Photographic audits that distributors will actually complete

Distributor teams tolerate audits when each photo answers one question only. We cap prompts at three per bay: clearance at scan height, clip weight, and header alignment. Anything else waits for a flagged follow-up.

We also standardize lighting notes. Harsh top light casts shadows that look like damage. A one-line reminder in the brief cuts false positives that otherwise clog your inbox.

When audits slip, we do not shame partners—we mark data freshness scores and move on. Plans built on stale photos carry explicit caveats so downstream teams know where the risk sits.

The limitation is simple: we cannot audit what stores refuse to photograph. In those cases we document gaps and shrink the planning scope rather than pretending coverage is complete.