New to SFA

[eranda]

Hi,

Actually im very new to sales force automation. So at the very beginning I need to get understood on sales force automation. So can you help me? Is there are any detailed documents on sales force automation which should be refered by me?

And I need to know what is the difference between CRM and SFA.

Thank You.

[susiewilliams]

Hi there,

There are lots and lots of documents available by searching the internet...this topic is one that's very well-covered!

To answer your specific question (SFA vs. CRM), think of SFA as a subset of CRM. In other words, sales force automation is the term that describes a set of processes and tools used to help a sales team to work more efficiently. Typically this means a piece of software used to track sales leads, selling opportunities, contacts that arise from those selling opportunities, notes and activities and quotes and everything else that happens during the sales cycle.

CRM, Customer Relationship Management, encompasses not just the selling part of a business' operations, but also the acquisition of leads (via marketing activities) and the retention of those customers (via post-sale support activities). CRM looks at the entire life cycle of a customer, from setting up marketing campaigns to attract prospects, to turning those prospects into paying customers, to supporting those customers after the sale.

There is a short "CRM 101" podcast you might find interesting. Check it out here. In addition to this podcast, if you look at the "CRM Topics" section of Sugar's Podcast page, you'll find additional short podcasts that go into further detail. Check them out!

[Angel]

Firsth, you should think of SFA as a component of CRM.

SFA is the principle of using tools to automate/computerize sales tasks, such as forecasting, opportunity tracking and lead management. The focus in on using technology to improve sales.

CRM on the other hand is broader in scope. CRM's principles not only include the SFA aspects, but it also incorporates other ideas, with the goal being to provide a more well rounded view of the customer or tools that are helpful for lead generation, tracking sales, post sales service and support.

In a traditional CRM system, you would typically find tools that help you service a customer after the sale is made. Whereas in a pure SFA solution, you are unlikely to find such tools as the idea is to optimize sales.

I can't really think of any pure SFA solution nowadays. Most of the older "SFA" solutions morphed into lightweight CRM systems by incorporating other aspects that were eventually categorized under the CRM umbrella. Thus, in some ways, I think the SFA term is outdated and has been replaced by the CRM acronym.

[Angel]

CRM, Customer Relationship Management, encompasses not just the selling part of a business' operations, but also the acquisition of leads (via marketing activities) and the retention of those customers (via post-sale support activities). CRM looks at the entire life cycle of a customer, from setting up marketing campaigns to attract prospects, to turning those prospects into paying customers, to supporting those customers after the sale.

You know...I really should take less than an hour in between typing of my sentences...LOL

GMTA!

[susiewilliams]

At least we said just about the same things.... consistency counts!

[eranda]

Hey...

Thank you a lot 'susiewilliams' and 'Angel'... Now I got an idea of differences of CRM and SFA. Is there a way to know the storyboard of a SFA system? I mean the flow of the SFA system? How to start, continue and finally what are the reports?

Thank You.

[eranda]

And one more thing that I wnat to know.
That is whether a customer can log on to the system and make an order or inquire somthing? I mean this scenario is a SFA scenario or a CRM scenario?

[Angel]

That's more a CRM thing. Depending on what it is you want to give them access to, you might be able to do it in Sugar via the portal capabilities. If not, you can always use the SOAP API.

[susiewilliams]

Hi eranda,

You could write a book on the topic of SFA, and many folks have done just that. For a deeper understanding of this topic/industry, I would recommend finding one of the scores of books out there on the topic.

Another, simpler option is to check out Wikipedia's entries for SFA and CRM. Those articles give you a sense of the overall design and the challenges created and solved by these systems.

Regarding customer self-service orders, Angel's right... Sugar has a self-service portal that may be useful to you. The key is to determine what your business needs are, then find the right software and processes to fill those needs.

[eranda]

Hi,

Again Thank you two a lot 'susiewilliams' and 'Angel'. Ill refer to one of the books recommended by 'susiewilliams'. By the way what happens next when a lead arrives to a sales representative?