Proceedings of the 2005 Systems and Information Engineering Design Symposium Ellen J. Bass, ed. ABSTRACT A sales force automation (SFA) tool is a computerized sys- tem that provides sales team members and managers with the functionality to track sales leads, manage contacts, con- trol customer relations, monitor sales processes, schedule meetings, forecast sales and analyze employee perform- ance. SFA tools aim to increase the efficiency and effec- tiveness of a sales team; however, many commercially available SFA tools are generically structured solutions that do not accommodate the specific needs of a company. However, because of recent interest and developments in Business Process Management (BPM) software, an emerg- ing technology capable of modeling and automating busi- ness processes, it is possible for individual firms to cus- tom-design their own sales force automation tools. In general, BPM software tools provide automated support for tracking tasks across multiple departments as they are completed by different employees. This paper discusses the design and development of an SFA tool using BPM soft- ware, including the identification of a detailed sales proc- ess, an analysis of the reporting capabilities, a model for determining the probabilistic outcomes of the sales proc- ess, and a decision-analytic model for optimizing sales force resource allocation. 1 INTRODUCTION A sales force automation (SFA) tool is a computerized sys- tem that provides sales team members with the functional- ity to track sales leads, manage contacts, control customer relations, monitor sales processes, schedule meetings, fore- cast sales and analyze employee performance. Current SFA tools automate numerous business tasks and assist sales representatives with information sharing and contact man- agement through a web-based interface. Leading tools in- clude products such as Peoplesoft, Salesforce.com, Siebel, and Saleslogix. Although these tools reduce the amount of time sales representatives (SR) spend on routine tasks, many are inflexible and require that the sales force adapt their process to the software. In contrast, the recent push for business process man- agement (BPM) software, capable of modeling and auto- mating business processes, has launched rapid deployment of customized software solutions for individual firms. The goal of this paper is to present the modeling and automa- tion of a sales process using BPM software to create the framework for an SFA tool. 1.1 The Need for Sales Force Automation Sales services allow companies to manage and improve client relationships. The quality of these services affects client retention rates and the ability to attract new custom- ers. A company must strive to provide its sales force with the adequate tools to communicate with customers. Com- panies that possess a robust SFA solution tailored to their sales force have an advantage over their competitors. SFA is software that provides many of the services an SR uses. These services keep the SR informed about the client. SRs have fast-paced work schedules, and therefore, have very little patience for paperwork and time consum- ing tasks. It is the goal of SFA to assist SR with these rou- tine tasks, thereby saving them time and frustration. The success of an SFA solution is gauged primarily by it’s abil- ity to aid the sales force. It is imperative for smaller, fast-growing companies to consider customized SFA solutions rather than off the shelf software. Traditional tools are much more useful for large sales forces. In addition, SFA tools are often tailored to companies that sell retail products. Consulting companies sell services, therefore their needs are significantly differ- ent. Consulting companies must give special consideration to the needs of their own sales force, and customize an SFA solution to meet these needs. THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A SALES FORCE AUTOMATION TOOL USING BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Can Baysan Arielle Bertman Raul Maynigo Griff Norville Nicholas Osborne Timothy Taylor University of Virginia Systems and Information Engineering 151 Engineer's Way Charlottesville, VA 22904