Field Force Automation

Field Force Automation (FFA) or Sales Force Automation as some still call it, is a topic near the top of the "to-do-soon" list of most companies these days. The extent to which you decide to implement Field Force Automation for your company, whether you have a sales force of 1 or 100, would determine how complex or simple such a project will be.

For some, SFA means nothing more than a computer with contact management software in it. An electronic Rolodex of sorts. For others, it is one of the pieces needed for a company wide Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program and it involves the hardware, contact management software for the field, and additional in-house programs for links to Marketing (or their database) for marketing research, to Engineering for product specs, access to the estimating department for immediate pricing decision, to the design group for creative input? you get the point.

If your needs are addressed by a simple contact management program, any one of the hundreds available would do. You just need to commit to using it consistently. For those of you with greater needs, read on?

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