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In order for a solution to provide benefit at every level, it had to be able to collect data from each level and roll it up in a meaningful way to the highest level. Many solutions had straight forward client/server models where users had to be logged into the network to use it. But this didn't work very well for the mobile road warriors. I got heavily involved with a product called IBM Current. While this was technically classified as a PIM (personal information manager), it was what is know as a distributed database. In other words, it would synchronize remote copies of the database with the host. This was pretty cool in the early 1990's for something at this price point. The only other option was the non-database Lotus Notes which was very cumbersome to develop meaningful solutions at the time. We designed a nice vertical solution for the contract furnishings industry and supported it until the product began getting long in the tooth. This is when I got involved with SalesLogix. This was truly the next evolution for middle market sales force automation software. It came out of the box with a fairly well thought out toolset for sales organizations. It synchronized so remote uses could function in the field and it had good scalability and customization capability. So I went on a rampage selling software and implementing it like the good old VAR that I was. After awhile I noticed, and so did my peers (and industry experts continue to write about it), that the use of these systems became kind of ho hum. No one was really seeing the benefit, at any level. The sales reps still kept their best leads secret, so sales orders would come in and have never been in the pipeline and the other way around too. Imagine the frustration of the sales manager. No one really gave the users a good reason to use the system. Suddenly there were articles being written on failed implementations. Of course, the approach to a successful implementation involved requirements gathering sessions with a well selected project team. It also required rigid adherence to lengthy Big 4 type implementation methodologies and plans. This was certainly going to add to the cost! But was it the solution? But since we are still talking about Sales Force Automation Software, the focus was on the sales force and not customers. I have to apologize if this offends you, but a department is in no way strategic! And that's what a sales force is, a department. Good sales people were still good. Bad ones were still bad. The customer still heard conflicting messages because the focus wasn't really on them. Return to Effective CRM Consulting from Sales Force Automation Software
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