| Introduction | | | | to consumer-grade personal digital assistants |
| In countless vertical business markets, mobile | | | | (PDAs) to beepers and cell phones. These top |
| professionals are roaming far from their corporate | | | | features provide a solution for everything a sales |
| campuses with laptops and cellular phones in tow. | | | | professional may need while out of the office. |
| The increasing ubiquity of Wi-Fi hotspots and | | | | - Integration - Ability to integrate with |
| high-speed cellular networks, in part, has made | | | | enterprise-level business applications. |
| these road warriors depend on real-time access | | | | - Operating System - Defining a standardized OS |
| to email, calendars and other corporate | | | | environment has greatly eased deployment of |
| information systems. | | | | devices. Much like the PC desktop environment, |
| Similarly, Sales force workers equipped with | | | | the ability to deploy a single platform to all users |
| mobile devices such as Tablet PCs and ruggedized | | | | means allowing a uniform distribution of SW, and a |
| handhelds can be found in retail stores, on | | | | consolidated support requirement. Can support |
| construction sites, in manufacturing plants, on | | | | Familiar Microsoft Windows Mobile-based operating |
| service calls and everywhere else business is | | | | system. |
| being done. Mobility gives them the tools they | | | | - Deployment platform - Companies ultimately |
| need for order-entry, shipment tracking and | | | | deploy applications on one of two major |
| business intelligence reports. The use of mobile | | | | platforms: Microsoft .Net, or Java. However, many |
| devices increases accuracy and eliminates | | | | organizations will deploy both. Can run in either |
| redundancy, so there's no need to carry around a | | | | environment (e.g., running a JVM on a Windows |
| stack of manuals. | | | | Mobile device supporting .Net). |
| Throughout business locations such as factories, | | | | - Third party application availability - Many |
| offices, hospitals and other facilities a new breed | | | | application vendors now offer mobile extensions |
| of mobile worker, often referred as corridor | | | | to their application suites, providing a convenient |
| warrior are seen armed with lightweight, handheld | | | | means of extending applications to a mobile sales |
| devices linked to wireless local area network | | | | professional. However, not all vendors provide |
| (WLANs). The real-time communications and | | | | such capability, nor do they support all platforms. |
| information access made possible through these | | | | Third party middleware extensions provide |
| complete mobile solutions is redefining the ways | | | | needed functionality when not available within the |
| professionals perform at their jobs and | | | | application. |
| consequently the costs of doing business. | | | | - Asset Management - Deploying devices to users |
| These solutions are helping to raise the standards | | | | is only part of the challenge. The greater part of |
| that both businesses and their workers are held | | | | the challenge is managing the deployed assets. |
| to. This White Paper will discuss how the benefits | | | | Devices deployed in enterprise settings provide |
| of mobile solutions, are empowering Enterprises | | | | the appropriate tools to mange the devices |
| and their employees to improve revenue, engage | | | | adequately, even when used with a third party |
| in industry best practices and offer the best | | | | asset management application. |
| practices possible with its new features, functions | | | | - Connectivity - Companies are relying on the |
| and capabilities. | | | | notion of the "real time enterprise" which requires |
| Obstacles in traditional SFA | | | | up-to-date data acquisition of business activity |
| A firm that has mobile sales force has been | | | | information, as well as empowering employees |
| facing a lot of obstacles in recent times. They | | | | with the data necessary to make the proper |
| must continue realigning as the market changes. | | | | decisions. Mobile devices offer connectivity, even |
| Earlier SFA Applications served the basic needs of | | | | if not immediately used with the expansion of |
| field workers such as access to emails, contact | | | | WiFi deployments within companies, as well as in |
| management, calendaring and scheduling. Even | | | | public places. Can also allow a choice of radio |
| though these features remain the dominant in | | | | connectivity options. |
| SFA, the portfolio of capabilities has started to | | | | - Battery Life - Battery life varies greatly |
| expand. A firm must adjust the pace of rebuilding | | | | depending on usage factor but the bottom line for |
| the mobile force to match expected obstacles. | | | | most users is, can mobile devices get the user |
| The common anticipated obstacles are | | | | through the workday without a recharge? Most |
| - Focus - Wasting time, money and resources on | | | | consumer PDA devices are challenged to provide |
| uninterested prospects. Instead of focusing on | | | | a full day's operation when using a wireless |
| best prospects, sales force spends time on all the | | | | connection (WiFi). Can provide sufficient powerful |
| prospects. | | | | batteries to provide at least one day's operation, |
| - Access - The Sales person often are not able | | | | and allow full recharge overnight. Further, can |
| to satisfy customer needs as they do not have | | | | provide field replaceable battery, as most |
| access to the information that are sitting | | | | batteries will only withstand about 300 charge |
| elsewhere in a database back at the office. | | | | discharge cycles. |
| This led to the expansion of Mobile Sales Force | | | | - Data Capture - Data capture options provide |
| Automation. | | | | linear and two-dimensional scanning or imaging. |
| Expansion in Portfolio of Capabilities | | | | - Voice telephony - Voice telephony for |
| - Quick Access to Information - Imagine having | | | | push-to-talk (PTT), peer-to-peer (P2P), private |
| outdated and inadequate information when you | | | | branch exchange (PBX), one-to-one or |
| are in a sales call. Sales people should have critical | | | | one-to-many communications. |
| facts and figures on the field that help them to | | | | Future Technology Accelerators |
| close a deal. By providing the sales people with | | | | Tablet PC |
| quick access and communicate information to and | | | | Tablet PCs combine the touch screen and |
| from the field allows the sales people to get the | | | | handwriting features of the PDA with the |
| most from the time they spend with the | | | | computing power of a notebook computer in a |
| customer. | | | | compact and light weight design. End-user |
| - Shortened Sales Cycle - Sales people can access | | | | experiences the same look and feel in the office |
| current product information, check inventory and | | | | as in the field. Other advances in battery life and |
| quote prices during a customer meeting which | | | | wireless capabilities are also eagerly anticipated. |
| gives an outlook that they are very responsive. | | | | Voice |
| During the sales call customer can be informed | | | | Emerging technologies that allow natural text to |
| about their accounts receivable status and credit | | | | speech dictation will allow easier data capture by |
| standing with the push of a button. By using their | | | | both sales professionals and other members of |
| mobile device the sales professionals can remove | | | | the sales channel. Such services can run on mobile |
| tedious tasks and reduce the delay in sending | | | | devices or via telephone services to a central |
| accurate information about customer meetings. | | | | server. Such solutions will tie directly into sales and |
| Remote order entry capability also eliminates | | | | marketing applications and can help increase the |
| manual input of data into ERP. With these sales | | | | amount of useful data that can be captured in the |
| cycles are shortened, accurate information is | | | | field. |
| gathered, customer is satisfied and revenue is | | | | Extending into Field Analytics |
| increased. | | | | As wireless networks improve, our ability to |
| - Sync Capability - Synchronization provides a | | | | access information throughout the enterprise |
| simple method of sharing data and merging new | | | | increases. Through integration of analytics into a |
| and updated information between offline users | | | | mobile environment, we bring the sales |
| and the Mobile Server. When the offline user | | | | professional in closer contact with the home office |
| comes online he should be able to retrieve the | | | | and help them to better highlight customer needs. |
| updated information from backend server through | | | | We will be able to better measure and predict |
| mobile server and the information in his mobile | | | | behavior and the interactions with the customer |
| device should be updated with the backend | | | | and, in turn, support changes in the business |
| server. This ensures timeliness and accuracy of | | | | landscape, such as product launches and formulary |
| the information. The changes made outside the | | | | changes. |
| wireless coverage should be reliably conveyed to | | | | RFID [Spell out] - Radio Frequency Identification |
| the backend. This ensures the sales professionals | | | | An RFID system comprises three main elements: |
| have most recently updated information and at | | | | electronic tags, tag readers and software to |
| the same time they need not reenter data again | | | | store collected data. |
| and again into the database. For Example, the | | | | The tags, which consist of a silicon chip and an |
| corporate network of a major banking industry is | | | | antenna, provide each individual object to which |
| designed to provide sales professional with reliable | | | | they are attached with a unique identifier. When |
| real-time access to their server. In a customer's | | | | scanned, the tag transmits a wireless signal to the |
| place network coverage is not stable always, it | | | | reader, which in turn sends the data to a |
| gets lost. They need to use their mobile device | | | | database. The reader can also write information |
| and enter data as they interact with customer | | | | to the tag if required. |
| and then make that data available to the server | | | | RFID technology is becoming prevalent in logistics |
| as soon as the connection returns. | | | | where the movement of mobile tags, for |
| - Always On Sometimes Connected - During sales | | | | example on pallets of consumer goods, is read by |
| call, sales professionals are in consistent time | | | | static readers, say, in goods in/out bays of a |
| constraint. They need to deliver their messages | | | | warehouse. However, for Sales Force Applications, |
| efficiently as well as effectively so that they don't | | | | this concept is reversed: the tags are static and |
| waste the face time with the prospects. The | | | | the readers are mobile, i.e. carried by the sales |
| required boot of the laptop can waste a | | | | professional. Tags can be attached, say, to a |
| considerable amount of time in front of the | | | | fixed location for proof of attendance, or to a |
| prospect, which makes it less optimal. In such | | | | specific item of machinery to be checked. |
| cases, sales professionals needs a mobile device | | | | Top 5 reasons to make SFA MOBILE |
| which can help them access critical information in | | | | - Company conducts business in a national or |
| a small screen. "Always On capability is a must | | | | global market. |
| and the sales professionals can connect sometime | | | | - Sales professionals spend more than 25% of |
| to retrieve information." An efficient and powerful | | | | the time out of office. |
| search capability is an important requirement. | | | | - Business depends on quick and informed |
| - Security - With the growing functionalities in | | | | decisions from people who are frequently on the |
| today's SFA security plays a very important role. | | | | road. |
| The primary security requirement is that all users | | | | - Sales professionals need to have quick access |
| should authenticate themselves as a verified user | | | | to information and provide quick answers to the |
| into the corporate systems. This ensures the | | | | customers when they are on the call. |
| sales professional accessing into critical information | | | | - Nimbleness is a competitive advantage for the |
| is an authorized user. And also an insecure | | | | sales professional. |
| connection or a lost device can cause a loss to | | | | Sample Case Study |
| company's proprietary data, in turn lowers | | | | Challenge |
| competitive advantage. Mobility devices should | | | | A famous Banking company needed a robust tool |
| have strong encryption capabilities for application | | | | for managing sales leads and opportunities with |
| data as it is transmitted over a network using a | | | | visibility of the sales pipeline. The company desired |
| standard communication. A strong encryption | | | | a web-based, customizable solution that would be |
| system such as Triple AES (Advanced Encryption | | | | a good fit with that company's mobility offerings |
| Standard) or DES (Data Encryption Standard) is | | | | to their sales professionals. It also desired a |
| necessary in ensuring the application data on the | | | | low-risk solution that could scale as the company |
| device is protected. In case of any lost or stolen | | | | grews. They also wanted their sales professionals |
| devices, they should have the ability to remotely | | | | to have up-to-date information about the leads |
| disable it. | | | | they handle. |
| SFA Mobile applications open up new frontiers | | | | Solution |
| Recent advances in both wired and wireless | | | | They selected ZSL's middleware technology for |
| Internet access solutions have spurred faster | | | | its wireless capabilities, ease of deployment, |
| growth of mobile sales force population in the last | | | | configuration and customization. Through ZSL's |
| couple of years, with hosted applications promising | | | | middleware technology the sales professionals |
| to open up new frontiers. The following features | | | | were able to wirelessly access the provisioning |
| emerged into SFA applications, assures companies | | | | functionalities such as sales order management |
| to maximize its capability to effectively and | | | | systems and hosted prospect database. In |
| efficiently manage mobile users and devices. | | | | addition, they were impressed with ZyPrism's |
| - Policy-based Management - Can provide a way | | | | ability to synchronize data's with reliable real-time |
| to allocate network resources, primarily network | | | | access. |
| bandwidth and security (firewalls), according to | | | | Results |
| defined business policies. Users can be defined as | | | | Because of availability of data at real-time sales |
| individuals, groups, communities, and have specific | | | | professionals were able to respond to customers |
| management capabilities applied to them. This can | | | | at a quicker rate, shorten the sales cycle, |
| be easily changed, and can be tied to a directory. | | | | increased their productivity and greater revenue |
| - Broad functionality - Can function with a wide | | | | generated. Because leads are pushed via alerts |
| variety of applications and data requirements. | | | | directly to sales professional's Mobiles, sales |
| Most of the applications have the needed | | | | professionals started experiencing faster response |
| interfaces to allow customization and additions. | | | | times to people who register interest via the web |
| - Directory integration - Can interface with already | | | | or its sales call center. |
| defined directory structure and policies so a | | | | Conclusion |
| stand-alone or duplicate directory is not needed. | | | | By providing quick access to information to sales |
| - Scalability - Can provide management for a large | | | | professionals available at back-end data and |
| number of users with a large number of devices. | | | | applications helps them to shorten the sales cycle, |
| - Single console for all network/application/device | | | | gather accurate information, improves customer |
| security - can provide a single console from which | | | | satisfaction and increase revenue. Sales |
| it can define, control, deploy and maintain all | | | | professionals become more responsive to |
| aspects of the device, application, network and | | | | customers through expansion of capabilities in |
| security. | | | | SFA. |
| - Web-based console - can be managed from a | | | | With Synchronization feature in SFA sales |
| web-based console from any standard browser, | | | | professionals are equipped with real time and |
| allowing management from local or remote | | | | updated information, which in turn helps them to |
| locations, and on a variety of devices. | | | | provide customers with up-to-date prices and |
| - Support for diversity in devices, platforms, and | | | | inventory available. Remote order entry capabilities |
| networks - supports a variety of devices, | | | | reduce the burden of entering the data again in |
| connections and platforms, and will continue to | | | | the database residing at the server and help them |
| expand on the device types and OS flavors. | | | | to close the sale quickly and efficiently. |
| - Security components - Provides at least a | | | | Business productivity and customer satisfaction |
| minimum set of security capabilities within the | | | | can be achieved when mobile and wireless |
| product. Can be integrated with higher-level | | | | solutions are used wisely. Mobile solutions have |
| security tools. | | | | truly come of age and can literally transform |
| - Bandwidth aware - can adjust for whatever | | | | business to newer heights. Now is the time to |
| bandwidth is available for the particular connection | | | | evaluate how becoming more mobile sales |
| (e.g., delivering massive file updates on a slow | | | | professionals can be more productive. Its time to |
| connection). | | | | craft your mobile strategy otherwise your |
| - Dashboard - can provide a management | | | | competitors are likely to go mobile giving them |
| dashboard of information on processes, users, | | | | the competitive advantage. |
| devices, performance, etc. | | | | Expansion in the capabilities of Sales force |
| - Backend management integration - can integrate | | | | automation applications holds great promise for |
| effectively with other back-end management | | | | improving the efficiency of mobile sales |
| infrastructure already deployed within the | | | | professional and reducing the overall cost of sales. |
| organization without needing to retrain existing | | | | The enterprise network should be properly |
| staff already familiar with the application. | | | | equipped to provide reliability, security, bandwidth, |
| Emerging trends in Mobile Capabilities | | | | adequate remote connectivity and management |
| Today, an assortment of technology is used by | | | | controls. Mobility can give all the business |
| sales professionals, ranging from laptop computers | | | | advantages with these capabilities. |