Data & Security

Private-first deployment

Pharos is private-first by design. The same service can run in three ways, and your policy decides which is used for what.

Your infrastructure

Pharos runs in your own local or private environment. You control access, data residency and operating windows.

Dedicated servers operated by Pharos

A private managed environment. Pharos operates the capacity under agreed data, security and support controls.

Approved cloud capacity

Used only for workloads your policy allows, such as demand peaks or selected full-category processing. Your policy sets the allowed phases, the data route, the fallback and the audit record.

Every result records where each phase ran, including any fallback, so routing can be audited and service reporting reconciled.

What we agree during scoping

• Where shelf images and results are processed and stored.
• Which phases, if any, may use cloud capacity, and the fallback if it is unavailable.
• Who in your organisation has access, and to which stores and brands.
• How long images and findings are retained.
• How data is exported or removed at the end of an engagement.

Evidence you can audit

• Automatic results are never overwritten. Corrections are recorded beside them, with the reviewer, reason and time.
• Products added by hand are flagged as manually assisted, and only packs visible in the photo can be added.
• Corrections pass quality review before they can influence calibration or the catalogue.
• Each result keeps a snapshot of the sales cycle, plan version and targets it was scored against.
• A store visit result never claims the whole category is complete, and an area that was not photographed is never reported as empty.

What a shelf image can and cannot tell you

A shelf photo records what is visible at one moment. It does not establish backroom stock, hidden quantities or products outside the captured area. Results depend on image quality, shelf coverage and the products included in the catalogue. Pharos works from photos captured on store visits; it is not continuous, autonomous shelf monitoring.

Your catalogue

Product names, variants, pack sizes and identifiers need to mean the same thing across your field operation. Catalogue preparation is part of setting up Pharos for your range, and it is agreed with you before a rollout begins.