| nder, Vice President of Sales for CargoWise® edi, | | | | more of an issue for companies than efficiency. |
| a leading provider of integrated international supply | | | | Changing customer organization details, contacts, and |
| chain logistics management systems, suggests that in | | | | procedures is an administrative nightmare with |
| today’s increasingly complex global business | | | | multiple data systems within a company and should |
| environment, the sales management process in the | | | | be avoided. |
| freight forwarding industry requires a vigorous new | | | | Provide a single CRM system for pipeline visibility. |
| level of professionalism to be effective. | | | | Customers and sales often dictate specialized |
| Unlike days gone past, the sales process within the | | | | reporting during the sales process that is required |
| freight forwarding industry today reflects the fact | | | | from operations. By automating your sales |
| that purchasing decisions are being made increasingly | | | | management system, the sales department can set |
| at the C-level executive or board room echelon, as | | | | up automated reporting and pull it seamlessly from |
| opposed to the old traffic manager and shipping | | | | operations for quality control and efficiencies. This can |
| room floor paradigms. This means that | | | | be better accomplished by a single solution that |
| today’s sales and marketing efforts require a | | | | integrates information from both sales and |
| greater degree corporate participation, | | | | operations. This also provides vastly improved |
| cross-departmental IT integration and advanced sales | | | | customer service. |
| tools to support this new business model. | | | | Set up controls for customer tariffs for freight |
| Gander says: The key to a successful sales | | | | and handling. By automating this functionality within a |
| process today is the establishment of freight-specific | | | | single sales platform, the ratings are automatically |
| sales and marketing tools within a comprehensive | | | | transmitted to operations and warn them to utilize |
| Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application. | | | | customer tariffs at invoicing. |
| The forwarding and logistics market is evolving into | | | | Establish a consistent, companywide system. By |
| an increasingly competitive and tight margin industry | | | | avoiding cross-departmental confusion, spot quotes |
| that warrants a new level of professionalism well | | | | can be entered and tracked accurately and |
| beyond that of what a single sales manager can | | | | systematically throughout the system and warns |
| deliver. Today, a robust, integrated CRM tool | | | | operations at rating and invoicing. This avoids costly |
| provides the best opportunity to execute the sales | | | | rework, and more importantly, helps create a more |
| value proposition by communicating significant sales | | | | positive customer experience. |
| data to all pertinent personnel, including operations, | | | | Maintain customer status awareness throughout |
| finance and IT departments. | | | | the process. Operations should alert sales seamlessly |
| Gander explains that since stand-alone CRM | | | | out of the automated single system database. This |
| applications cannot offer the efficiencies and quality | | | | improves overall communication and documents that |
| of an integrated sales process, the optimal solution is | | | | each transaction was completed in a timely manner. |
| an ERP-like system that automates the sales process | | | | Utilize IT-based sales management |
| and creates management visibility throughout the | | | | communications. General sales call notes, proposals, |
| supply chain, not horizontally, but vertically. This | | | | emails and other sales documentation are more |
| enables the sales process to flow in both directions | | | | accessible to operations with a click of the mouse |
| between sales, operations and management. | | | | and provide increased data accuracy and total |
| Gander points out that sales management today | | | | customer status. |
| cannot deliver in a vacuum, and suggests 10 ways | | | | Establish a CRM model that enables the sales |
| companies can improve sales and operations through | | | | team to see a dashboard synopsis of operational |
| an integrated IT-based sales process. | | | | activity via automated document modules for |
| Develop a single point of contact with a | | | | real-time activity status without requiring operation |
| customer for enhanced communications between | | | | resources to compile it for them. |
| sales and operations. If a single element of | | | | Maintain transparency to the customer |
| information is kept in redundant systems, it opens up | | | | relationship. Operational quote activity should be |
| quality issues and questions regarding the accuracy of | | | | transparent and visible to the sales department |
| sales information. Utilizing integrated information | | | | personnel who can properly follow up on a timely |
| ensures cross-departmental precision and facilitates | | | | basis. The result will help identify shipment activity, |
| increased sales and customer service. | | | | lane segments, trade profiles, deliverables, financial |
| Operations should avoid having a single additional | | | | data and call cycles, creating more efficiency and the |
| element of work to accommodate just the sales | | | | ability to win more business. |
| process. Rather, the information from operations | | | | The development of a more professional, robust |
| should flow seamlessly to the sales department. | | | | IT-based sales management process is dependent |
| Management is then able to utilize the same, uniform | | | | upon building an integrated sales funnel through |
| information for reporting and oversight without | | | | effective CRM tools to both existing customers and |
| requiring additional data entry. | | | | prospects via accurate data and effectual |
| Automate the workflow with a single database. | | | | communications among trading partners, |
| If all the intelligence that sales gather is available to | | | | summarizes Gander. A properly automated and |
| operations, it not only reduces redundancy, but | | | | integrated freight sales process can greatly enhance |
| provides management with clear visibility across the | | | | target marketing efforts in today’s global |
| sales team’s efforts. Data quality is even | | | | economy. |