| | May 20198CIOReview IN MY OPINIONn 2004, HUL embarked on the prestigious RSNet project,wherein Palm Zire devices were usedas Hand Held Terminals (HHT) to enable its sales force to optimize orders and inventory. RSNet was one of the largest B2B e-commerce initiatives ever undertaken in India. The objective was to catalyze HUL's growth by ensuring that the right product is available at the right place in right quantities, on a continuous replenishment basis, thereby making the entire supply chain efficient. At that time, data over mobile was unheard of.RSNet enabled the field force to capture orders and inventory details on their HHTs and SYNC it back to the company's ERP system, thus making the entire integration seamless.Many cynics would have thought that this will not work and that thefield force would need to manage the supply chain using traditional methods. However, the naysayers were proved wrong and HUL proudly demonstrated that the best way to sell is to enable the field force with cutting edge technology.Telecom in India was quick to adopt this process for their field force as they had the advantage of using SMS and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) as data carriers from field back to company's ERP and CRM systems. Telecom revolutionized what was started by FMCG and brought technology to the forefront of FFE (Field Force Effectiveness). Once GPRS data became cheaper and widely available, the task of the field became much easier due to continuous connectivity coupled with system notifications, empowering the field employee to sell more efficiently with targeted sales, optimized beat planning and effective retailer segmentation. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then. Field personnel across sectors and services use latest gadgets IACHIEVING FIELD FORCE EFFECTIVENESS DIGITALLYBy Navin Singhania, Director Business Technology India at Pfizer LtdNavin Singhania
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