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How a Mumbai OOH company eliminated billing disputes by switching from PPT to verified reports using gOGig
A case study from gOGig's OOH partner program. How a mid-sized Mumbai OOH agency operating 740 active sites across the city moved from a PPT-based proof-of-posting workflow to a verified-execution model, eliminated billing disputes, won 4 new enterprise accounts, and grew agency revenue 35% in 11 months.
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Billing disputes raised by enterprise clients across 11 months of post-implementation operation. Down from 28 disputes worth ₹42 lakh in the prior 12-month period. The agency's payment cycle compressed from 71 days to 19 days on average.
740Active sites managed
₹38 CrAnnual revenue (pre-FEI)
₹51.4 CrAnnual revenue (post-FEI)
+35.2%Revenue growth
The agency's COO sits across the table from a procurement head at a top-15 listed FMCG client in mid-2024. The conversation is uncomfortable. A 6-week premium campaign across 84 sites in Mumbai. Close to ₹2.1 crore billed. The client's procurement team ran an independent spot-check. 11 sites were not up at the contracted dates. The agency's own report showed 96.4% compliance. The spot-check showed 87.1%. The invoice was contested. The relationship was on the line.
The agency at a glance
Mid-sized Mumbai OOH agency (identity protected per partner agreement)
Founded 2014. Operating across Mumbai metropolitan region. 18 enterprise brand clients. Specialising in static OOH, transit branding, and rising DOOH share.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Andheri West, Mumbai |
| Active sites pre-FEI | 740 across MMR |
| Vendor network | 42 site owners + contractors |
| Annual revenue (FY24) | ₹38 Cr |
| Enterprise clients | 18 brands |
| Avg site contract value | ₹95K to 3.4 lakh per month |
| Format mix | Static 68%, DOOH 22%, Transit 10% |
| Headcount | 62 (32 operations, 14 sales, 16 support) |
The Mumbai OOH regulatory context in 2025-26
Post Ghatkopar tragedy of May 2024 (17 killed, 75+ injured by a 120 ft x 120 ft illegal hoarding), Mumbai's OOH ecosystem is operating under the strictest regulatory framework in two decades. Agency credibility is now contractual.
| Mumbai OOH context (post Ghatkopar) | Implication for agency operations |
|---|---|
| BMC Advertising Guidelines 2025 (notified Nov 2025) | First major overhaul since 2008. Whole-of-city compliance reset. |
| Hoarding size cap 40 ft x 40 ft citywide | Inventory rationalisation, premium pricing on compliant sites |
| Footpath and building terrace ads banned | Several historical site categories must be vacated |
| Digital hoarding brightness cap 3:1 luminance, no flickering | DOOH operators retrofit screens and play-out controls |
| Mandatory structural stability SOP | Annual structural audits by licensed engineers |
| Mandatory insurance for hoarding + surrounding risk | Insurance line item enters every site P&L |
| Permit lapse window reduced from 6 months to 3 months | Permit currency tracking becomes mission-critical |
| Blacklisting regime for repeat violators | Agency credibility now formally on the line |
| Mumbai Traffic Police clearance for multi-sided units | L, V, 3/4/6-sided units need additional NOC |
| NOC from electricity transmission company near HT lines | Site-specific safety verification |
The problem: the 12 months before gOGig
| Operational metric (FY24 baseline) | Value |
|---|---|
| Active sites | 740 |
| Annual revenue | ₹38 Cr |
| Billing disputes raised by clients | 28 disputes |
| Disputed invoice value (12 months) | ₹42 lakh |
| Average dispute resolution time | 47 days |
| Reconciliation hours per quarter (operations team) | 240 to 280 |
| Client payment cycle (average) | 71 days |
| Internal complaints from sales about reporting | Continuous |
| Closeout deck preparation time per campaign | 3 to 8 working days |
| Client churn rate | 22% |
| Pitches won where verification was a procurement requirement | 2 of 11 attempted |
What the billing disputes were actually about
| Dispute category | % of disputes | Typical evidence agency could provide |
|---|---|---|
| Site installation timing | 32% | Vendor WhatsApp confirmation only |
| Wrong creative installed | 18% | Photo, but no timestamp authentication |
| Illumination not provided | 14% | None (night-audit photos not standard) |
| Early site take-down | 11% | Vendor self-report only |
| Obstruction or partial visibility | 10% | Disputed photo angles |
| Recycled photo across sites | 9% | Agency unable to refute |
| DOOH black-out or wrong play-out | 4% | No play-out log access |
| Site never installed | 2% | Photo of similar site at different location |
The triggering moment: a procurement conversation in late 2024
"The procurement team at one of our largest FMCG clients told us in late 2024 that from FY 2025-26, every site invoice would need to come with independent verification evidence. They specifically referenced BRSR Core. We had 38 days of campaign in dispute at the time and no way to substantiate. That was the moment we knew the PPT closeout model was finished."
Why PPT closeouts were no longer enough
| Limitation of PPT closeout workflow | Why it failed in 2025-26 Mumbai |
|---|---|
| WhatsApp photos lack server-side timestamp | Procurement now requires server-verified time |
| Vendor-uploaded photos cannot be authenticated | EXIF stripping makes photos un-defensible |
| No night-audit illumination verification | Direct contractual obligation un-evidenced |
| Closeout deck arrives 3 to 14 days after campaign end | Disputes raised before evidence is available |
| No third-party verification layer | Procurement increasingly requires independent attestation |
| Cannot defend against recycled-photo accusations | Image hash analysis exposes patterns retrospectively |
| BRSR Core value chain disclosure not supported | Listed client base cannot pass agency through assurance |
| BMC permit currency not auto-tracked | Permit lapse window reduced from 6 to 3 months |
| 3-way matching not feasible | Procurement teams refusing payment release |
| Manual reconciliation eats 240+ hours per quarter | Operations team capacity drained on disputes |
The decision to switch in January 2025
| Decision criteria | What the agency evaluated |
|---|---|
| Integration with existing OOH operations workflow | API-friendly, no replacement of existing vendor onboarding |
| Geo-locked installation proof | 9-layer mock-location detection required |
| Recurring audit cadence (illumination, uptime) | Night-audit and uptime monitoring built in |
| Real-time client dashboard | Critical for procurement integration |
| 3-way matching support | PO, invoice, verified delivery |
| BRSR Core readiness | 7-year audit trail with structured retention |
| "Verified by gOGig" badge for pitch decks | Procurement signal for new accounts |
| Mumbai-area field auditor coverage | Pan-Mumbai capability essential |
| Onboarding time | 14 days target for first pilot site |
| Per-site verification cost | Below 1.2% of site revenue |
The 90-day rollout timeline
Week 1-2
Scope and pilot selection
One enterprise client selected for pilot. 84 sites in Mumbai chosen. KPIs locked: verified execution rate, dispute reduction, payment cycle time.
Week 3-5
Vendor portal and contractor onboarding
42 vendors trained on geo-locked installation proof workflow. Mumbai-area field auditors briefed on agency-specific site protocols.
Week 6-7
First verified installations flow
84 sites installed with geo-locked proof, EXIF-preserved capture, before-after photo pairs. Baseline data established. Night-audit cycle begins.
Week 8-9
Vendor scorecards generated
Per-vendor verified execution rate visible. 4 of 42 vendors flagged with high anomaly rates. Vendor conversations begin.
Week 10–11
Client dashboard activation
Procurement gets live access to verified execution dashboard. First quarterly review with verified data instead of PPT.
Week 12–13
First verified invoice cycle
End-of-pilot invoice raised with verified-execution evidence attached. Procurement releases payment in 21 days. Down from 65-day baseline.
Week 14+
Scale-out planning
Pilot results circulated internally. Scale-out plan to all 18 enterprise clients and 740 sites approved by leadership.
Read the full OOH case study
Apply for the gOGig Certified Ground Truth OOH Partner Program. 14-day onboarding pilot, dashboard access, ‘Verified by gOGig’ badge, pitch deck templates, partner ecosystem support.
Apply to the OOH partner program →What the agency did differently after gOGig
| Workflow stage | Pre-gOGig (FY24) | Post-gOGig (FY26 YTD) |
|---|---|---|
| Site installation proof | Vendor WhatsApp photo | Geo-locked, EXIF preserved, AI creative match |
| Illumination verification | Self-reported | Night audit photo evidence per site |
| Uptime monitoring | Reactive (complaint-driven) | Recurring audit cadence |
| Vendor performance | Quarterly review | Real-time scorecard |
| Client reporting | End-of-campaign PPT | Live dashboard plus daily anomaly inbox |
| Invoice substantiation | Photo grid in PDF | Per-site verified-execution evidence package |
| BRSR Core support | None | 7-year retention, value chain ready |
| Pitch deck verification slide | None | 3-slide verification capability section added |
| BMC permit currency tracking | Manual Excel | Automated alert system |
| Structural safety NOC tracking | Manual | Document expiry dashboard |
The 11-month outcome scorecard
| Metric | FY24 baseline | FY26 (11 months in) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active sites managed | 740 | 892 | +20.5% |
| Annual revenue (annualised) | ₹38 Cr | ₹51.4 Cr | +35.2% |
| Billing disputes (count) | 28 per year | 0 | -100% |
| Disputed invoice value | ₹42 lakh | ₹0 | -100% |
| Avg payment cycle | 71 days | 19 days | -73.2% |
| Reconciliation hours per quarter | 240 to 280 | 40 to 65 | -77% |
| Closeout deck preparation | 3 to 8 days | Real-time, on-demand | Eliminated |
| Client churn rate | 22% | 9% | -59% |
| Enterprise pitches won | 2 of 11 | 9 of 17 | 53% win rate |
| New enterprise accounts | 1 in FY24 | 4 in 11 months | 4x |
| Vendor base (curated) | 42 vendors | 38 vendors | 4 offboarded |
| Verified execution rate | 72% (estimated) | 94% verified | +22 pts |
The 4 new enterprise accounts won
| Account type | Win factor | Annual contract value |
|---|---|---|
| Listed FMCG company (top 20) | BRSR Core readiness and verification badge | ₹3.4 Cr |
| Indian unicorn fintech | Procurement-grade audit trail | ₹1.8 Cr |
| Listed auto manufacturer (top 5) | 3-way matching capability | ₹2.6 Cr |
| QSR chain (1,500+ outlets) | Real-time outlet-level execution dashboard | ₹2.1 Cr |
| Total new ACV won | -- | ₹9.9 Cr |
The vendor consolidation outcome
| Vendor tier (post-FEI scoring) | Vendor count (pre) | Vendor count (post) | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ (model partner) | 5 | 8 | Expanded portfolio share |
| A (high-performing) | 12 | 16 | Maintained |
| B (acceptable) | 17 | 14 | Improvement plans active |
| C (watch list) | 6 | 0 | 3 promoted to B, 3 offboarded |
| D (offboarded) | 2 | 0 | Replaced by Tier A vendors |
Vendor scorecard transparency outcomes
| Vendor outcome | Effect |
|---|---|
| Honest vendors saw faster payment cycles | Tier A vendor cash conversion improved 40+ days |
| Tier A vendors became preferred for premium portfolios | Tier A revenue share grew 28% to 47% |
| 4 vendors offboarded due to repeat verification failures | Replaced by 6 Tier A and Tier B vendors |
| Vendor disputes resolved via verified evidence | Reduced 65% in 11 months |
| Vendor NPS improved | From 22 to 56 |
| Vendor retention | Tier A retention 100%, Tier B 92% |
Client side: how procurement teams responded
| Client outcome | Pre-FEI | Post-FEI |
|---|---|---|
| Time to invoice approval | 45 to 75 days | 14 to 22 days |
| Procurement workload on reconciliation | High | Minimal |
| Audit committee findings on OOH | Recurring | Closing |
| BRSR Core value chain support | Manual collation | API-ready |
| Procurement satisfaction (NPS) | 18 | 62 |
| Renewal probability | ~70% | ~95% |
"For the first time, we are getting OOH invoices we can actually defend in our audit committee. Verification has shifted OOH from being our hardest spend line to substantiate to one of our easiest. We are now using this agency as a benchmark for our other OOH partnerships."
Internal team outcomes
| Internal stakeholder | Pre-FEI workload pattern | Post-FEI workload pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Operations team | 240+ reconciliation hours per quarter | 40 to 65 reconciliation hours |
| Sales team | Lost pitches due to verification gap | Verification slides drive 53% win rate |
| Finance team | Chasing payment, dispute resolution | Faster collections, lower DSO |
| Account managers | Defensive client conversations | Proactive value-add conversations |
| Vendor management | Manual scorecard, subjective renewal | Data-driven tier classification |
| Founders / leadership | Operational firefighting | Strategic positioning conversations |
P&L impact summary
| P&L line item | Pre-FEI annual | Post-FEI annualised | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | ₹38 Cr | ₹51.4 Cr | +₹13.4 Cr |
| Gross margin | 22% | 26% | +4 pts |
| Disputed invoice value | ₹42 lakh blocked | ₹0 blocked | ₹42 lakh released |
| DSO (days sales outstanding) | 71 days | 19 days | -52 days |
| Operations team capacity | 240+ hrs/qtr on disputes | 40 to 65 hrs/qtr | ~175 hours redeployed |
| Sales win rate | 18% | 53% | +35 pts |
| Client churn | 22% | 9% | -13 pts |
| FEI platform cost | -- | ₹38 lakh annual | 0.74% of revenue |
| Net P&L impact (11 months) | -- | +₹5.6 Cr to ₹7.2 Cr | ~15x ROI on platform cost |
Strategic outcomes beyond the P&L
01
"Verified by gOGig" partner badge on pitch deck
Used in every pitch from week 14 onwards. Procurement teams cite it as a primary decision factor for shortlisting.
02
BRSR Core readiness for listed FMCG client
7-year audit trail accessible on demand. Listed client's CFO uses agency evidence in limited assurance discussions.
03
BMC compliance posture strengthened
Auto-tracked permit currency, structural NOC, insurance renewals. Zero BMC compliance findings since adoption.
04
Industry press coverage
Agency featured in two media trade publications as an early adopter of OOH verification. Speaking slot at OOH industry conference.
05
Talent acquisition advantage
Operations team retention improved. Sales team confidence higher. Two senior hires from larger competitors specifically cite verification capability.
06
Investor and growth conversations
Agency entered preliminary discussions with two strategic investors. Verified-execution metric in pitch deck enabled credible projections.
PPT closeout vs verified report: the contrast in one campaign
Old PPT closeout workflow
120 site campaign. Closeout deck delivered 11 days post end. 142 photos, vendor-uploaded, EXIF stripped. ₹4.2 lakh in dispute on 8 sites. Resolution took 67 days. Payment delayed 71 days. Operations team spent 28 hours on dispute resolution alone.
FEI verified report workflow
120 site campaign. Real-time dashboard updates throughout. Per-site verified evidence available on demand. Closing memo auto-generated in 14 minutes at campaign close. Zero disputes raised. Payment released in 18 days. Operations team time on reconciliation: 6 hours total.
For 12 years our business depended on agency-grade trust between us and our clients. Verification did not replace trust. It made trust contractually defensible. That single shift changed our agency from a media vendor into an execution intelligence partner.
What the agency would do differently in hindsight
| Lesson learned | Action for OOH agencies considering FEI |
|---|---|
| Start sooner | The procurement conversation forced action. Better to lead than react. |
| Pilot with one enterprise client first | Better data, faster learning, easier to scale |
| Bring vendors into the conversation early | Vendor pushback distribution becomes vendor classification signal |
| Train sales team on verification narrative | Pitch deck rebuild matters more than expected |
| Add verification clause to all new client contracts | PBP becomes the default contractual standard |
| Use BMC compliance as a strategic tailwind | Regulatory clock adds urgency procurement teams understand |
| Co-brand verified report with client logo | Procurement teams treat the report as their own evidence |
| Position to investors and acquirers proactively | Verification metric increases enterprise value |
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Glossary
Field Execution Intelligence (FEI)The category of platforms producing verified execution data for India's physical marketing economy. The 5-layer operating standard for accountable OOH execution.
Verified by gOGigPartner mark used on agency pitch decks, websites, and contracts. Signals procurement-grade verification capability to enterprise clients.
Certified Ground Truth OOH PartnergOGig program for OOH agencies adopting FEI as operating standard. Includes dashboard access, badge, pitch deck templates, and ecosystem support.
Proof Before Payment (PBP)Procurement standard tying invoice approval to verified execution. The contractual layer that converted PPT closeouts into verified reports.
3-way matchingProcurement discipline combining PO, invoice, and verified delivery. Standard for IT and logistics, now extending to OOH spend.
BMC Advertising Guidelines 2025Mumbai's outdoor advertising regulatory framework notified November 27, 2025. First major overhaul since 2008.
Ghatkopar hoarding collapseMay 13, 2024 incident in Mumbai where a 120 ft x 120 ft illegal hoarding collapsed onto a petrol pump, killing 17 and injuring 75+. Catalyst for the 2025 policy overhaul.
Structural Stability SOPBMC-mandated structural protocol for all static and digital OOH formats. Includes annual structural audits by licensed engineers and mandatory insurance.
Verified Execution Rate (VER)% of contracted OOH execution that can be independently verified. The headline operating KPI for accountable OOH agencies.
DSO (Days Sales Outstanding)Average days from invoice to payment collection. Compressed from 71 to 19 days in this case study.
BRSR CoreSEBI sustainability reporting framework. Mandatory limited assurance for top 250 listed entities from FY 2025-26. Drives procurement-grade verification requirements.
Ground TruthWhat actually happened on the ground, independently verified. The reference state OOH FEI moves agencies toward.
Blind TrustLegacy operating standard treating vendor self-reports as evidence. The structural condition this case study describes the agency moving away from.
HoardingsHighway gantriesBus sheltersBus brandingCab brandingAuto rickshawPole boardsDigital LED screensMetro and railAirport advertisingMall OOHPlace-based media
MumbaiBangaloreDelhi NCRHyderabadPuneChennaiKolkataAhmedabadGurgaonSuratJaipurCoimbatoreKochiLucknow
Read the full OOH case study
Apply for the gOGig Certified Ground Truth OOH Partner Program. 14-day onboarding pilot, dashboard access, "Verified by gOGig" badge, pitch deck templates, partner ecosystem support.
100%
Billing disputes eliminated
+35.2%
Revenue growth (11 months)
71 to 19 days
DSO compression
Written by
G
gOGig Editorial
gOGig Editorial
gOGig Editorial covers case studies, research, and accountability stories from India's physical marketing economy.
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