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Sales force management system

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Salesforce management systems (also sales force automation systems (SFA)) are information systems used in customer relationship management (CRM) marketing and management that help automate some sales and sales force management functions. They are often combined with a marketing information system, in which case they are often called CRM systems.

An SFA, typically a part of a company's CRM system, is a system that automatically records all the stages in a sales process. SFA includes a contact management system which tracks all contact that has been made with a given customer, the purpose of the contact, and any follow up that may be needed. This ensures that sales efforts are not duplicated, reducing the risk of irritating customers. SFA also includes a sales lead tracking system, which lists potential customers through paid phone lists, or customers of related products. Other elements of an SFA system can include sales forecasting, order management and product knowledge. More developed SFA systems have features where customers can actually model the product to meet their needs through online product building systems. There are many SFA systems which are having features like activity reporting, scheme management, outlet management, data collection and survey.[1] This is becoming popular in the automobile industry, where patrons can customize various features such as color and interior features such as leather vs. upholstered seats.

An integral part of any SFA system is company-wide integration among different departments. If SFA systems aren't adopted and properly integrated to all departments, there might be a lack of communication which could result in different departments contacting the same customer for the same purpose. In order to mitigate this risk, SFA must be fully integrated in all departments that deal with customer service management.

Making a dynamic sales force links strategy and operational actions that can take place within a department. the SFA relies on objectives, plans, budget, and control indicators under specific conditions. In order to perform the objectives correctly, specific procedures must be implemented:

Identifiable sales force management processes

Sales force management is the process of directing and controlling a firm's sales force. It typically involves setting objectives, assigning responsibilities, monitoring performance, and taking corrective actions as needed. The process often begins by establishing specific sales targets. Inputs and outputs from sales activities are analyzed to develop standardized procedures and performance metrics. These help sales managers adjust their actions accordingly. Key metrics may include:

  • Time management - Accurately measuring time required for tasks.
  • Call management - Tracking reps' compliance and call success rates.
  • Opportunity management - Monitoring use of tools and adherence to objectives.
  • Account management - Managing customer relationships and opportunities.
  • Territory management - Aligning account reps and prospective/active customers.
  • Sales force management - Training, systems, control, coaching across departments.

Components of sales-force automation systems

Sales-force automation systems vary in their capabilities. They can vary depending on what information an organization needs. The application also has implications based on an organization's size, organization rollup, demand of new system, sales processes, and number of users.

Depending on requirements, services can fall into one of two categories:

  1. on-premises software
  2. on-demand (hosted) software

With on-premises software, the customer manages and purchases the application. On-premises software has some advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage of on-premises is the higher cost of the software, along with maintenance. Customization is also needed for some who use additional processes outside of the normal out of the box solution. Time is also a factor. Many on-premises software implementations take longer - along with numerous testing and training sessions. The overall advantage of on-premises software relates to overall return on investment. Using the application for three to five years becomes more cost-effective. Another advantage may depend on the amount of data. With on-demand, certain volume restrictions hold, but with on-premises, data restrictions are based on the storage size of local hardware.

CRM is a mechanism which manages all the data of their customers, clients and other business partners in a single container.[citation needed] CRM with cloud computing allows businesses to keep stature of its customers from all its corners.[citation needed]

Several tools can aid in automating sales activities. The largest vendors are Salesforce.com, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, SAP AG and Oracle.

Mobile sales force automation application

Many sales managers are always on the go. The growth of smartphones has reignited the creation of mobile sales force automation systems. Most companies IT departments are aware that adopting new abilities requires extensive testing. Despite the time needed to test such a new product, it will pay off in the future for the sales department. Smartphones appeal to salespeople because they are easy to carry and easy to use, show an appealing interface design, touchscreens and fast wireless network abilities. More than 55% of global 2000 organization will deploy mobile SFA project by 2011 and newer Smartphone platforms, such as Apple's iOS and Google's Android, point to a future of increasing diversity in device selecting and support for sales force.[2] When implementing the mobile sales force automation application or during the first stage of systems development life cycle, project teams will need to evaluate how prospective solutions comprising mobile devices, software and support infrastructure and carrier services are packaged to deliver optimal system usability, manageability and integrative abilities, as well as scalability, reliability and performance.

Encouraging use

Many organizations have found it difficult to persuade sales people to enter data into the system. For this reason many[who?] have questioned the value of the investment. Recent developments have embedded sales process systems that give something back to the seller within the CRM screens. Because these systems help the sales person plan and structure their selling in the most effective way, increasing productivity, they give a reason to use the CRM.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Zylemini". Zylem. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  2. ^ [1][dead link]
  3. ^ Rodriguez, Michael; Honeycutt, Earl D. (2011). "Customer Relationship Management (CRM)'s Impact on B to B Sales Professionals' Collaboration and Sales Performance". Journal of Business-To-Business Marketing. 18 (4): 335–356. doi:10.1080/1051712X.2011.574252. S2CID 167515127.

Sources

  • Jordan, Jason (2009). Sales Management Best Practices: Six Essential Processes. Manage Smart.
  • A Framework for Evaluating Sales Force Automation Functionality. Gartner. 2008. G00158560.
  • Commonly Deployed CRM Applications by Large Consultants and System Integrators in 2009. Gartner. 2010. G00206045.
  • Darmon, René Y. (2007). Introduction to the Dynamic Sales Force Management Process. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-84834-3.
  • Haag, Stephen; Cummings, Maeve; McCubbrey, Donald J.; Pinsonneault, Alain; Donovan, Richard (2006). Management Information Systems for the Information Age (Third Canadian ed.). Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. pp. 50 & 176–177. ISBN 0-07-095569-7.
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