About the data we process

We use two different sources for data:

• Data coming from our self-built SDK that collects data through partnering up with different smartphone applications.
• Data originating from so called data brokers.

Data is collected 24 hours a day, 7 days on 7 for the Belgian, Dutch & German territory. Approximately 11 million coördinates are collected each day in our database generated by SDK users.

Accurat performs two distinct types of analysis.

• Historical data is used to identify: the visitor’s origin, the visitor’s profile, frequency and trajectory. It is also used to identify the visitor’s social class.
• Real-Time data is used to count the number of people at a certain POI (point of interest). This data has a delay of 48hours, given the calculations that have to be done on the incoming data.

Visits are reported on a daily basis, most metrics such as share of visits, penetration, etc. are added on a periodic basis (no penetration per day available).

Data provided by Accurat has an accuracy of approximately 95%. Reporting is done for the entire Belgian, Dutch & German population, not only for users as tracked by our SDK. Therefore, we developed an algorithm that extrapolates the data for the entire population in a representative manner. 

Our data has been benchmarked with multiple campaigns with the results of the CIM model. We have a very similar outcome with a small difference in the margin of error. Therefore, we can state that our data is reliable as depicted in the graphs below:

We clean data on row level (coordinate level):
Remove duplicates (sometimes the SDK sends the same coordinate twice to
our API).
Remove coordinates with low accuracy (less than 50 meters)
Remove invalid coordinates (eg. latitude and longitude equal to 0)

The data that Accurat processes is privacy-sensitive. That's why we adopt a privacy-first approach. We ensure maximum privacy & security for panel members through various efforts, such as a GDPR-focused consent flow that limits data tracking to users who opt in twice, referencing our SDK privacy policy. Accurat will only publish insights based on groups that are large enough, taking into account all internal and external regulations regarding GDPR.

Data is visualized through a variety of dashboards. Accurat provides access to personalized dashboards via a secure login on our website. Users can select shops individually or get a global overview of a brand's performance. Depending on the chosen options, users can access more or fewer dashboards. Detailed descriptions and all insights can be exported in various formats (PNG, PDF, CSV).

• Exact location (GPS signal data), such as latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, heading and accuracy of the location (both horizontal and vertical)
• “Mobile advertising identifier" such as Apple IDFA or IDFV for iOS devices and Android Advertising ID (AAID) for Android devices
• Name of the connected WiFi network (if any) and mobile phone network (carrier) of the User
• Information about the User’s device - brand, model and version of the OS
• Time in date, hour, second, time zone

Accurat has created an SDK (software development kit) that minimizes battery consumption (below 1%) yet captures sufficient data - closely following OS-specific restrictions & possibilities. Data collection (in a simplified summary) works as follows:

• The consent flow requests proper permission (GDPR & location permission)
• The tracking is activated to start collecting coordinates every 2 mins or whenever the user makes a stop (a visit) - even without network connection (4G/wifi)
• We collect fused location data: the best possible coordinate the operating system can provide, whether collected via cell tower, gps antenna, wifi or bluetooth.
• To optimize for low battery consumption, we use additional methods to stop collecting data when stationary but will restart collection when the users move again.
• All coordinates are stored on the device - even when there is no network connection.
  Locally stored data is sent to our cloud environment over an SSL-encrypted connection every 3 to 24 hours. - We limit network connections (4g) as 1) the operating system limits usage when in background and 2) it consumes less energy
  The local bucket is emptied and new coordinates can be stored locally again.

Accurat's approach is unique because we work with data not provided by our clients, unlike many of our competitors. Since we have our own data, our insights are plug & play. We have access to a larger panel, which enables us to also provide solutions for small stores. Moreover, results are updated on a daily basis, rather than monthly or through ad hoc reports.