Sales Force Automation Overview

Sales Force Automation (SFA) adds the ability to view information from both the contact level and the company level, automate tasks, and share information across a sales department.

We tend to see the introduction of analysis tools and Opportunity Management in Sales Force Automation. Analysis tools might include the number of calls made in a day, how a representative is doing against quota or a leads analysis to see how many new leads have been entered recently.

Sales force automation (SFA) software provides support for opportunity management and forecasting. In addition, lead management is an important capability to allow users to store, distribute, and track leads, as well as generate reports.

Many small companies and salespeople are already familiar with the simplest and most commonly used SFA tool, contact management software. Applications such as ACT! software were some of the earliest sales force automation tools, and individual sales professionals and small workgroups still use them for data management and information management.

Although contact management products represent an inexpensive and often very effective data management solution, they are limited in functionality and organizational "reach." Contact management tools are generally designed for individuals, not sales teams. They are optimized for the sales-focused user, and are rarely as useful for other functions such as customer support. Therefore, a company can outgrow the information management abilities of contact management tools over time.