Wireless Technology and E-Commerce Impact

Wireless and Mobility Revolution

• Movement towards wireless technology is changing the sales force.
• Mobile devices are used in field sales, mobile office, fleet management and field service.
• Mobile devices are also used in field sales to provide inventory and pricing systems, access to customer accounts information and real-time ordering.
• Mobile offices use mobile devices for email, personal information management (PIM), access to corporate intranets and HR systems.
• Fleet management applications include dispatch application, call scheduling systems, location-tracking applications and routing and mapping systems.
• Field service applications include scheduling of work orders, access to customer records and information while on-site, financial service applications such as insurance claims, etc..

Electronic Commerce and Customer Relationship Management

• E-Commerce refers to any sales or trading activity that is carried out over an electronic network.
• Customer relationship management (CRM) is a term for methodologies, technologies and e-commerce capabilities used by firms to manage customer relationships.

Using Technology to Improve Sales Management

• Good sales pipeline management consists of having a clear and formal process for capturing and analyzing leads, allocating them to salespeople, managing the qualification process, and carefully managing the process of closing those sales.
• Sales Pipeline management is becoming automated, e.g. Salesforce.com.
• Salesforce Automation (SFA) software helps to monitor salesforce activities and productivity.
• It is important to measure sales effectiveness.
• Accounting-based measures can be used to measure sales effectiveness, including overall revenues, profit margin etc…
• Sales activity measures can be used to measure sales effectiveness, including calls per period, proposal submitted, sales pipelines coverage.
• Customer relationship quality (CRQ) measures can be used to measure sales effectiveness, including repeated orders, etc..

Wireless Technology in Sales

• Wireless technology is changing the salesforce by offering mobile solutions
• Mobile devices are used in various areas within sales:
  • Field sales: Inventory and pricing systems, customer account access, real-time ordering
  • Mobile office: Email, personal information management (PIM), access to corporate intranets and HR systems
  • Fleet management: Dispatch applications, call scheduling systems, location tracking, routing and mapping systems
  • Field service: Scheduling work orders, accessing customer records and information, financial service applications (insurance claims)

Electronic Commerce and Customer Relationship Management

• E-commerce refers to sales and trading activities conducted online
• Customer relationship management (CRM) uses methodologies, technologies, and e-commerce capabilities to manage customer relationships

Using Technology to Improve Sales Management

• Managing sales pipeline:
  • A formalized process is used to capture, analyze, allocate leads, manage qualification, and close sales
  • Automation tools like Salesforce.com enhance this process
• Measuring sales effectiveness:
  • Salesforce Automation (SFA) software monitors salesforce activities and productivity.
  • Key metrics include:
    • Accounting-based measures: Overall revenues, profit margin
    • Sales activity measures: Calls per period, proposals submitted, sales pipeline coverage
    • Customer relationship quality (CRQ) measures: Repeated orders

Explore the significant transformation brought about by wireless technology in sales and field service. This quiz covers the role of mobile devices in e-commerce, customer relationship management, and their applications in various industries such as fleet management and field operations.