Case Study — HDFC Bank: POSventory 360 (2018)

Business Context

• Rapid growth in merchant acquisition and device deployments demanded consistent field verification across thousands of locations.
• Manual audits (calls/emails/spreadsheets) caused visibility gaps, delayed fixes, and weak audit trails.
• The bank needed proof‑of‑placement for POS terminals, proof‑of‑display for required stickers, and a fast way to flag non‑functional units for service.

Objectives

• Provide a single mobile app for field agents to verify POS terminal placement and display compliance with photo evidence.
• Capture device status (functional / not functional) with standard fault codes and trigger service tickets where required.
• Enforce GPS, timestamp, and user identity controls to protect the integrity of field evidence.
• Give HQ a central audit portal with dashboards, exception workflows, and SLA tracking.
• Create a nationwide view of asset coverage, compliance, and time‑to‑fix by region, portfolio, and merchant segment.

Solution Overview

A. Field App (Android + Handheld Devices)

• Mandatory photo capture with GPS & timestamp (EXIF metadata retained); configurable minimum photo quality.
• Structured checklists: terminal present (Y/N), functional status, power/network checks, sticker displayed (Y/N), sticker location, visibility rating.
• Asset identity: scan QR/barcode of device serial/TID/MID; local validation against merchant & device master.
• Offline‑first sync with conflict resolution; background upload when network is available.
• Geo‑lock / geofencing: distance threshold from registered merchant GPS to prevent off‑site submissions.
• Guided camera overlays (optional) to standardize evidence shots.
• Device & user controls: role‑based menus, MDM‑friendly build, tamper‑resistant clock/location checks.

B. Workflow & Data Model

• Masters: Merchant, Site (geo), Device (model, TID/MID/serial), Portfolio/Region.
• Transactions: Visit → Photo set → Checklist → Exceptions → Service Ticket (if needed).
• Statuses: Compliant / Non‑compliant / Partially compliant; Device Health (OK/Needs Service) with fault codes.
• SLA clocks: auto‑start for time‑to‑acknowledge and time‑to‑repair; business‑hours calendars by region.

C. HQ Audit Portal

• Dashboards: national→regional→portfolio drilldowns; compliance heatmaps; device uptime; TAT trends.
• Evidence viewer: side‑by‑side photo + EXIF + GPS pin; checklist results; user/device info; change log.
• Exception handling: auto‑create service tickets for not‑functional devices; workflow for re‑visit proof.
• Bulk operations: portfolio refresh, new sticker campaigns, and batch merchant master updates.
• Export & APIs: scheduled CSV/Excel exports; APIs to core asset systems/CRM for service dispatch.

D. Controls & Security

• RMA number tied to customer return; reason codes, photos, and quarantine location assignment.
• Maker‑checker approvals for any status change from quarantine.
• Disposition workflows: Scrap / Salvage / RTV with mandatory evidence and GL‑mapped reason codes.
• Hard blocks prevent quarantined stock from being picked/allocated as saleable.

Counting & Audit Trail

• End‑to‑end encryption in transit; storage encryption at rest.
• Role‑based access control (RBAC), least‑privilege defaults, and immutable audit logs.
• Privacy: incidental faces/license plates in photos can be blurred; retention & purging rules configurable.
• Data quality: duplicate photo detection, same‑photo resubmission guard, and GPS spoof heuristics.

Implementation (2018)

• Phase 1 — Discovery & Design: site/portfolio mapping; sticker/display policy; device master standardization; checklist & SLA design.
• Phase 2 — Build & Integrate: mobile app, handheld support, GPS/EXIF capture, QR/barcode scan, offline sync, HQ portal, APIs.
• Phase 3 — Pilot: selected regions; field ride‑alongs; UX refinements; calibrate geo‑thresholds and photo guidelines.
• Phase 4 — National Rollout: train field agents and supervisors; data migration for merchant/device masters; hypercare.
• Phase 5 — Stabilization: reporting cadence, compliance councils, service‑partner SLAs.

Implementation (2008 — Phased Rollout)

• Phase 1 — Assessment & Design: Network diagnostic, baseline variance measurement, process & role redesign; site blueprinting.
• Phase 2 — Pilot (select DCs & 1 CWH): Configure WMS, integrations, labels, QC & RMA flows; train superusers; validate audit packs.
• Phase 3 — National Rollout: Wave‑by‑wave enablement across the 65 DCs + 4 CWHs with hypercare.
• Change management: Role‑based access, segregation of duties, KPI scorecards, and incentive alignment.

Results & Impact (qualitative)

• Proof‑of‑placement and proof‑of‑display obtained for the POS estate with verifiable photo + GPS evidence.
• Reduced time‑to‑fix for not‑functional devices due to automated ticketing and SLA alerts.
• Higher display compliance via targeted re‑visits and regional coaching.
• Nationwide visibility of asset coverage and compliance; improved regulatory & audit readiness.

Governance

• Weekly compliance reviews with regional leads; monthly service‑partner performance reviews.
• Policy versioning for sticker placement; app checklists updated via remote config.
• Quarterly audits of evidence quality, GPS thresholds, and SLA adherence.

Acknowledgements

• Client: HDFC Bank — Merchant Acquiring & Field Operations
• Our Role: Product design, mobile development, handheld enablement, GPS/EXIF capture, HQ audit portal, integrations, rollout & training

Disclaimer

Prepared for marketing and educational purposes. Reflects 2018 delivery scope and approach without confidential or customer‑identifiable data.