What’s involved in implementing a mobile SFA system?
Implementing a mobile Sales Force Automation (SFA) system is a technology implementation project. Tasks to be carried out as part of a SFA implementation project include:
- Process mapping and re-engineering
- Selection of mobile devices
- Selection of software (either Off-the-shelf or Bespoke)
- Organising the supporting IT infrastructure
- User training
- Software testing
- System deployment
- Organising ongoing system support.
As with any technology implementation strong project management skills are essential to getting the optimum return from your investment.
Building on the foundations
Once implemented, a mobile SFA system can open the door to other projects or applications that may not previously have been viable in their own right. For example, an initial SFA project might be justified solely on the basis of sales order processing. However, once the core infrastructure is in place, other applications can be considered:
- Examples include: Email
- Internet/Intranet Access
- POD signature capture
- Promotions management
- Marketing data capture
- Real-time stock availability
- Sales lead tracking.
In addition, the introduction of SFA can provide opportunities to report on Key Performance Indicators which were previously difficult or impossible to report on. Sales Managers should have better visibility on the activities of their sales force, allowing them to manage performance more effectively. Business Intelligence tools such as Cognos (which may already be used elsewhere in the business) can add an extra layer of value to the SFA deployment.
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