Sales force automation (SFA) software is a kind of business intelligence software and used as a part of customer relationship management (CRM) system. It helps companies manage their sales force in an easy and time-saving way. For example, with a CRM system integrating SFA software, a sales manager can track the results of revenue per sales person, revenue at location, margin per customer and revenue and cost per call. He can have all these results automatically presented in his computer.
Sales Force Automation Solutions and Enterprise Marketing Automation Systems
SFA software may integrate several enterprising marketing modules and systems. A user can choose the right sales automation solution after comparison. These modules and systems include:
- A contact management system manages all contacts of customers. This system helps to reduce duplicated contacts and the risk of irritating customers.
- A sales lead tracking and marketing system records and schedules the sales promotion activity of each product for each potential customer.
- An online product building system helps buyers customize products to meet their personal requirements. For example, a computer company’s sales force automation software can help buyers customize PC features such as CPU, memory, hard disk, keyboard, and mouse.
- A Field Force Automation (FFA) system sends staffs to maintain good customer service efficiently. FFA is also called Field Service Management (FSM).
- A sales forecasting system does market analysis and forecast based on the data collected from other SFA-related systems.
- A sales order management system records, reminds, backups, and manage sales orders. This is also an important part of retail CRM software.
- A product information system offers detail information of each product anytime when users need them.
Free Sales Force Automation Tools Evaluation and Comparison
Small business owners and home users have three choices for sales force automation management: commercial SFA software such as Siebel sales force automation, online SFA solutions, and free or open source SFA tools. While commercial software have technologies supports and online SFA systems are easy-to-use, free or open source SFA software are flexible and low-cost. For commercial sales lead solutions, please see the article Best Lead Management Software Download: Reviews 2011 for details.
There are several kinds of free or open source SFA software available for download in Internet. They include:
- SnapCRM is open source web-based customer relationship management software that integrates sales force automation modules such as the account management system, contact management system, sales lead tracking and marketing system, competitor management, sales forecasting, sales order management system, and product information system. SnapCRM should be run in Windows, but files and folders stored in SnapCRM can be accessed from Windows, Linux and Mac clients.
- Vtiger CRM is open source CRM software for sales force automation of small and medium businesses. It can be run under Linux and Windows, and provide enterprise features such as Microsoft Outlook integration, email integration, and product customization.
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Chen Nanyang - Chen Nanyang's journalist career began in 2002 when he started writing for China's Nanfang City News, Singapore's United Morning Post and ...
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