The Retail Store object should be used as the base object because Retail Stores represent the physical customer locations that field representatives need to visit. Salesforce Maps requires a mappable business object containing, or resolving to, geographic information so that records can be plotted, filtered, routed, and scheduled.

In Consumer Goods visit planning, Retail Store records supply this geographic and operational context. Store records contain the address and related location information required by Salesforce Maps. Salesforce states that the address entered when creating a Retail Store provides the location coordinates used by Salesforce Maps and also appears in the representative ' s visit list.

Salesforce ' s Consumer Goods optimized-routing process likewise uses Retail Store as the Maps base object. The planner selects relevant stores, applies business filters, identifies representatives and planning dates, and allows Maps to generate optimized visit schedules and routes.

The Visit subsequently represents the scheduled engagement with the selected Retail Store, but the physical destination being routed is the Retail Store itself. Account represents the broader customer organization and may encompass several stores, while Contact represents an individual person. Warehouse serves a different inventory and logistics purpose.

Using Retail Store therefore gives Salesforce Maps the correct geographic granularity for store-level visit planning and route optimization.

Study Guide Topics:Visit Planning - > Salesforce Maps - > Base Object - > Retail Store - > Route Planning

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