1. Selling Chain /1
The process from initial
customer contact to the
post sales support is a
Selling Chain Management seamlessly integrated,
responsive and customer
Where businesses can effectively
oriented one. Being
manage the relationship with their
customer oriented and
customers in a changing business
inclusive at every step
environment the role of the sales force,
allow the final product and
sales efficiency and management
post sales support to fulfill
becomes a key competitive
the customer needs and
differentiator. This is especially true
reduce returns and rework
when your competitors are only a mouse
to close to zero.
click away. In this section suggestions
are provided, from DHL experience, as to
how sales chain management can be • Increased value to the customer
efficiently and effectively developed in
support of your e-business strategy. This is the implementation
of a collaborative effort for
The creation of a flexible, integrated and needs fulfillment, mediates
responsive sales process is critical to the through CRM and sales
emerging E-Businesses. Stream lining force automation tools to
and accelerating the information flow arrive at an agreed
from customer to production and back is product that satisfies the
a critical skill that modern businesses customer need. This
have to develop. fulfillment has to include
access through the
Sales forces and strategies are under appropriate channels,
increasing pressure. The availability of tailoring of products and
new sales channels, increased choice support and an agreed
available to consumers, product and flexible, cost effective post
production flexibility, rapid changes in sales process.
organizational strategies internally and
externally and the increasing demands of • Ease of ordering and tailoring
customers are all increasing the
complexity of the selling process. The ability to provide
flexible products allows the
Major trends in Sales customer to define a
product focused to their
Management
needs. This permits
flexible production and
Increasing complexity and the drive for
reduced stock on hand for
increased effectiveness and efficiency
the business. The supply
are driving a change from functional to
flow back of this capability
process oriented sales management.
increases flexibility and
Sales processes are gradually being
cost effectiveness for all
integrated to the total customer
suppliers and support
fulfillment process from acquisition to
groups integrated to the
production and customer relationship
sales and production
management. Success in this integration
process.
process is a key success criterion for
future businesses.
• Rising sales effectiveness and
The purpose of this integration process customer satisfaction
is:
The easier it is to acquire,
• Increased ease of customer manage and process
trading customer orders through
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2. Selling Chain /2
the entire fulfillment automation and integration of sales
process the more revenue management must be taken in relation
that is generated and to the overall internal and external
customer satisfaction environments. The external technical
levels increase. This will environment and its evolution is
only be so where the essential to understanding how the
customer can choose to be customer will operate with a business,
involved or informed of all the internal technical architecture and
steps in the fulfillment strategy and the business time to market
process. expectation are necessary to ensure the
delivery has a maximum impact on
• Consistency across all channels business returns.
The increasing number of Understanding and integrating the
channels for selling places processes before and after a sales
strains on the process is necessary to ensure the
management of overall efficiency and success of the
information, process and program. To do this the technology used
experience consistency for is a key facilitator. If incorrectly sourced
a business. All selling and implemented the expected benefits
channels must be will not be realised.
integrated and use the
same up to date Today integration is not a leading
information, promotions, criterion for application choice. Equally
production information, many of the current products on offer fail
tailoring, metrics and to offer the ease of integration and
commissioning structures process integration capabilities necessary
in order to offer similar to success. In most cases the
and equivalent service to functionality is focused on sales and not
multi channel customers. the overall lifecycle support of
customers. The most serious problem
encountered is the low usage of the
• Increased efficiency of
deployed applications because they are
Relationship management
functionally incapable, do not reflect
sales force needs and are not aligned to
The creation of a CRM capability has to the business purposed defined.
include the integration of the sales
process and information into its core The initial sales force applications were
data and information capabilities. This generally stand alone, task not process
will ensure that the customer oriented tools. These provided for
relationship includes a full view of coordination and to assist in
contact, proposals, specifications and management not integration of sales
contact support in relation to their force activities to the entire Customer
business. relationship management process.
Technology and Sales These applications evolved or were
management replaced by existing applications that
focus on administrative efficiency and
The business objectives of increased telesales integration.
sales process effectiveness and
integration are increasingly clear. The Returns to business from both
technology issues and solutions remain a generations of applications has been
source of confusion and disappointing overall.
underachievement. To counter this the
technical decisions in relation to the
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3. Selling Chain /3
Any product sourced to integrate the No two businesses operate
sales process to the overall customer to a single standard way in
relationship management environment relation to sales or their
must have the following characteristics processes. Any application
sourced should provide
key baseline capabilities
• Open architecture, messaging and
data capabilities
and allow these to be
This allows the solution to easily configured , with
more easily integrate or application recoding, in
interface with existing support of the businesses`
legacy applications, CRM operating requirements.
packages, production
applications and external • Must integrate to the CRM
customer resources. strategy and application
• They must be process not task The integration to the CRM strategy and
oriented application is critical to the ongoing
success of the business. Where this is
This allows the user to not so the key purpose and results of a
access information related businesses efforts in fulfilling a customer
to all linked processes in needs will be invisible or less easy to
support of the customer access for support personnel. CRM
request without having to integration should be a key criterion for
log on and use different success in relation to any application
applications for each stage sourced for Sales automation and
of the fulfilment. The management
application mediates the
information and workflow Conclusion
necessary to arrive at a
managed, mutually Sales management therefore operates in
beneficial sales outcome. a complex and rapidly evolving internal
and external environment.
• Must integrate to front and back
office processes Internally its automation has to be
implemented with a view to integrating it
The necessity to speed up to the overall process of customer
the sales process and to management. This can provide and gain
ensure that it is complete cross justification where it is focused on
in product and support increasing sales efficiency and increasing
capabilities required by the customer relationship management
customer is only possible effectiveness. It must also focus on the
where the customer or ensuring flexibility on integrating new
sales personnel have customer channels of business access
access to all information and providing a single consistent
that may Impact their business and support experience to the
decision and ultimate user.
satisfaction.
Externally the customer will gain
• Must provide standard core confidence and increasing levels of
capabilities flexible to a satisfaction.
businesses unique needs
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4. Selling Chain /4
Correctly implemented internal and
external benefits will be enjoyed as
customers, sales and support staff build
and enjoy increased effectiveness, value
for money and ease of business
interaction.
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