Since the introduction of Siebel in the 1990s, sales force automation (SFA) has been widely used by sales teams, whether in the field or behind a desk. Both sales domains have undergone their respective evolutions.
Today we want to focus on the specific application of SFA in retail execution and monitoring and the requirement to measure, improve and sustain standards in-store.
The purpose of retail execution is to ensure that head office sales and marketing strategies are actually implemented in-store. In this context, SFA is the practice of using software to streamline or automate the activities which maximize sell in (such as processing orders, monitoring inventories, and pitching selling stories to customers), as well as sell out (such as fixing out of stocks and promotions, and winning new space and shelf share). Zooming out, an SFA should co-ordinate these activities across an entire field force, and guide users through the process. At Zaptic, our vision is that anyone can pick up our solution and perform every step of the store call with minimal training.
Sales force automation systems were already present in the 1980s but Siebel’s release in 1995 blazed the trail for the adoption of SFA by large enterprises. Enterprise software was costly and required time-consuming installation and maintenance by a dedicated IT team. Poor engagement – owing to an unresponsive user interface often undermined the ROI of SFA initiatives, especially given the scale and high turnover nature of field teams.
The rise of high-speed Internet connectivity and cloud computing made SFA accessible anytime, anywhere, on any devise – something of huge importance to field agents who are constantly on the go. SaaS dramatically reduced the implementation and maintenance costs, and combined with advancements in UX/UI, led to customisable, intuitive, user-friendly software that guides field reps through their daily tasks.
Brick mobile phones, Discmans, dial-up internet and online chatrooms were all hot in the 90s but only bring a nostalgic smirk in today’s world of social media and ultra-light, slick and intuitive technology. However, the 90s forged the path for mobile and social as an integral part of our personal lives today. There is a growing demand – and increasing need for, the incorporation of the effortless collaboration over social media and the engaging user experience of consumer apps into the realm of work. Gamification, for example, is asserting itself as an important part of the work process, helping to increase engagement and incentive.
Today, the integration of advanced data analytics has made SFA a source of valuable actionable insight, directing agents in the field to the greatest opportunities for sales effectiveness. In the turbulent years of enterprise software evolution, SFA successfully transitioned from a trail-blazing head office application to a must-have in the field of retail execution.
It’s easy to conflate the purpose of CRM and SFA given how many SFAs are CRM based. CRMs are focused on the onboarding and management of customer information, whilst process-driven in-store execution tools guide field reps to take action on the underlying processes which form the basis of the customer relationship. The strength of a CRM is to efficiently collect data on current and prospective customers.
In contrast, process-driven SFA goes one step further, transforming data into action and helping to standardise best practices, ensure compliance and improve in-store execution. This reflects the broader demand for transitioning from passively storing information in systems of record, towards prompting action with systems of activity.
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