Case Study 9

Global Sales and Account Management

A multinational manufacturing client wished to develop a system to allow sales people around the world to communicate more effectively. Previously, sales reports and other relevant information were emailed to sales people around the world and were not always visible to all who needed the information. Retrieving the information at a later date involved searching through mail archives.

A Lotus Notes system was developed to allow sales reports to be stored and categorised for easy access to authorised personnel. Information on planned visits allows sales people to coordinate their account management activities more easily. Sales result figures and sales presentations are also stored and categorised to allow all users to find them easily and encourage reuse of the information. Client and competitor intelligence information is collected and disseminated. Links to other relevant internal systems have been configured to give the sales people a single place to go to search for information. Extensive search facilities have been provided to help them.

The system has been heavily used by sales people globally. It provides a custom view of sales activity around the world that allows easy searching, review, and reuse. The information is distributed reliably to authorised personnel, ensuring that all the right people have the information they need at their fingertips. The system has resulted in easier and more effective global client coordination and has given management a much fuller picture of global sales activity.