a 'running' news document, categorizing late breaking and past 'announcements' specific to the inspection program.

The Programs screen includes links to reference materials. Reference materials can include, but are not limited to, a copy of the current inspection form, program sign up forms for new sites, inspection interpretation guides, and an explanation of how inspection reports are scored.

The Reports screen includes a linkage to the three basic Audithost™ template reports: the Audit level report, Trend rollup report, and Personal reports. In addition, custom reports can be created and maintained as agreed upon with customer. The basic Audithost™ template reports are described in further detail in the section Web-Portal Reporting Link - Specific web-based reporting descriptions below.

The Contacts screen includes key contacts for additional information or dispute handling.

PAI's services include the initial setup of the web-portal based upon the framework described above within the design specification agreed upon between customer and PAI. Design specification items include specific graphics (less animation), menu usage and color customization conforming to customer's corporate web-design guidelines.

On-going maintenance of the portal is limited to providing updates to the initially agreed upon structure, including updates to news items as required, replacement of program guide materials as required, updates to the contact information as required, and updates to the site as required by changes to customer's operating system or browser requirements. Changes to the Corporate Web-Portal beyond these specific examples, including redesigning the 'look' of the site as required by changing corporate standards during the annual subscription period, may constitute additional fees. Work involving the integration of the web-portal to the customer's Intranet site may involve additional fees depending upon the requirements.

Web-Portal Reporting Link - Specific web-based reporting descriptions

Audit level Report:

The Audit level report's primary function is to quickly and easily produce the detailed results of an individual inspection. The inspection question by question detail, along with photos, can be viewed on the screen, or printed to a printer by way of selection of a 'printable view' link. Moreover, the user can select a 'batch' series of reports, for example, all reports for a selected sites during a one-year period, and then easily toggle between individual reports or batch print the entire report set.

Specific reports are selected by hierarchical menu (i.e. selection of site via the field rollup structure) or by simply keying in the site number.

Trend rollup Report:

The Trend rollup's report's primary function is to support 'drill-down' analysis of rolled up and trended data. The initial display is the very top of the company field hierarchy (rows) vs. results arrayed by time (columns). The user can click on the top-level hierarchy and 'drill-down' to lower levels, all the way down to a site level. An individual inspection (i.e. Audit level report) can then be displayed by clicking on a cell representative of a site and a specific inspection date. The Trend rollup report's printable view supports exporting of the screen view into an Excel spreadsheet. Views for the Trend rollup report consist of the current years data, and prior year's data as well as the 'NO' report. The 'NO' report displays the rollup rows (as described above) but in this case, columns are comprised of individual inspection questions. The data is in terms of the 'percentage NO' obtained on average for the specified rollup on an YTD basis.

Personal Report:

The Personal report's primary function is to support ad-hoc access to the mystery shop data. The Personal report is configured with a 'selection wizard' that guides the user through the steps to configure a data query. The results of the query are then presented to the user as an Excel spreadsheet. The basic query dimensions are the field rollup or sites, time in terms of YTD and wave measures, and all form question detail as well as overall and sectional scoring.

Service includes maintenance of the template support, which includes support for changes in the form as well as changes to the field rollup structure. Changes in the overall design of the reports, or additions of reports or 'views' to the template set may constitute additional fees.

Custom Reports

Reports created 'to specification' are created as required for a fee based upon the specification. The fee will include annual maintenance of the reports, supporting additional questions, additional sites and changes to the field rollup. Changes in the overall report design may constitute additional fees.

Web-portal phone support

PAI offers phone support for problems related to web-site access or usage of the web-portal during normal business hours, Monday through Friday. PAI cannot guarantee operation of the web-portal due to service outages outside of PAI's control including ISP provider failures, general phone service failures, general power outages, or other natural disasters.
 

Server Administration and Hosting Services

Overview

PAI provides databasing and hosting services for the mystery shop database. The service includes the initial configuration of the database structure, remote hosting of the database, and on-going annual maintenance of the database.

Database Design, population, and on-going data updates The database design component includes construction of the database schema supporting the corporate field rollup, site listing, and audit form question design. The database is a relational design built around Microsoft's SQL server. Data tables include inspection level detail (unique per inspection), site information (unique per site), rollup information including all information regarding the field level (unique per field level), and various tables logging events occurring within the system such as editing of data. Table relationships include audit level to site level by site, and site to field level by site.

Reference tables include reporting displays of question text (supporting multiple languages and form versions), points per question (supporting multiple scoring methodologies), shop company assignments per site per wave, auditor assignments per shop company per site per wave, as well as support for closed-end and open-ended auditor comments.

PAI provides the initial configuration of the database based upon the Audithost™ template schema and populates the database with current site information, current rollup data, and historical audit data (if required). PAI's service also includes configuration of an automated updating solution for on-going maintenance of the site and rollup data. This service would be created on a customer by customer basis working with the customer's IT department. If an automated updating process for the site and rollup data cannot be provided (e.g. site and rollup data is provided in a variety of different spreadsheet formats on a non-scheduled basis) then additional fees may apply to support the 'manual' steps required to main site and rollup data.

Audit Scoring

This service component includes development of the coding required to score audits received from the Audithost™ toolset described elsewhere in this document. This coding includes support of changes in the points per question during the annual maintenance period, and support of up to six concurrent scoring methodologies based upon, for example, class of trade, brand, and site configuration. Scoring is performed in a 'batch' basis each evening.

Database maintenance

PAI provides nightly backups of the database as described above, with transaction log restoration support of lost data between nightly backups. Periodic (e.g. daily, weekly) 'data dumps' can optionally be provided to corporate IT department based upon PAI's specification. Data format customization as required for the corporate IT department's specific needs may constitute additional fees.

Maintenance required in support of reporting or form changes are included as part of the service. Changes of this nature, including periodic database and server maintenance, will require occasional schedule server outages. Notifications for downtime due to server maintenance, software changes, etc. will be provided to shop company and company administrators at least 48 hours prior to the known outage.
 

Audithost™ Optional Components

Overview

The Audithost™ key service components provide a comprehensive solution to the Corporate Inspection program. Audithost™'s Optional Components take the program to the next level, offering additional tracking and automation to the benefit of the Program Administrator.

A detailed description of each Audithost™ Optional Component is listed below.

Inquires Database Service

The Inquires Database Service frees the Program Administrator from the 'interrupt driven' task of responding to inspection disputes. The Program Administrator can reply to disputes at their convenience. This service further eliminates the 'phone-tag' process associated with researching dispute issues. The database aspect of the service assures that 100% of disputes are addressed. Moreover, the dispute database can be 'queried' enabling the Program Administrator to identify common dispute issues as well as common sources of disputes.

Disputes are collected by reply to the Audithost™ e-mailbased reporting or by clicking on a link from the Audithost™ web-based reporting. The dispute issues are immediately data based and then routed by e-mail to the next review level as specified by the Program Administrator (example: field representative, inspection firm). The originator of the dispute receives an e-mail confirmation upon submission of the dispute as well as each time the dispute is advanced to the next review level. The Program Administrator views a master report of the disputes, including the number of days the issue is 'parked' at each level. E-mail reminders are issued when a dispute is parked longer than the pre-specified time limited established by the Program Administrator.

Program Administrator's Survey Form Editor

This service allows the Program Administrator to have direct control over the inspection survey form's contents. A web-based interface allows the Program Administrator to specify new and revise existing form questions for each version of the form. A 'release date' feature allows the form changes to be created by the Program Administrator and tested by the inspection firms prior to the actual rollout of the form changes. This allows the inspection firms time to notify inspectors as well as to develop interpretation additions to assure the questions are answered appropriately.

Violation Letter Service

This service enhances the inspection program by sending automated e-mails to the sites and their associated field representatives based upon scoring criteria established by the Program Administrator. The messages can be in either 'reward or reprimand' format, depending upon the criteria. For example, a congratulatory message could be sent each time a site receives a 100% score, or a 'out of compliance' message could be sent each time a site receives a score below a minimum threshold. The letter generation criteria can be based upon any combination of total or form sectional scores, as well as incorporating prior audit's scores (example: send an "Outstanding Performance!" message each time a site scores 100% in three successive audits.)

Auditor Consistency Tracking Service

This service enables the Program Administrator to assure the site owners and field staff that audits are being conducted in the most consistent and unbiased possible manner.

Each inspector's question-by-question answers are continually evaluated against both regional and national norms. Inspectors are identified when their performance for any given question falls outside of a statistically significant measure. The inspection firm associated with the inspector is notified of the issues and the notification is data based. The inspection firm is asked to coach or retrain the inspector on the specific question issues identified. The inspection firm must then reply that the coaching was performed. If the inspector consistently fails after re-coaching, then a second notification will be issued asking that the inspector be removed from the inspection program.