Originally Published MX November/December 2004
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Mobile Sales Force Automation: How It Works|
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The technology begins with information stored in the medical device manufacturer's corporate systems: customer contact data, contract pricing, product catalogs and marketing material, technical specifications, testing and clinical performance data, and the like. To get these resources into the hands of field sales personnel, the manufacturer subscribes to the mobile SFA technology through a service provider and purchases personal digital assistants (PDAs) for the sales team. The SFA software company can provide software installation, training, product enhancements, and technical support.
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| PDA interface for the sales force automation system by NoInk Communications (Indianapolis). (click to enlarge) |
The system is now in place. Through their PDAs, field sales reps import needed information from the corporate system by means of either a flat file data import mechanism similar to FTP (the file transfer protocol) or a special application programming interface (API) link designed to allow real-time visibility and bidirectional information flow. Import/ export tools automate the periodic exchange of data between the corporate system and each PDA. Sales call data are securely transferred from the PDA through 128-bit encryption, with ID- and password-protected application authentication.
To leverage existing data and facilitate the seamless transfer of information, mobile SFA solution providers can integrate the mobile system with an organization's existing CRM or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
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