What Good Looks Like
- Each location data element has a written purpose, such as confirming a scheduled visit happened at the right store.
- Reps know what’s captured, when, who can see it, and how long it’s kept, before they start.
- Only people who need raw location records can see them.
- An out-of-range check-in is a question to review, not proof of misconduct.
- Retention follows a written policy.
- Productivity targets never push reps to use their phone while driving or ignore store access rules.
When to Use It and Common Failure Patterns
Use this page when you set up FieldKo, when you change location settings, and when a manager wants to use location data in a performance conversation. Common failure patterns:- Collecting because it’s available. Location is captured at more points than the purpose needs, and nobody can say why.
- No notice. Reps learn what’s captured only when a manager quotes it back to them.
- Wide access. Everyone with a FieldKo license can open every rep’s attendance trail.
- One reading as proof. A single uncertain fix is used to decide a disciplinary outcome.
- No retention rule. Location trails pile up for years because nobody decided otherwise.
Operating Procedure
Write a Purpose Statement for Each Data Element
For each capture point in What FieldKo Captures, record the purpose, who can see it, and how long you keep it. If a capture point has no purpose, decide whether you need it, and ask FieldKo how to limit it.Tell Workers Before You Start
Give reps written answers to these questions:- What location information is captured, and when?
- Is anything captured outside working activities?
- Who can see raw records, and who sees only reports?
- How long is the information kept?
- How can someone challenge an inaccurate reading?
- What happens when the signal is poor, or a visit is done away from the store’s mapped location?
Design Fair Exceptions
- Treat an out-of-range check-in as a prompt to review, and accept legitimate explanations.
- Fix wrong store coordinates before you judge rep behavior.
- Have a person review disputed events.
- Never base a consequential employment decision on a single uncertain reading.
Include Safety and Store Rules
Don’t set targets that encourage risky driving or phone use while driving. Follow store access rules, and plan lone-worker and escalation procedures where they apply.How to Implement It in FieldKo
What FieldKo Captures
The FieldKo Atlas app (version 1.0.70) doesn’t track location continuously or in the background. Each capture is a single reading taken at the moment of an action.
Incident and pack-out records also have location fields. FieldKo Atlas 1.0.70 doesn’t capture a location for them.
Availability: Built-in. Check-in and check-out location on the visit is controlled by Capture Geolocation. See Set Up Check-In Location Checks. Attendance records need the FieldKo Native package.
Don’t assume Capture Geolocation turns off every capture point in the table. If you need to limit location capture beyond check-in and check-out, for example at sync or task completion, ask FieldKo before you write your policy.
Who Can See It
Access depends on permission sets and on record sharing. These are the package defaults; your org may differ.
To restrict access:
- Check the org-wide default for Attendance in Sharing Settings, and set it to Private unless you have a reason not to. See Security Model and Sharing.
- Use field-level security to hide location fields from users who don’t need them. See Profiles, Permission Sets, and Permission Set Groups.
- Review report folders that include location fields. See Share, Schedule, and Subscribe to Reports.
How Accurate Check-In Locations Are
- The app asks the device for a fresh reading from Wi-Fi and mobile networks, then GPS, and waits up to about 45 seconds. If it gets nothing, it can use a reading from the last 3 minutes that’s accurate to within 1,000 meters.
- Before it warns the rep, the app subtracts the reading’s reported accuracy, up to 100 meters, from the distance to the store.
- The out-of-range check is a warning, not a block. A rep can confirm and check in anyway, and the full distance is saved in Check In Compliance Reason. The accuracy itself isn’t saved.
- Wrong or missing store coordinates cause false warnings. See Keep Account Coordinates Current.
Retention
Location data stays in your Salesforce org under your organization’s own data policies. No packaged job that deletes location trails or coordinates was found. To set and apply a retention period, see Plan Retention and Archiving.Fictional Example
Fictional example: a made-up drinks company, Bluegill Beverage Co., writes this purpose statement for its 25 reps.
Max Distance From Store To Checkin is 200 meters. A rep checks in 350 meters from a store’s mapped location, with a reported accuracy of ±60 meters. After the allowance, the distance is 290 meters, which is more than 200, so the app warns the rep. The rep continues, and the visit shows “Checked in 350 meter(s) away from Store”. The manager sees the store is in a large shopping center whose pin is at the far parking entrance. The admin fixes the account coordinates, and no action is taken against the rep.
What to Measure
Report these by store as well as by rep. A store that triggers warnings for every rep usually has wrong coordinates.
What to Do When It Goes Wrong
Checklist
- Write a purpose statement for each capture point.
- Get legal advice for each country and state you operate in.
- Tell reps what’s captured, who sees it, and how long it’s kept.
- Set the Attendance org-wide default and field-level security.
- Check store coordinates before you turn on the distance check.
- Set Max Distance From Store To Checkin with real store layouts in mind.
- Agree a retention period and how you’ll apply it.
- Agree how reps challenge a reading, and who reviews it.
- Ask FieldKo about any capture point you need to limit.