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  • Affordable Tools for Field Sales Performance Management

    Affordable Tools for Field Sales Performance Management

    Entrepreneurship is exciting, but only when it is profitable. So, it comes as no surprise that if you don’t have customers driving your sales, you won’t have much of a company, but even if you do have customers, it will be difficult if you don’t have capable field force automation tools to help you along the way. You need the right technology if you want to maximise the performance of your sales team. 

    Affordable & Necessary Tools that will enhance field sales performance:

    Here is a list of tools that you can use to improve your field sales performance.

    1. Communication/Conferencing tools

    Prior to the emergence of digital marketing, we had to meet prospective customers physically, in person to present demos, but nowadays there are many ways you can do this, without having to travel or move out of your office. Such tools are a great solution for issues due to video/web conferencing. It can also double up as an efficient field force automation solution. Sales tools that feature easy-to-use video conferencing tools make the field service management software more authentic and efficient.

    1. Navigating sales – emails, sales updates for customers and prospects 

    The best way to increase sales on the global market will be to use tools that aid in navigating the sales process. You can create a buzz about your services/products and enhance revenue when it is incorporated into the field force automation solution. You can use it to decide which products to promote in the market and what services to continue providing. Some features of such a tool include sending/receiving emails, getting personalised lead recommendations, real-time sales updates, among others.

    1. Lead management 

    With this unique queue-based prioritization of prospects and leads, you can eliminate the need to manage contacts lists manually. The lead that is most likely to be converted is routed to the agent that is available immediately for quick processing and possible closing. By automating the lead management process, you can ensure your field sales agents interact with two to three times more prospects per day, thereby increasing the efficiency of the field force automation tool.

    1. Determining opportunities

    For proper management of your sales, you need field service management software. Some additional features may include email tracking, account scoring, opportunity scoring, predictive forecast, sales communications, and lead and accounting scoring. 

    1. Forecasting sales

    By using sales forecasting software, companies can predict growth and gain deeper insights. When managers see trends in data, they can come up with effective strategies and take the appropriate steps to grow their business. The purpose of sales forecasting tools is to assist businesses in gaining better insight into their future through quantitative measures based on their past data. It evaluates historical business trends to estimate future sales and you can do this by incorporating this feature into the field force tracking solution.

    1. Proposal writing tools

    Using proposal writing tools, you can create some impressive sales proposals and differentiate yourself from companies that continue to make proposals in MS Word or other such tools. With proposal writing tools, you can create incredible proposals and store them in the cloud for access later and easy sharing, thus saving time. Some features that such tools can offer include electronic signatures, easy tracking of the sales pipeline, etc. Such features can be incorporated in a single tool or can be used separately with your field force management software. With these, you can improve how your business functions and make things highly efficient. One such tool is Happisales and you might want to schedule a demo today to check it out! 

  • 4 Ways to Measure the Productivity of Field Sales Employees

    4 Ways to Measure the Productivity of Field Sales Employees

    Consistently exceeding sales targets pays everyone’s bills, including commissions and bonuses, and guarantees the company’s bottom line is powerful. The biggest determinant you have for consistently managing and delivering on your goals is measuring and tracking your Field Sales Team’s performance and progress.

    You cannot afford to lose vision of the woods and only see individual trees. The first step towards determining sales team performance is to have clear visibility. It is far more efficacious than piecing together the entire picture from the operations of individual sales reps, which is time-consuming.

    Implementing sales tracking may appear difficult, but it does not have to be. There are only a few practical steps required to develop an effective method for measuring, tracking, and reporting on the performance of your sales team.

    4 Ways to Measure Sales Productivity:

    • Establish key performance indicators – 

    KPI, also known as the Key Performance Indicator, is a value that measures the performance of various aspects of the firm to determine whether or not it has met its targets. Any sales organization must create a real-time dashboard to track the performance of their sales team. 

    Also, a Field Force Automation Solution is equally enabled to track the performance and productivity of your sales reps’ team. 

    • Evaluate forecasted business vs. Targeted business – 

    Forecasting your business is more than just a numbers game. Rather, it is a well-researched estimation that defines an organization’s future tendencies. 

    Accurate prediction reports express how many deals are necessary to fulfill your goal, the most likely buyers, and how much prospecting is required to fill your sales pipeline. field sales reporting apps are perfect for such predictions. The accurate forecast numbers provide a benchmark for salespeople to see if they are on track to meet their goals.

    • Make time for constant follow up – 

    It is also tough to set aside time to check in with each individual. Use this opportunity to debate how their performance compares to the team’s goals and emphasize any key areas for improvement.

    • Measure long and short-term goals – 

    The most impactful performance metrics balance short-term task completion with long-term performance. This combination of objectives and incentives promotes a positive work ethic.

    With the right investigating tools and a field service management software designed to help you track performance in real-time, you can begin working smarter and smacking those team targets regularly! With such intelligent solutions, you can monitor, track, and analyze your revenue-generating activities and ensure maximum productivity every time! Visit us at Happisales to learn more.

  • Smart Scheduling as part of an FSM Solution – The Undeniable Benefits

    Smart Scheduling as part of an FSM Solution – The Undeniable Benefits

    As a business owner, having hundreds of employees, multiple locations, and a plethora of variables to handle, scheduling work can be a pain. Several scheduling systems utilising inefficient technology such as Excel, whiteboards, or even the ordinary pen and paper, compound the issue.

    Cloud-based solutions, such as field service management software, attempt to address these issues by redefining organising work schedules via intelligent scheduling, thereby eliminating the time-consuming process of manual scheduling, increasing employee satisfaction, and responding to industry demands. Each interaction your field service staff has with your clients is an investment in your company and your consumers. Your clients want a prompt response and for your team to arrive prepared to fix the issue.

    Without access to up-to-date scheduling and workforce optimisation technology such as mobile sales app, your workforce management team will lose out on a lot of benefits it offers.

    What is smart scheduling?

    Intelligent or “smart scheduling” systems on sales force tracker software provide a clear line of communication between the back office and the mobile workforce, allowing the best-qualified technician, craftsman, salesman, or estimator to be dispatched to a certain location or service appointment.

    What are the benefits?

    Smart scheduling feature in field service management software allows employers to collect data on how their workers operate and what role they play best in a team setting. These cloud-based apps also improve employer visibility by giving an on-the-go solution that is updated in real-time. Smart scheduling also allows workers to easily manage and see their work schedules through the use of mobile applications of the sales force tracker. Smart scheduling solutions may be accessed and used by managers, field service employees (contracted or directly hired), and customers to start, coordinate, and finish service calls via the Field Assist app. Let us explore some of these benefits in detail below: 

    Employee can manage their schedules

    Organisations benefit from being able to predict demand peaks and valleys by looking at historical data, so you can make a plan that appropriately matches this. Having dynamic and adjustable scheduling software is essential in today’s workplace for efficient scheduling. Without scheduling software, many of the scheduling approaches listed are not nearly as successful as they may be. Management can easily accommodate the personal lives of employees by allowing for schedule adjustments in field service management software. Employees can communicate efficiently, and future staffing levels may be correctly forecasted with this feature. 

    Time management

    Communication is very important, and it has been well-researched. In businesses with workers who work different hours, communication is very important. Misunderstanding can have a huge impact on a business, such as over or understaffing, unnecessary overtime, and unsatisfactory service because there isn’t enough direction or leadership. Employees can forecast their tasks better and as an employer you can see better outcomes as there are less missed shifts, no shows, and lateness. Improved task/responsibility delegation leads to more productivity. Empowered employees have better job satisfaction. Great service is provided by a happy staff, which leads to happy customers/clients.

    Update and adjust tasks and schedules in real-time 

    While using the Field Force Tracking Solution, you can access data using the laptop or even use a smartphone or other mobile device to update and change schedules. Sales force personnel can diagnose and address issues faster with a Field Assist app on their mobile phones, resulting in a more accurate and personalised service experience. A good sales force tracker system does more than just keep track of your employees. It helps you keep costs under control, create confidence with consumers, and keep your business running smoothly.

    Resolve Customer Issues Faster

    Having access to this real-time employee data enables management to handle issues swiftly and save unnecessary expenses. Smart scheduling feature on field service management software assists pulling out real-time employee data and staff expertise to deploy the appropriate staff for every task. Customers receive better service that is tailored to their specific needs when the process is simplified. An integrated system can also provide service personnel with all the information they need to meet any service requirement, from inventory and mandatory safety workflows to instant invoicing and customer history reports.

    Drive Better Customer satisfaction

    Smart scheduling feature of field service management software’s main goal is to make customers happier and keep them coming back. When you think of service availability and outcomes, remember that increasing customer satisfaction is the goal. Smart scheduling technology can help you attain higher schedule adherence, improved economic output, and reduced maintenance actions, which leads to greater technician productivity and availability. Providing great service and fulfilling contractual obligations starts with scheduling the right people, in the right place at the right time. 

    Conclusion

    Field service workflows can be streamlined and optimized with sales force tracker tools. Happisales is one such tool that you can deploy for your business and soak in the benefits. Schedule a demo today and watch how productive your staff can become with the smart scheduling feature of the setup! 

  • Why does your business need daily sales reports?

    Why does your business need daily sales reports?

    Keeping track of your weekly or monthly sales reports through sales tracker apps is important and pretty simple. However, these reports do not examine your company’s day-to-day operations. This, on the other hand, prevents managers from recognising operational bottlenecks at the ground level. Daily field sales reporting is what can help management identify vital indicators.

    So what is a daily sales report?

    A daily sales report is a tool used to track the daily activities of the field sales team. These reports are especially valuable when reps are out working in the field and meeting with customers. A daily sales report helps to keep track of their tasks on any given workday. Field sales tracking also ensures that day-to-day activities are being carried out in a planned way.

    Analysis of the field sales team’s sales reports on a monthly or a weekly basis does not give management the same perspective that a daily sales report provides. Daily reports are more regular and much more extensive. Businesses have learned that a daily sales report generated via a workforce management tool may assist them to understand their workforce’s difficulties and recommend remedial steps in real-time.

    Furthermore, making a daily report isn’t much effort if it’s automated through sales tracker apps. Several firms employ a workforce management tool that creates daily reports based on company KPIs without requiring users to spend any time doing so. Let’s look at why daily sales reports are crucial and how you can make the process go smoothly.

    Importance of a Daily Sales Report

    Sales reports are critical for sales directors since they are the primary tool for tracking sales income, opportunity status, pipeline health, and any other metrics you pick when creating a sales report.

    From a field sales rep’s perspective, sales reports are important since they summarise and specify exactly how many deals they have at each stage of the sales process. They also condense crucial information about specific chances into consumable, and more significantly, legible chunks that salespeople may access before meetings, allowing them to properly prepare.

    Benefits of a Daily Sales Report

    Here are a few ways daily sales reports can benefit businesses and help in their growth.

    Better Sales Forecasting and Predictions

    With a mobile sales app serving as a field force automation tool, a daily sales report comprising of all the information pertaining to the field sales teams – be it emails, calls, visits, etc, can be obtained. It can inform you of new opportunities created, the number of first-time visits made, the nature of the discussions you had with prospects, their thoughts, and if they need to be moved down the funnel.

    You can concentrate on the most critical part of a business – Average Revenue Per Account, opportunities and their status in the pipeline, quarterly projection, and activity KPIs.

    Monthly and weekly reports from sales tracker apps might give some insight into sales estimates but a daily sales report can tell you about the days which had the highest sales and the reason behind it. Daily reports analysis can help management forecast sales better and make better predictions and numbers more accurately.

    Efficiency and Contribution of Sales Personnel

    Daily sales reports are critical in identifying exactly what training a salesperson requires and for which area of the sales process. Spending less time prospecting means that the revenue produced from that area will decrease, and as a manager, you may intervene by offering guidance or training to correct this, thereby improving efficiency.

    In any case, the sales reports point out areas where field sales performance should be improved. The marketing and sales teams must work together to increase the efficiency of the sales process, reduce the time a lead spends to help your organisation land clients faster and, perhaps, keep them for longer.

    Data collected on a daily basis tell which leads are most likely to become customers and which require more attention. A well-established and managed data-driven sales process that is customised can substantially benefit your customer base.

    Identify key sales personnel – Incentivisation

    Incentivising is important when it comes to being a sales manager. Once there is a monetary incentive that comes with every sales position, sales reps naturally turn results-oriented and self-motivated.

    In this regard, sales reports are critical in emphasising each individual’s strengths and limitations, allowing managers to identify key players in every team.

    Sales and marketing staff will be motivated by a challenge. Other team members will be driven to do better in order to gain the title if there is a report that indicates who is working hard and who is working well. Although creating daily sales reports may appear to be a little task, the benefits to your company are well worth the effort.

    Identify Sales Bottlenecks

    A daily sales report from sales tracker apps enables sales managers to identify bottlenecks and resolve them swiftly. These reports also help to predict bottlenecks and aid in preventing them before it causes problems during the sales process. With daily sales statistics, you can quickly identify a problem and address it before it becomes a major issue.

    Time and resources are essential for every company’s success. However, a lack of time or money does not necessarily stifle a company’s expansion. Identifying and learning from frequent trends can aid in the refinement of customer acquisition methods.

    Prepare and Execute key decisions

    It’s not enough to have a monthly sales report that only displays the basics of each transaction and how well your marketing department is doing. Daily sales reports provide a comprehensive image of everything that occurs in the office and in the field, allowing you to keep track of performance and client base. Making important financial decisions may be nerve-wracking. The detailed data provided by a DSR aids managers in making challenging decisions.

    Data may also be used by salespeople to identify which prospects are worth pursuing and which are a waste of time. Making smart judgments at the correct time is the bane of the management profession.

    ConclusionSo reading thus far, you must have understood the benefits and importance of a daily sales report. Automating the generation of a DSR can minimize the effort from the sales personnel and give you the data that is necessary to analyse and make the right decisions. A workforce management tool such as Happisales can help you achieve this. Schedule a demo today and watch how the data in your hands can help you grow your business better!

  • A Business Perspective on the Benefits of Tracking People and Vehicles

    A Business Perspective on the Benefits of Tracking People and Vehicles

    Why Should You Track Your Employees?

    The ability of a business to be efficient, productive and also profitable is largely based on its ability to facilitate healthy workflows and processes for its employees to follow. However, sales processes come with a lot of unpredictability in terms of tracking employees’ movements, vehicles, and also productive time spent on selling a company’s products. Field sales tracking solutions aim to alleviate these issues, providing a comprehensive, easy to use method of tracking employees and assets in the field. If research surrounding the use of sales tracking software and field sales tracking is to be believed, the use of sales employee tracking apps can come with a multitude of benefits. It can therefore be a great advantage to any business that requires more transparency in its sales or delivery processes, ensuring that employees do not misuse company time and assets while they are in the field.

    What Can Field Sales Tracking Do?

    The many benefits that sales employee tracking apps and sales tracking software can bring include a consolidated database of sales activities and transactions that can help analytics. By having information on where, when and how sales employees are generating value for the company in the field, further optimization of sales processes can be facilitated by using field sales tracking software. This is in addition to more traditional benefits such as improved efficiency, productivity and the security of company assets. However, it is important for a business to address potential issues such as short-term costs of implementation as well as potential repercussions from employees who may see tracking software as a lack of trust in them. It is also advisable to check local laws and regulations regarding the use of tracking software.

    Simplicity and Convenience

    The benefits that field sales tracking software offer are made possible by a simple application of tracking applications that make use of the Google Maps service. The software simply relays information from a dedicated tracking device back to a central device or database, the former of which utilizes Global Positioning Software (GPS) to deliver accurate tracking information on employees and vehicles. This ensures that employees are accountable for their time in the field, but can also assist the company in creating workflows that minimize travel times and maximize the reach of its sales force. Having a dedicated sales employee tracking up can thus allow a business the flexibility to deploy its sales force in a manner that it sees fit, utilizing real-time information from sales tracking software to ensure that its sales processes are not only efficient, but also effective.

    Thus, the use of field service software can be a big advantage to a business that relies on its sales force to a large extent. It provides the advantages of optimization, accountability, transparency, efficiency and productivity of a company’s sales force while the only immediate challenges would be the cost of implementation and ensuring compliance with local laws and policies where the business operates.

    To know more about efficient employee tracking and automating your business, visit us at happisales.

  • The Impact of Internet of Things (IoT) in Field Services

    The Impact of Internet of Things (IoT) in Field Services

    Internet of Things is a vast network of electronic devices that are connected to the internet. These digital and mechanical smart devices operate and transfer data without any human intervention. Such devices use Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to collect and transfer data collection more responsively.

    Renowned consulting firm McKinsey has predicted that with the advent of time, the worldwide number of IoT-connected devices is estimated to be 43 billion by 2023, three times the number in 2018.

    Usually, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning is used by IoT devices to make data collection and transfer more agile.

    Impact of IoT in the modern world

    With the advent of time, IoT has helped us to work and live smarter. It has greatly assisted in gaining complete control over our lives and supported us in taking care of our wellbeing and ourselves.

    Has it not only revolutionized our homes but also helped businesses and industries. It provides a real-time glimpse of their companies systems. IoT provides understandings and insights ranging from machine performance to supply chain and logistics operations.

    IoT encourages establishments to automate practices and processes. This saves expenditure on labour thus economizing. It has significantly contributed to waste reduction. The delivery of goods and services has improved, making it cost-effective for the manufactures and transparent for the customer during transactions.

    How IoT impacts the field services

    Earlier the field service technicians would repeatedly struggle with unknown specifications, mysterious malfunctions, and interruptions due to wrong analysis.

    However, with Field Service software, companies have been able to facilitate inventory, plan, and track all the field operations using GPS tracker leading to field force automation. IoT is transforming field service by significantly improving the delivery and execution of services as well as sales force and field force automation. 

    It generates a continuous association between field force operations and customer engagement. Time-consuming field service activities such as scheduling maintenance or locating vehicles are transferred by business by such a field management system as all the devices are interconnected. GPS tracker, remote diagnosis, and sales force automation are now available easily providing a competitive edge in the market.

    Organizations are now able to save valuable time because of such integrated technologies that diagnose the problem and notify the right technician to resolve it, saving valuable time. 

    Here we have listed out a few benefits to getting a better understanding of the impact of IoT on your field service process.

    Benefits of IoT in field services 

    Increase in Productivity

    IoT devices are proficient enough to diagnose issues. Technicians would no longer be required to conduct frequent initial inspections. With the increase in correct first-time analysis, technicians can now execute a proper procedural approach to maintenance and complete more jobs.

    Remote access and Management

    The field service professionals can considerably cut the time for each service. They can now focus on improving their skillset. IoT technologies are usually dependent on good GPS (Global Positioning System) to track and trace field service technicians. GPS trackers in our mobiles are used for mapping and are based on the satellite-based navigation system. This can help you in remote access and management in the following way:

    • Accurate, real-time data on maintenance works
    • Keeps employees safe
    • Improved customer service

    Proactive customer query management 

    IoT has helped in continuously monitoring; collecting device data for more accurate analytics. This will thus assist in proactive repair services for your clients. The field service professionals act in response to issues due to uninterrupted monitoring before the issues disrupt the field. Since the field service management industry was founded on a culture of reactivity, technicians tend to resolve problems once they appear. Leveraging IoT infrastructures is changing this. IoT devices can monitor development by using sensors in hardware. Furthermore, they can alert maintenance managers so that they are ready to act before they lead to breakdowns.

    Increased efficiency 

    One of the important advantages of an IoT-enabled field sales mobile app is an increase in revenue by sales force automation. The optimization of the problem-solving methods will lessen the time taken by technicians on each job resulting in more efficient completion of work.

    Reduced cost operations 

    By using the field sales app, which uses the field management system, businesses will be able to save money. Managers will now be able to manage demand, optimize supply and reduce operating costs.  

    The Final take

    Field service companies are evolving in providing service to their customers with the help of new IoT technologies. This technological trend has boosted field force automation as well as sales force automation using the field management systems software and apps. IoT devices are becoming more predominant and widespread compared to previous years. 

    A Field service organization must start accepting IoT technology as soon as possible. This can help them to leverage the benefits of field service management software that facilitates predictive maintenance and remote service management. The numerous benefits of IoT technology in the field service industry can be utilized by refining their customer experience and increasing their profitability. Contact us at Happisales and we would be happy to help you more on your sales force automation that your business needs!

  • How much can the work force management software help the e-commerce industry

    How much can the work force management software help the e-commerce industry

    E-commerce in India has changed the ways of shopping. With hot debates making rounds about it bringing an end to the retail market, the industry was a pioneer in making full use of sales force automation techniques even before the concept deepened its roots in the Indian market.

    What was once seen as a sceptical chain of business has reinvented ways to cater to the needs of the open public. Although it had its inception in the mid 90’s it wasn’t until the industry started focusing more on the B2C markets. Players such as Myntra (est.2007), Flipkart (est.2007) and Amazon India (est. 2012) focused more on tapping the inclusive market of the country’s population. Households had more access to high-speed internet and the business quickly emerged as one of the key players in the Indian Economy. 

    Apart from the giants, business chains that were once exclusive retail only establishments have jumped onto the bandwagon citing opportunities to vast coverage than to restrict their clientele in and around their establishments.

    Challenges in the Industry & workforce management

    India is a huge market with a population of 1.3 billion with almost 25% of the population preferring to shop online. With ISP providers like Jio penetrating the rural consumer market, the E-commerce market in India is touted to grow as much as 51% in the upcoming years. But operating in a competitive market of the world’s seventh-largest country would be no easy task. 

    It would take a great deal of management, workforce and financial resources to make things work. Here is where workforce management software takes its high stand. Here are a few ways by which the e-commerce industries can make things work through such a utility.

    Cut down expenditure

    Every e-commerce industry in the country has its very own sales force automation today – be it a single business line, or an establishment like Amazon dealing as a one-stop window for all. One of the biggest plus sides of having workforce management software is arguably its ability to track expenses in real-time. This would reduce human errors such as duplication, input errors etc. 

    For example, any and every expense in the daily operations can be tagged to a QR code or have an existing data log – Wages per hour for the field sales team can be 40 INR while wages per hour for management crew could be 45 INR. Any personnel tagging into the quota would be paid a precise amount for his time logged through the tracking system. This would cut down any possibilities of manual errors that would reflect hugely on the financial reports. This may not sound like a big deal, but any E-com establishments serving such a vast landmass as India would benefit from such a system.

    Adaptable operational process

    As its name suggests, workforce management software is ideally suited to manage your workforce. As lame as the definition sounds, its utility as an embedded operating system in your e-commerce establishment can make the difference between a successful business and a total train wreck. 

    The E-commerce industry in India is one of the biggest employers of the country. People from various educational and skill backgrounds work under one big roof to scale the business in various forms. Managing such a crew manually would be a tiring task considering the magnitude of both the manpower and business goals in hand. A workforce management software helps track the employees and keeps tabs on all their information from their respective resumes. This way you could filter out a management guy from a field delivery guy and use their skills with more respect and responsibility.

    Improved productivity

    This would be more of a result of a butterfly effect. A Field Service software implemented business establishment, would have excellent productivity and a higher efficiency rate. How you may ask!

    Inefficiency from the workforce is usually a sign of uninterested employees. This may predominantly prevail due to the reason that an employee has been put into a task that doesn’t quite fill up his day. 

    Here is where workforce management software helps you with it. As mentioned in the point above, the software helps find the right people in the employed unions and match them with the right JD. This would not only reduce their induction time but would also get the department up and running swiftly. The upper management can also keep track of the task completed and the hours of work put in by every employee in the organisation. The best part about it is that the management could shuffle around their resources (without having to hire or fire) until they feel that the units are working to their full potential. Thanks to the management app, this could now be done smarter and faster than ever before.

    Happy customers

    Happy customers are a happy profit sheet. If you were a user of an e-commerce website like Amazon or Myntra, you would surely adapt to their heavy backend support. Serving a country with a pop of 1.3 Billion would be a huge task and attending to every one of the customers is what makes the business capture the Indian E-commerce market. 

    The field sales mobile app makes this possible. With every query guided automatically to any free back end officer, customer queries are handled almost instantly. The entire data such as the order date, delivery date, of the good purchases is right in front of the attending officer. This would help reduce the time spent in addressing a customer query and increase the number of customer queries attended. One more loyal customer in the shopping bag!

    These are just a few of the many good things that can come out of implementing a workforce management system in your E-commerce business. But there is much more than where such an app came from. If you are an establishment looking to automate your business, we are here to help! – Happisales

  • 5 Ways How Sales Force Automation is Helping FMCG Companies

    5 Ways How Sales Force Automation is Helping FMCG Companies

    Fast-Moving Consumer Goods or FMCG companies produce relatively low priced items that are manufactured in large quantities. These products make up almost half of all consumer spending but they sell on low-profit margins. 

    The production and distribution of FMCG goods involve several processes including manufacturing, warehousing, order management, logistics and finance. For the businesses to run methodically and on profitable terms, the above-mentioned processes need to be handled with utmost caution and supervision at every step as even a small error can cost the company in terms of labour, time and money. 

    Sales force automation is a smart solution that is being adopted by companies – both big and small, to run businesses to their maximum operational efficiency and profitability. Tailoring the automation processes through cutting-edge technologies minimizes the risk of internal inaccuracies while enabling sales employee tracking apps for field executives reduces the time spent by the sales force in non-revenue generating activities.

    Here’s a detailed account of how sales force automation is turning out to be a game-changer for FMCG companies:

    1. Eliminates manual errors

    The Fast-Moving Consumer Goods or FMCG supply chain works with an abundance of labour at every stage of processing. However, with more human intervention comes more errors. When the supply chain resorts to manually handling every process, there is a greater risk of inaccuracies. This can lead to additional hours and effort spent to fix the problem. 

    For example, lead nurture emails, auto-filling product names and prices, calculating the cost of acquiring new customers, lead prioritization of existing data etc are common to most FMCGs. When the company resorts to manual labour for these tasks, errors like missing data and information, incorrect values and names, inaccurate financials etc are bound to happen.  

    Field force automation significantly increases the overall efficiency by running the processes nearly error-free. Using the field force automation app is easy as it requires just a few people to handle the process as opposed to a large number of manual involvement, otherwise. 

    Further, sales and production information are logged in real-time which reduces the last minute monthly check-ins of the goods. This gives the company an added leverage to involve the skilled workforce in more critical processes like development and strategic planning. 

    1. Inventory visibility that prevents stock-out situations

    Manual inventory tracking may work for small units. But for a fast-paced FMCG unit, this becomes a tedious task owing to the number of steps involved between procuring the raw materials and delivering the finished goods. In addition, businesses that rely on manual processes to manage, track and stock products, are bound to run into stock out or overstock situations, as manually updating data across all the departments, may get affected by human inefficiencies like slow updating, late follow-ups etc.

    From the storage location to the transportation and movement of inventory, inventory visibility ensures proper delivery of orders. In addition, being accountable for a product also reduces the risk of lost inventory and incorrect financials.

    A Sales force tracker app stores information such as procurement of materials, logistics and tracking of goods across all centres of inventory. This helps the decision-makers to be up-to-date and aware of every inventory including those that are in transit or a warehouse. Further, the quantity of SKUs, their location and details about restocking helps the company avoid order cancellations or increased costs due to expedited shipping.

    It is also worth mentioning that inventory visibility comes with the added benefit of tracking specific products/orders from point to point.

    1. Better management of inventory

    In-depth knowledge regarding existing inventory helps managers and decision-makers make informed decisions. A thorough understanding of inventory is a systematic approach to sourcing, storing and selling, raw materials and finished goods. However, relying on manual databases and formulas limits inventory management to basic reordering and stock monitoring alone.

    An ideal solution to this is upgrading to inventory management apps that are not just restricted to basic accounting but also encompass everything from end-to-end production to lead time and demand forecasting to metrics and accounting.

    In addition, automation stores all the information with regards to the customer in one place as opposed to manual entries that may be available in different files. Sales tracking software thus enables a deeper understanding of customer behaviour and interests. The process will also help the management find the best transportation and inventory practices, thus helping to better rotate inventories.

    Further, automating the logistics process ensures timely delivery of the finished products at the right time. This helps in the smooth functioning of the FMCG companies and in turn, ensures customer satisfaction as well.  

    1. Better after-sales service

    A company that has a good after-sales reputation is more likely to retain customer loyalty and also draw in more customers through word of mouth. If prompt customer services are not available 24*7 and if the customer faces a delay in getting his concerns addressed, he might think twice before selecting the brand again. 

    Attending customer queries and being accessible to the customers, even after product delivery lays the foundation for strong long-term relationships. An excellent example in this context is the automated bots in food delivery services like Swiggy and Zomato. Smaller queries like tracking the order, the precise delivery time, etc are handled by the bot while for advanced complaints, the app lets you connect with an internal sales executive. Sales force automation keeps the queries tabbed in with the customer ID and allows the executive handling the client to access relevant information regarding the customer. This gives them a proper insight into the situation and helps them find a solution more quickly. In addition, automating simple queries helps support teams to attend to high-priority tasks and saves time as well. 

    1. Increased savings

    Sales force automation comes with the added benefit of increased savings for FMCG companies. Further, tasks that involve several processes are bound for human errors at different stages. Automating simple and repetitive tasks ascertain the quality of output while also giving monetary benefits to the company in the long run. 

    When it comes to fieldwork, implementing sales employee tracking apps is ideal for optimal resource utilization and profitability as well. For example, when a field sales executive is on his way to meet a particular client, the app also notifies other prospective leads in the locality. This means with proper planning, he can cover a few more clients on the same day. This indirectly leads to proper utilization of resources and saves money that he may have used another day to cover the same region. In addition, features like route optimization in the GPS trackers reduces the travel time for the executive and helps him spend more time on his main job – sales. 

    Ascertaining this fact, surveys suggest that organizations that make use of sales employee tracking apps have been able to save both time and distance by up to 47%.

    As mentioned above, sales force automation comes with numerous benefits for businesses. It not only helps in the meticulous planning of tasks but also provides savings in terms of effort and time. If you run an FMCG business and are looking for ways to efficiently and effectively run the business through automation, try out Happisales! Contact us now to get a customized plan that will be unique to your requirements. 

  • 5 Ways How Field Force Automation Is Benefitting The FMCG industry

    5 Ways How Field Force Automation Is Benefitting The FMCG industry

    The Fast-Moving Consumer Goods or FMCG industry is a wide and dense one. Its distribution networks are so widespread that they need to be managed meticulously. This can be done perfectly well with the help of field force automation. Inventory control and monitoring, lead generation, customer management, order processing, and so many other important processes necessitate extensive monitoring. Carrying out these activities manually can be time consuming, tedious, and cause wastage of resources and revenue. 

    It is widely known that the FMCG business creates low-profit-margin, fast-moving items. Thus it is only natural that the business’s processes and operations be exactly as swift in order to maximize production and profitability. One popular name in the FMCG sector that has already successfully implemented the automation and reaping the benefits – none other than Unilever! 

    Automation is no longer simply about digitalization, as many companies have come to recognize. A company’s performance and profitability need to be improved with the help of innovative solutions. Being able to establish KPI improvements, drive and monitor them via something like a sales employee tracking app could be (and are) a game changer for organizations that are hungry for profits and compete in hyper-competitive industries. Some of the major drivers for distribution organizations are sales and distribution metrics such as salesman productivity, category management of brands and credit management. Being able to watch these metrics in real-time and steer them in the proper direction leads to sales and distribution excellence.

    Field force automation is a boon that has changed the face of several industries- and the effect has been much more significant in the case of the FMCG industry. Field sales app related software generally utilized by companies has not only improved visibility of operations, but the benefits of such software, if utilized appropriately, can extend itself to a wide range of benefits. Some of the changes brought about in the industry are discussed here – 

    1. Improved Productivity & Efficiency 

    Field force automation applications and software help FMCG businesses monitor, evaluate, and optimize a wide range of activities. With the automation being done in a way that has never been done before, it is possible to decrease wastage and theft, improve operations, and save money. It is therefore possible to avoid the time, effort and cost of manually recording data, as well as the possibility of inaccuracy. As a result, the procedure is made tremendously simpler and more efficient. 

    It has been noted that deploying the field sales app has upped the productivity by 25% in FMCG companies. There has not only been an improved productivity, the quality of the output has also gotten better with sales employee tracking app deployment. Better productivity and efficiency lead to higher number of deal closures/sales (discussed below) thereby adding to employee satisfaction which we discuss a little later in the article. 

    1. Better sales 

    One feature that stands out in the sales employee tracking app is that it provides straightforward access to comprehensive and astute analytical data for all operations. With the help of such software, it becomes very easy to understand what is selling, what is not, and why. This gives companies the freedom to promote popular products further in the market, and/or maybe discontinue products that are not popular in the market. We live in an era where consumer preferences determine how business is done, and a tool like this can be extremely beneficial to companies when it comes to making decisions. 

    With a data-driven approach, companies have the ability to work on the pain points and make changes to their approaches as necessary, thereby improving sales of products. As mentioned in the previous point, better productivity enables better sales.

    1. Optimum usage of resources

    Implementation of field sales mobile app software enables optimum use of resources. Let us check out this example – in the FMCG industry, a feature known as route optimization within the sales automation software aids in determining the most cost-effective path for sales people to serve their area.

    This type of route optimization system calculates the most logistically efficient method for covering stores in a region, as well as the amount of resources needed to cover all routes in a streamlined form for more face time than journey time – this ensures that sales professionals can visit as many locations as possible while getting enough facetime with merchants on a given day.

    Some of the leading organizations that have implemented this software are said to have experienced time and distance saving of up to 47% – this automatically saves a lot on the distribution cost.

    1. Problem solving gets easier and speedy 

    The primary goal of sales employee tracking app software is to connect managers with their field personnel smoothly and in real-time. This implies that if any emergency or issue arises on the field, it can be monitored and resolved promptly without the need for layers of needless and time-consuming red tape. This is a feature that is already widely utilized in pharmaceutical sales automation software – the FMCG industry could gain tremendously if there is widespread adoption in the industry. 

    Consider the following scenario: there has been a decline in sales of a specific product at a shop location. With the help of the sales employee tracking app, the store in-charge and their superior would be notified of the issue and both can resolve the problem in a proper way. 

    If we look at the daily schedule of a sales manager, he or she would rarely have the time to sit and study charts and dashboards. There are specific solutions that notify the senior management of possible issues and enable them to find solutions to the problems. This permits better handling of issues on the field so employees can engage better with their customers as well as the team members. There are several players in the automation market who can customize the tool to suit your needs and purposes. 

    1. Employee satisfaction 

    The biggest plus of field service software, by default, is the fact that it brings down the workload of the agents on the field thereby saving precious man-hours. Obsolete and tedious practices such as double-logging entries, passing through layers of red tape, having to report the same things multiple times etc., has become a thing of the past. Cutting these redundant processes out ensures that employees remain energetic, keeping them in high spirits, content, and ultimately more fruitful at their jobs. A happy employee keeps the customers happy and that is what as a business owner you would want, right? We have discussed this point in the preceding points – one thing leads to another and who wouldn’t want to have a win-win factor in their hands!

    As mentioned above, there are numerous field force automation software in the market today. All you need to do is find the one that fits your needs and that which can be customized to suit the requirements of your business. 

    Are you running an FMCG business? Want to improve the efficiency and productivity while making best use of resources? Try out Happisales! Get in touch with us to know how you can get one such system tailor made for your business!

  • 4 Trends That Will Change The Future Of Field Force Automation

    4 Trends That Will Change The Future Of Field Force Automation

    Run a business? Worried about how your staff is working and bringing in the sales? Still using the “old world” methods to track progress of your staff? We are in the 21st century and AI has crept into all our lives. Why not have it incorporated into your business and solve the problems you are facing! 

    Welcome to the concept of Field Force Automation – sometimes this is also referred to as Field Service Management or Field Sales Tracking. This is a method to make the best use of information and processes available. Field force automation aids businesses in field sales tracking by establishing real-time communication between both sales teams working off-site as well as onsite. 

    Sales force automation software has countless benefits. Some of them include: 

    • Track your on-field staff with their live location
    • Manage customers efficiently 
    • Increased output
    • Ability to forecast sales with past analytics 
    • Timely and precise reports
    • Versatile software
    • Can be integrated into your current ERP system
    • Customisable to suit your business needs
    • Data can be accessed as a mobile sales app on any of your devices

    How is Field Force Automation revolutionizing different industries?

    Some of the industries which need sales people on the ground include pharmaceuticals, FMCG, banking and insurance as well as manufacturing. In all these industries, marketers need to do something akin to door-to-door selling. We have seen medical representatives, for instance, at clinics and hospitals. For a manager to supervise this salesperson is a task. Automation enables a lot of such processes to be handled very easily. 

    To keep track of 1000s of such employees at the click of a button on an app is surely the easiest thing to do. Compare this with updations and reports handed over by employees about their targets and sales – all these are just needless paperwork and decrease employee productivity. 

    We can also look at client management, (in the case of the pharma industry, it is doctors or hospitals). Inventory, bills, orders etc can all be made available in the same software. So all you need to do is just gaze over the software to get an idea of what your business is looking like. With reports and analytics, you can forecast sales for the upcoming quarter/financial year and get an idea how much your targets can be. You can also be aware of the expenses and see where your attention is needed, thereby giving you a better control of your resources.

    In industries like FMCG, processes can be streamlined with technology and automation thus reducing expenditure and tracking shipments and deliveries. Automation can help logistics in a big way. This also applies to the banking and insurance industry – employees to be managed as well as transactions, sign ups, sale of products, billing – all these can be taken care of with one single system. 

    What are the 4 important trends that will change the future of Field Force Automation

    1. AI and IoT is the future 

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) are the two most advanced technologies that will revolutionise the sales force automation in the foreseeable future. Aided by innovative technology, businesses can drastically improve their field operations and employee productivity successfully. As mentioned in the benefits section above, predicting sales forecast with the data available will help you make better decisions and improve the overall functioning of the business. 

    With AI in the picture, businesses can effectively plan their sales strategies and better their productivity effectively. Businesses can make better decisions and forecast predictions pretty accurately. Time-consuming processes are now being ditched and the entire world is moving towards automation. The time saved by automating processes can be used to get more business done. 

    Wearable IoTs are the in thing right now. There’s an app for almost everything under the sun, so why not field sales tracking too? A mobile sales app is just the thing you need. Statistics indicate that by the year 2025, at least 75 billion IoT devices will be in use. Our reliance on AI and IoT devices will increase exponentially mainly because of their time-saving and hassle-free nature.

    2. Blockchain technology

    Blockchain technology is yet another big trend happening in the field force automation arena whereby integrating this technology into smart devices, IoT actually helps payment authentication systems to work well within organizations. We imagine blockchain to be only connected with cryptocurrency but there is more that can be done with this technology than just crypto. Experts suggest blockchain technology can be made use of in different industries including field sales tracking/field force automation. Integration of blockchain technology with smart devices and IOT can be used to strengthen and authenticate the payment systems.

    3. Customer happiness:

    With detailed analytics about sales and revenue, businesses will be able to forecast better and also change their strategy to acquire more users to their base. Analytics can help understand user/customer behaviour and when the sales personnel are armed with this information, they can bend and stretch their method of acquiring customers. User acquisition is one aspect, with the analytics you can also work towards keeping customers happy – this can either be addressing customer queries or complaints on a timely basis, improving the product/business to suit the customers’ needs and providing them value is what ultimately retains a customer. 

    Using the power of AI and devices, especially a mobile sales app, you can notify your customers about new services, products, and any such notification either via SMS or push messages or emails. In this fashion, you as a business are keeping your customer informed of any changes, upgrades, alerts etc. This is where Happisales, a field sales tracking tool comes into the picture. The state-of-the-art software gives you a competitive edge over other similar applications.

    4. Data:

    In the current scenario, personalization is the mantra that will attract customers to your business. Access to data is essential and real-time data via technology makes things transparent for both customer and the business. There can be no fudging of real-time data. Analytics can aid in making precise decisions be it with regard to tweaking your product to suit the end customer or whether it is related to marketing the business/product. Embracing modern technologies will only aid businesses to do more for less. Data is the wealth that business can use to their advantage to do better at sales or providing services. 

    5. Paperless processes:

    When processes are moved to AI and IoT technology, automatically the paperwork disappears to a large extent. Now with everything going digital, it is easier to move sales force automation to a digital platform. With synced devices, data can be accessed at any place and at any time. Real-time tracking and updations on the system are a reality. Don’t we all love it when things are paperless? All that is needed is a mobile sales application at the very least! 

    So what should you do now! 

    It has been predicted by experts that technological revolutions in AI will only improve the system further and increase productivity of your staff, improved customer satisfaction and ultimately greater customer retention. Wondering where or who you should approach to get all this under one umbrella? Get your business digital with Field Sales Tracking and watch your business zoom!