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 –
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!