Appendices
Appendix I
Results of the face-to-face interviews with Sales- and IT- Management of GABAppendix II
Questionnaire and results of the interviews by telephone with Area Managers at HAUAppendix III
Results of the face-to-face interview with the former ASFS project leader of HAUAppendix I Results of the face-to-face interviews with Sales- and IT- Management of GAB
RESULT OF THE INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL CHIN, SALES OPERATIONS & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Date: 24th of February 2003
Goal: To discover the objectives that GAB has with the ASFS
1. What are GAB’s objectives with the ASFS as in functional requirements?
One of our main reasons to implement the ASFS is that the system has to provide us visibility and market intelligence on outlet information, which was not readily available in the past since it was stored manually and only available at our regional sales offices. This information is important because we rely upon more than 100 dealers and 170 sales representatives to distribute our beer brands to approximately 26.000 retail outlets throughout Malaysia. Since we want to regain market leadership amid the economic slowdown, the ASFS hopefully helps to streamline our customer-focused business processes to improve productivity as well as to improve the visibility of customers, products, and sales information. The ASFS must put us in the forefront in making real live analyses of market intelligence data, enabling us to be quicker to respond to market needs and improve customer satisfaction. We also want to create more support in strategic sales decisions that need to help us with the distribution of our key brands like Tiger and Guinness and will increase volumes and market share.
We have set three very clear objectives why we implemented the ASFS. First the ASFS needs to enable sales representatives to spend more time with their customers. We have an idea that the activities currently spent at the customer’s place are not carried out efficiently. With the use of the ASFS, some basic activities like stock counting can be eliminated. Our second goal is that the ASFS will be an outlet information database as a basis for information gathering and distribution across our organization. This information database has to provide insight on our wide product portfolio performance across the various sales channels, on CBMB’s activities, and how successful the promotional spends are against the increase in sales volumes and outlet contribution. The final objective is that the ASFS has to provide a better way of managing the call cycle, outlet targeting and outlet objective setting.
Having explained to you these general objectives, the ASFS must automate and streamline several fundamental business processes that will contribute to these objectives. These fundamental business processes concern:
- Reporting: This means that with a single interface, our sales managers can significantly reduce time spent on retrieving and analysing information, which allows them to better anticipate on customer needs and take appropriate measures against the competition. We want that the time that sales reps spent manually compiling weekly reports must now be spend on customer relationship enhancing activities. The current ASFS has the capabilities to do so, but I have got the idea that our sales reps still perform too much manual paperwork, especially regarding the POF creation.
- Campaign measurement: Before we implemented the ASFS, we could only measure the success of a particular promotion or campaign after its completion. The use of the ASFS generates continuous and up-to-date feedback in real time, making it easier and faster for division heads to compare sales volumes against targets.
- Performance Management: With the ASFS, our Regional Sales Managers can easily keep in touch with their sales representatives and dealers, disseminating guidelines and schedules from a single application. Sales and Marketing management can also receive valuable information and feedback on sales and brand performance, information that acts as a performance indicator and provides our brand managers at the marketing department with a basis to identify strategic retail outlets for promotions, driving sales volume and increasing market share. The stronger sales network also makes it easier for us to measure the return on investment on trade discounts and promotions.
RESULT OF THE INTERVIEW WITH ALVIN HUE, IT MANAGER:
Date: 28th of February 2003
Goal: to gain more insight in the system landscape, the implementation of the project and capabilities of the used Handheld
1. What parts does the ASFS exactly consist of and how are they related to each other?
The overall system landscape comprises of four systems. The Handheld computers, a Siebel Consumer Goods system, a SAP system, and a Macola distribution system. The SAP is already in use since a couple of years and provided some reports regarding sales numbers. Basically, it supports the Siebel system and we don’t consider it as a standalone system. The Handheld computer is the tool that our sales reps use during their sales calls. This tool has been chosen since it is very light to carry in the field, it’s strong, and it can easily handle the software we wanted to run on it. I’ll shortly explain its usage. At the start of the day the sales representatives have to check their call plan and previously recorded next call objectives in the Handheld. The call plan of the sales reps is created by their ASM in the Siebel system and can be uploaded to the respective sales rep’s Handheld. When the sales reps perform a call, they will have to use the Handheld to store all information that is required by our sales management, such as stock levels, QDVP3 results, next call objectives, competitor activities, customer complaints, average monthly sales update of the customer, and promotional activities like merchandising, pricing, and stock display and availability. In addition, they have to create of POF using their Handheld. This is a standardised Promotion Order Form on their Handheld that they just have to fill in. This created POF can be uploaded to the BW for electronic approval by their ASM, RSM or GMS. Which one depends on the quantum of free goods and the promotional budget of the sales rep will be deducted accordingly. An approved POF is automatically sent to the dealer who takes care of the delivery of the free stock. For this last activity, all the dealers need to be connected with the Macola system. This is not yet completely the case.
The sales reps are expected to synchronise the Handheld with the Siebel system at least twice a day to transfer all the recorded results back to the Siebel system. There are 7 important rules that we provided to the ASM’s to ensure data integrity between Siebel and the Handheld:
1. Scheduled routes for current week in Siebel should not be deleted in order to obtain consistency between data in Handheld and Siebel;
2. Sales reps must upload/download data every day;
3. Please advice the sales reps to upload POF at the end of the day;
4. Please advice the sales reps to Miss unvisited call. E.g. public Holiday;
5. Please advice the sales reps to observe time taken for upload of data. Average upload time should be less than 5 minutes;
6. Please advice the sales reps that AMS for month / year can only be entered once; and 7. Important data that must be entered when creating a new outlet in Siebel:
• Parent account – otherwise the sales rep will not be able to see the account in the Handheld.
• Channel. Required for the BW reporting.
The Siebel system provides and processes the data out of the Handheld so that its database with customer information can be maintained. When synchronising the Handheld with Siebel, an exchange of data takes place between Siebel and the Handheld. Every regional sales office has the facility to do this. The Siebel provides sales management with analytical and planning tools, reports, and charts. The main activities that Siebel is used for are sales volume and promotional planning, consumer targeting, outlet analysis and call planning, route scheduling and outlet visits results. Basically, these tools enhance the commercial planning. The reports and charts comprise activities done by the sales reps regarding in-store visits, QDVP3 checks, missed outlet visits, competitor activities, outlet penetration, and customer complaints. The ASM’s and RSM’s can use this information to judge the activities of their sales reps and use it for planning and analysis of results. This will enable Karl, the Brand managers, SPMM managers, and National Account Managers to view competitor activities, to plan and analyse promotions, and to create a special outlet targeting strategy.
As I told you earlier, the SAP Business Warehouse supports the Siebel system with information. It provides reports and charts about market shares per brand, channel, and region that can be viewed by all the sales and brand managers. The BW provides sales management with reports and charts concerning daily, weekly and monthly call summaries of all the sales reps, which enables the ASM’s to check how many actual sales calls, compared to the amount of planned calls in the call plan, their sales reps have made. Recently, a start has been made to monitor on a weekly basis the next 5 activities:
1. The strike rate per Region, ASM, and sales representative;
2. The number of missed calls and reasons for missed calls per Region and ASM;
3. The number of not started visits per Region, ASM, and sales representative;
4. The AMS update per Region, ASM, and sales representative; and 5. MLM figures per Region and channel.
2. Can you explain the implementation of the ASFS?
Before the implementation, we created a team that was responsible for the so-called Project COM.IT. This team consisted of several experienced sales managers and IT-people. They stood in direct contact with all parties involved; i.e. Siebel, Hewlett Packard, sales force, Marketing, dealers, etc. They decided to implement the system first in a pilot group. This pilot group existed of 3 ASM’s, 6 sales reps, and 2 dealers. Two phases were planned for the implementation of this pilot group:
August-November 2001 the first phase. Scope for this phase was primarily to automate the sales reps main sales activities, including checking their daily call plan and previously recorded next call objectives, and to record the QDVP3 activities, stock level, competitor activities, and customer complaints.
December 2001-February 2002 the second phase. This phase focused on providing analysis reports for the information collected in the first phase. These reports concerned weekly and monthly call summaries, outlet penetration, outlet not visited, and outlet complaints etc.
March-June 2003 was the major phase for the pilot implementation and delivered new functionalities and additional requirements raised from the results of the first two phases. The scope of this phase was promotion campaign management, POF processing, additional Handheld functionalities, put dealer sales numbers in the Handheld, and required additional reports and charts.
After we were satisfied with the results of this pilot project, August to November last year was used for the nation-wide roll out of the complete ASFS with adjusted functionalities that raised from the pilot project. This roll out was region centric whereby the team visited every region to roll out the Handheld system. Two training days were given; one in the regional sales office and one day in the field.
3. What were the learnings that GAB had with this project?
I think we have four main learnings that can be drawn of the Project COM.IT:
1. Make sure you have user buy-in and continuous support. This is key, especially the continuous support from the management. The buy-in is also a critical factor as this CRM project deals with internal and external users.
2. Communications. A well planned and a structured approach to communication. The users here at GAB are well informed of what is coming and what the benefits of the SFA system are.
3. Quick wins approach. Start with a small system and include more functionality in subsequent phases.
Our management is able to get quick wins and thus this has generated continuous support. It’s also good to phase out, as most IT projects have to cope with change of requirements due to the business dynamic factor. This is exactly what we have done in phase 1C, whereby the scope includes enhancements from phase 1A and additional change requested.
4. Any SFA must be user friendly. This is the key reason why we opted for a custom developed SFA application. It’s true that 3rd party software will create integrations challenges, but it’s worth the effort.
RESULT OF THE INTERVIEW WITH KARL HAYES, GENERAL MANAGER SALES
Date: 16th of April 2003
Goal: To discover the strategic objectives of GAB
Confidential
Appendix II Questionnaire and results of the interviews by telephone with Area Managers at HAU
Date: 7th and 8th of May 2003
Goal: To discover why the current system is not fully used by Area Managers
I called every Area Manager at HAU, 18 at that time, and asked them four main questions to discover why the current ASFS was hardly used by them. Because I conducted the interviews by telephone, the interviews could be conducted fast, but also revealed some other issues that just came along during the calls. Since the interview was relatively short, but distances in Australia very big, conducting the interview by phone was the best way to get my information.
The general questions were:
1. How long have you been using the ASFS?
2. If you stopped using the ASFS:
a. What is the main reason that you stopped using the ASFS?
b. According to your opinion, what steps must be taken and / or needs to be implemented to start using the ASFS again?
3. If you still (partly) use the ASFS:
a. What activities do you conduct with the current ASFS?
b. According to your opinion, what steps must be taken to improve the usage of the ASFS in order to add more value to your sales job?
4. General remarks?
Results of the interviews are summarized in the next figure:
Q.1 Q.2a Q.2b Q.3a Q.3b Q.4
Area Manager
M. Beynon 1 year
Diary, All Orders, Contact information, Call planning, Notes
Easier synchronisation, Reliable order process, Promotional planner, Internet connection
T. Boffa 6 months Diary, All orders
User friendly software, Call- and promotional planner,
Makes use of an Intermac computer at this moment
D. O'connor 2 months
Diary, All orders, Contact information, Sales figures
Easier synchronisation, Call planner, Up to date
sales figures
W. Holdsworth 2 years
Diary, All Orders, Contact information, Call planning, Sales figures, E-mail, Notes
Easier synchronisation, User-friendly software, Reliable order process,
Bigger screen
Q.1 Q.2a Q.2b Q.3a Q.3b Q.4
Area Manager
M. Eckholdt 1 year
Diary, Contact information, E-mail
User friendly software, Reliable order process, Automatic call planner,
Currently, it works quicker to do everything manually than through the system
J. Coburn 5 months
Some orders, Sales figures
User friendly, Bigger screens, Promotional
planner
L. Seaburgh Not use it No Handheld
A hardware tool, Reliable order process, Call- and promotional
planner
N. Flouch Not use it No trust in system
User Friendly, Up to date sales information, Automatic call
planner, Internet
C. Currie 2 years Diary, Some orders
Automatic call planner, Promotional planner, Upgrade to PC style of platform
Lost faith in hardware and Perenso
R. Gough Hardly use
it Wait for the new system.
User friendly, Current sales information, Reliable order
process, Diary
D. Sharpe Hardly use it
Unreliable order process, Cannot receive and send E-mails with attachment, Handheld too slow
PC capabilities, Reliable order process, Promotional planner,
Current sales figures
J. Sheen 15 months Diary
Reliable order process,up to date sales data Automatic call planner, Promotional planner,
M. Derer Hardly use it
Handheld too slow, Software crashes too often, Difficult synchronisation
Current sales information, Reliable order process, Promotional planner, Automatic
call planner, User friendly Some orders
T. Lavender Not use it Wait for the new system.
Better training, User friendly, Automatic call planner, Current sales information, Show
promotions
D. Hancorne Not use it
Unreliable order process, No up to date data,
User friendly, Record customer
history,
C. Moore Not use it
Handheld too slow, difficult synchronisation
Excel, Word, and PowerPoint,
Internet with E-mail
Appendix III Results of the face-to-face interview with the former ASFS project leader
RESULT OF THE INTERVIEW WITH DANNY ATHANS, SPONSORSHIP MANAGER AND FORMER ASFS PROJECT LEADER
Date: 26th of June 2003
Goal: Gain more insight into the problems that occurred at the beginning of the ASFS project
1. Where was the decision to go with Perenso and a Handheld device based on?
The decision to go with Perenso, at that time they were called Tamsoft by the way, was based on four things:
- They had a very good price, compared to other software providers.
- Since they were an Australian company with their headquarters in Sydney, we expected strong local support.
- We had two meetings with existing clients of Perenso that already used their software. These were pharmaceutical companies with a field sales force as well. These meetings showed that both companies were very happy with the software and didn’t have much utilization problems.
- Perenso showed flexibility to customise their software to our wishes.
We based the decision to purchase the CE Handheld devices on the relatively low costs and a trip to DB Breweries in New Zealand, which is part of Heineken as well. At DB Breweries, they already used these devices and were very happy with it.
2. What were the reasons that the project still failed after a while?
I cannot really tell what the technical problems were, but I think we made some big mistakes in the managing the project. The project started great. A guy from Heineken Amsterdam came over for a couple of months to take over my tasks and to manage the project. When he left there was no real person available within our organization to take over the project so there was no guidance of the project anymore. Since there was no guidance, our Area Managers started to call Perenso themselves in order to ask them questions about the system and some problems they faced. The support of Perenso was also not always accurate, which resulted in frustrated Area Managers. It also resulted in sky-high bills from Perenso for the time they spent on answering our Area Managers’ questions.
The relationship between Perenso and Simtac that provided the data cube was not great as well. This was also the result of the fact that there was no responsible person within our organization to manage this relationship.
This resulted in a lack of sales data for the Area Managers who were already facing some other problems in the use of the system. I think this made them more frustrated and they lost complete faith in the whole project.
3. Based on these experiences, how would you start and carry out another ASFS project? I.e. what are your recommendations for a next time?
I can give you five clear recommendations: Firstly, you should make someone in the sales department responsible for the ASFS project. Secondly, you have to make sure that support is included in the price of the soft- and hardware provider. Thirdly, point out an enhanced user of the system in every state office, a so-called champion. My fourth recommendation is to spend a considerable time in choosing the right hardware. Finally, you have to make sure that there is constant evolution of the ASFS, give the sales reps something new once in a while. This will keep them interested.
