final report

Issues

Immediate?

Strategic?

Urgent Important Quadrant? (I,II,III,IV from guide below)

Steve Hoffer has to work closely with his sales manager to determine the immediate cause of action with regard to the sales representative productivity.

Immediate

II

There is the need to determine whether to hire new sales representative or train the “old school” sales reps to adopt the CRM tools

Strategic

IV

The increasing regularity of sales representatives being overworked that impacted negatively on their morale level which ought to be dealt with.

Strategic

I

Steve requires Linda to provide details on how she was able to use company’s CRM tools something which made her team harness more clients

Immediate

III

Issue Analysis Guide (put relevant # in chart above)

Importance

Urgency

LOW

HIGH

LOW

I

II

HIGH

III

IV

Problem Statement:

From all the issues listed above, what is the “Big Deal” issue? What is the overall strategic problem? One problem only!!

The problem that the North American Sales Director has is to evaluate whether there is the need to hire new sales representative or he has to emphasize on use technology to embrace customer relationship management adoption that will see the “old school” representatives acquires skills to run the sales affairs quite efficiently and effectively.

Cause of key problem & effect on company if not addressed?

The problem is basically with the “old school” sales representatives who seems not to adopt the CRM tool using the current technology which seems to have faster ways of doing business with the customers. The company is likely to lose some clients if it fails to train the sale representatives purposely to improve their productivity and not necessarily hiring new sales reps.

Related CRM theory (VIP!) Failure to use what we’ve learned about CRM will result in zero for whole case worksheet.

NOTE: This section is where you note which theories you are using to evaluate this case. It is not the place where you summarize all the text book info about those theories. Reciting textbook will not get any marks. Here you note which theories you will use -- and for the rest of this analysis, you will demonstrate the use of those theories to assess the case material.

According to the Customer Relationship Management theory, the primary focus is on the success of sales through satisfying the customers by improving service efficiency. However, the CRM offer critical information meant to identify the customer’s needs, demand as well as preferences. In this case, CRM should facilitate strategic plans that are meant to improve the services that the “old school” sale representative are offering. Besides that, it should aid in devising efficient technology approaches that ought to be established to help in improving service delivery particularly with regard to Value Added Reseller (VAR) sales representatives.

Internal Analysis:

What’s going on inside this company? Strengths, weaknesses and constraints

The company is on verge of investigation the best methods that ought to be put in place to improve productivity with regard to sales representatives. The company’s strength is deployed by Linda’s sale group which is composed of young folks well-conversant with new technologies. They are helping the company to harness more clients. The major weakness is on “old school” sale reps who depend on traditional ways of conducting business hence being ineffective. The constraints that strike this company is on whether to employ new sales representatives or train the “old school” reps to improve their productivity.

What is going on in the external environment that is relevant to the issues above? (Opportunities and Threats)

The threats that the company is facing is that it is likely to lose some of its customers basically due to being unattended. The opportunity that the company has is to use the strategy that Linda has had on her team and improve its productivity by training the “old school” sales representatives.

Conclusions on this whole section?

Steve Hoffer, the Director has to make up his mind on whether to hire new young and technology oriented sales representative team or devise training programs that will incur StarTech.com some cost to train the “old school” sales representatives to acquire technologically based approaches meant incorporate adoption of Customer Relation Management strategies.

What is your criteria?

(The alternative that I choose here must……)

(The alternative that I choose here should…..)

Quantitative criteria? (Yes/No)

Qualitative criteria? (Yes/No)

1. The alternative that I choose here should embrace adoption of Customer Relations Management approaches.

No

Yes

2. The alternative that I choose here must incorporate improved technology when using the CRM tools

No

Yes

3. The alternative that I choose here should be on the basis of training the “old school” sales representatives in the Value Added Resellers (VAR) sales team

Yes

No

Alternative

Pros

Cons

1. Adopting CRM tools

It is likely to improve sales made by both sales team.

It will take quite meaningful time for the VAR sale group to fully incorporate the CRM tools into their system of operations

2. Embrace technology whenever using the CRM tools

It will boost the manner in which the sales representatives particularly in VAR will conduct their daily operations

It will incur the company cost in putting into place improved technology systems to cater for that.

3. Training the “old school’ sale representatives.

Will increase their own productivity as well as tracking and managing their individual clients

The company will incur cost of training the sales reps. It will be time consuming which would mean the sales reps will not be involved actively throughout the entire period.

Alternative analysis matrix

Alternative 1

(+,N,-)

Alternative 2

(+,N,-)

Alternative 3

(+,N,-)

Etc.

(+,N,-)

Criteria 1

N

-

+

Criteria 2

_

N

+

Criteria 3

N

_

+

Etc.

Etc.

Total

(Go/No Go?)

No Go

No Go

Go

Discussion of Alternative analysis matrix

The most appropriate decision that the Steve Hoffer ought to arrive at is training the “old school” sales reps to adopt the Customer Relation Management tool through use of improved technology means. By so doing the company is likely to experience huge boost in terms of customer base. The other alternatives seems to be eliminated on bases of cost of hiring new sales reps.

Which alternative do you choose?

Training the “old school” sales representatives on implementing CRM tools based on improved technology.

Why? (how does this best meet your decision criteria)

It is the best alternative in the sense that the company will not incur cost of hiring new sales reps but instead train their own.

How will this best solve the challenge posed above in Issues section?

It will ensure that the director comes into terms with the best options that the VAR sales teams is facing by devising training program to improves their means of carrying out businesses.

How does it address CRM Challenge(s) at hand?

By this, it means that the sales reps will incorporate CRM tools into a system and by so doing they will develop a strong customer base.

Tactic

Details

Date(s) for Implementation

(CRM often has multi-step tactics)

Training the “old school” representatives

By training them, they will acquire the necessary tools that will ensure that they use technological established means to interact with clients.

1-2 months

Adopting the CRM tools

The VAR sales teams ought to put into consideration adoption of the CRM tools meant to foster their operations and relationships with customers

3-4 weeks

Embracing technology

After training, the sales reps ought to give assigned some electronic devices such laptops and desktops that will help them in improving their day to day roles and responsibilities

2-3 months

Criteria

Level 3 - Acceptable with good level of critical thinking and fully complete

5 points

Level 2 - Some evidence of critical thinking and/or not fully completed

2.5 points

Level 1 - Unacceptable/incomplete

0 points