Sales Force Automation (SFA)
Sales Force Automation (SFA) is used to automate sales and sales force management functions. Sales Force Automation is a subset of customer relationship management (CRM); however, CRM does not necessarily imply automation of sales tasks. Sales Force Automation automates the business tasks of sales, including order processing, contact management, information sharing, inventory monitoring and control, order tracking, customer management, sales forecast analysis and employee performance evaluation.
Sales Force Automation tracks customer interactions, analyzes sales forecasts and automates business tasks, such as inventory control and order processing. It also supports lead generation, contact, scheduling, performance tracking and other functions for sales and staff. Sales Force Automation functions are normally integrated with base systems that provide order, product, inventory status and other information and may be included as part of a larger CRM system.
Sales Force Automation is used primarily by sales management to monitor the performance of the sales team and individual sales representatives to boost sales. Management can quickly figure out which leads are worth pursuing, when they might close, can see and manage the sales pipeline months into the future and can separate sales performers from the unperformers in your sales force.
Sales Force Automation is a natural progression of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. ERP vendors have already “extended” ERP by front-ending their application suites with Sales Force Automation functionality and back-ending them with CRM applications. Sales Force Automation and CRM are both “front-office” systems, not like “back-office” functions, such as accounting. Since front-office systems influence ERP decision-making, financial system managers must understand how Sales Force Automation fits into the big picture. And as front- and back-office systems have become more integrated, Sales Force Automation has become an integral part of ERP systems.
Sales Force Automation’s functionality includes integration with your current databases. Information, records and other applications can be shared with accounting, for example, and perform calculations. Sales Force Automation can go from interacting with accounts payable and receivable to Word, PIMs, and your e-mail system.
Sales Force Automation applications increase the productivity and profitability of a sales team, because they offer incredibly detailed information covering every aspect of the extended sales tree: from prospects and pipeline to opportunities and territories.
This is why a subset of Sales Force Automation, Knowledge Management, plays such an important role in the effectiveness of a sales force. The sales force must be kept informed of any news that has a bearing on their customers. Whether it is internal or external knowledge about products, promotional campaigns, acquisitions, the stock market, or events, it must be sent to the sales team immediately.
Such news can be attached to the Sales Force Automation application as Word documents. Excel spreadsheets, customer data, and jpegs too. An email newsletter can be developed and sent to the sales team with this or other information. Bulletins can be sent in the event of breaking news.