How To Choose The Right Sales Force Automation App in FMCG business?

The Sales Force Automation (SFA) is a software app for sales management. SFA  automates various sales processes to manage business leads, sales forecasts, team performance and also enhances efficiency. In almost every FMCG business, SFA is being used either at the SR level or at the front line by the help of an app to take orders and the whole company's decisions  rely on it.

The right Sales Force Automation helps to get the right data to the right people at the right time and reduces the number of administrative tasks that sales representatives and their managers have to perform manually. It connects all the elements of the business and allows a seamless flow of data between executives and business heads. Before choosing the right sales force automation app in FMCG business the major questions you need to know:

• What are the major importances of Automation App?
• What hurdles do you need to consider?
• What essential and advanced features suit best for your company?

If you have confusion about how automation app can help to increase the productivity of your company then let's learn about the importances of automation apps first.

• Order Booking:

Order booking is a module to channelize all sales orders through company hierarchy and helps every sales person to post their order in real time. This is digital order booking. It is accurate and you don’t have to wait for the data. It is generated automatically on a daily basis once the app is being installed. All market executives work on their android app to place their retailers orders. Before getting a sales automation app you make sure your automation app has this module. 

• Secondary Sales Data:

Secondary sale is very very important because all the multiple data are there in secondary sales data. Like about market  coverage, movement of sales executives, goods choices of different retailers, and so on.

• Route/Beat Planning:

Under route and beat planning, you can manage an efficient beat and route plan. Beat is a day level route plan for sales executives to make visits to a number of stores at predefined frequency.

• Performance Management:

You can give feedback to SR on a daily basis if they are performing well or not? And necessary improvement to be made in which prospect? Which is a secondary target of All these inputs to be given on a daily basis.  

Managing a sales team can be very tough as there are numerous hurdles you have to overcome each day. These are the hurdles  to consider while selecting Sales Force Automation:

• Go for Free Trial first:

Before choosing any Sales Automation App try to sign up for a free trial or request for a demo. You  will be able to mark crucial elements and can have a comparison of features

• Reviews and Rankings:

Check out the reviews and rankings of the particular app properly once before purchasing it.

• Integration:

Consider the integration requirements  you have for sales force automation  software with your customer  databases order management.

• Scalability:

Do not select a Sales Automation Software based on the current number of sales team to avoid any likely logistical problem in the future. Whether you want to scale up or down, the right choice will grow with you.

• Cost: 

The best for your company will be the one that gives you the best value for your company rather than the money based.So, don’t put prices above features when looking for the right tools.

 Now, before choosing the Sales Force Automation App for your FMCG business you need to decide whether you will go for essential features only or advance as well. If your company meets requirements for essential features, go for it but if it is not sufficient for your company then only choose advanced features. 

Following are the modules you must consider while choosing basic and advanced categories.

• Outlet Sales History:

The sales executive must be able to see sales history under this feature. If outlet sales history will be there it will be easier for salesmen to sell. This module is not only the medium to have more orders but to increase the sales as well. It helps salesmen to improve sales.

• Performance Dashboard:

Performance dashboard gives you actionable insights into products, product categories, brands, and assortments. The sales executives must be able to measure their  own performance on a certain time frame. They should be able to see what the target is on a particular day? What is the run rate? How much he has been assigned and so on.

• Time Management:

Time management helps to improve performance. It helps to manage time, out time, time spent in retail shops and many more.

• Reports:

 In report each and every activity executives will do, performances in the market, order they have collected, expenses they  have made, leave applied etc. Different types of report starting from SQ level, outlet level, category brand level, beat level whichever is available. Not only sales executives but supervisors can also make decisions. 

If your company has evolved to some extent then only use this feature. If you have  50 or less team members you can manage through essential features. If your team member has increased +100 then you need advanced features where you need more packing, supervision, process compiled and everything. Let’s have a through check on the modules.

•   Geo -fencing:

There is one diameter which tracks the location so the supervisor can check the route and tentative distance executives have traveled. Supervisor would have the option to geo-fence your employees which would restrict them from marking visits and taking orders if they are not at the party’s location.  

• Live Tracking:

Supervisors can track the current location and status  of their sales executives at  a particular time frame.

• Prompts:

While the sales executive  books the order, if they get popped up, messages reminding them like  ‘this is the scheme… you can sell this…’, ’this is the consumer offer…’ etc these are the prompts. This increases the alertness of sales people  about the target achieved or not of a particular retailer seeing those alerts and working accordingly.

• DMS Integration:

SFA should be integrated with the distribution management system. You have booked an order in SFA and the data is coming to you but until the distributor does not execute your order, it remains incomplete. Therefore, DMS actually completes the entire loop. You book the order and it is captured in the DMS about what order they had supplied, rate, delivery, shows the differences if any cancellation if any and so on.It gives the entire picture of the process. It is an expensive advanced feature but can be very helpful for the company. 

Thus, the above mentioned are  features and one can make a decision choosing the best that suits your company.