A product can be part of a national brand portfolio but not authorized for a particular retailer. It can be authorized for an outlet yet not ordered, delivered, ranged, stocked or visible to the shopper. Each state requires a different action. Confusing them creates bad scorecards and unnecessary work for field teams.
Five separate states
- Portfolio: the brand sells the product somewhere in the market.
- Authorized or listed: the retailer or account agreement includes that item.
- Expected at outlet: the SKU belongs in this store's agreed assortment and effective date.
- In store: units may be held in the stockroom, a delivery or elsewhere.
- Available on shelf: a shopper can find and buy it where and when expected.
Ranging compliance should be measured against the right store-specific authorized product population. Observed on-shelf availability then measures a separate physical reality.
Maintain dependable master data
At minimum, give each SKU a clear identifier, description, pack size, category, active status and relevant retailer mappings. Store product identifiers such as GTINs in a consistent format and distinguish case-level and unit-level products. Keep retailer and store relationships current, with effective dates for new or delisted ranges.
GS1 data standards are a useful reference for consistent product identifiers and attributes. Barcode scans are helpful for identifying products but do not correct inaccurate master-data relationships.
A useful ranging visit
Before: load the expected products for the account and flag planned range changes.
During: check the right shelf area, record whether each eligible item is present, and distinguish not-listed from temporarily unavailable.
After: route one category of issue to the account team (listing) and another to replenishment or in-store execution (stock availability). Record any authorized local exception and its expiry.
An illustrative metric
A store is authorized for 20 SKUs. Eighteen have a confirmed ranging position and 16 are available on shelf at inspection. Its illustrative ranging compliance is 18/20 = 90%; its observed availability against all authorized SKUs is 16/20 = 80%. These measures answer different questions. A program might additionally track availability only for the 18 physically ranged SKUs, but must label that denominator explicitly.
What often goes wrong
- Using an outdated national product file instead of an account-specific range.
- Counting not-listed products as out of stock.
- Treating a barcode match as proof of assortment authorization.
- Ignoring pack size and SKU substitutions.
- Leaving delisted products active in checklists and scores.
Where FieldKo fits
FieldKo uses product sets to give each store its expected range, and reps record what they find on the shelf during the visit. The score is only as good as the range behind it, so check product sets and retailer mappings before you rely on it.
See how FieldKo supports this →Further reading
Next: On-shelf availability and root causes
Reviewed October 26, 2026. Examples, scores and thresholds are illustrative, not benchmarks. See the research and sources library for independent references.