Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
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Case Study Description of Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology
Ann Rothman, newly arrived Executive Vice President of Global Sales at Quantium Technology needs to address the challenges associated with Quantium's implementation of Siebel Sales, a sales force automation (SFA) software solution. Sales representatives were abandoning the system, sales managers were complaining that sales pipeline data in the system were not accurate, and the system did not appear to be increasing win rate or shortening the sales cycle as expected. Rothman needed to decide how to resolve the problems, which meant either fixing the system or abandoning the project altogether.
Swot Analysis of "Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology" written by James Lattin, Dana Nunn includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Sales Rothman facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Sales, Technology and Sales & Marketing.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology casestudy better are - – supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing transportation and logistics costs, wage bills are increasing, increasing energy prices, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, increasing commodity prices, there is backlash against globalization,
increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Sales Rothman, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Sales Rothman operates in.
According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of the managers use SWOT analysis for various purposes such as – evaluating current scenario, strategic planning, new venture feasibility, personal growth goals, new market entry, Go To market strategies, portfolio management and strategic trade-off assessment, organizational restructuring, etc.
SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix
SWOT analysis of Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Sales Rothman
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Sales & Marketing field.
4. Making a Sales & Marketing topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Sales Rothman
Strengths Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Sales Rothman in Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology Harvard Business Review case study are -
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Sales Rothman has built up over years in its products and services combo offer has resulted in high retention of customers, lower marketing costs, and greater ability of the firm to focus on its customers.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Sales Rothman is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Sales Rothman in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Digital Transformation in Sales & Marketing segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Sales Rothman digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Sales Rothman has successfully integrated the four key components of digital transformation – digital integration in processes, digital integration in marketing and customer relationship management, digital integration into the value chain, and using technology to explore new products and market opportunities.
Learning organization
- Sales Rothman is a learning organization. It has inculcated three key characters of learning organization in its processes and operations – exploration, creativity, and expansiveness. The work place at Sales Rothman is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Analytics focus
– Sales Rothman is putting a lot of focus on utilizing the power of analytics in business decision making. This has put it among the leading players in the industry. The technology infrastructure suggested by James Lattin, Dana Nunn can also help it to harness the power of analytics for – marketing optimization, demand forecasting, customer relationship management, inventory management, information sharing across the value chain etc.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Sales Rothman in the sector have low bargaining power. Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Sales Rothman to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Sales Rothman has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Sales Rothman has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.
Training and development
– Sales Rothman has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.
Strong track record of project management
– Sales Rothman is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Sales & Marketing industry
– Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Sales Rothman to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Sales Rothman to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Sales Rothman has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Weaknesses Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology are -
Products dominated business model
– Even though Sales Rothman has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Sales Rothman, firm in the HBR case study Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Sales Rothman has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Sales Rothman is planning to shift buying processes online.
Need for greater diversity
– Sales Rothman has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Sales Rothman is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, James Lattin, Dana Nunn suggests that, Sales Rothman is facing high bargaining power of the channel partners. So far it has not able to streamline the operations to reduce the bargaining power of the value chain partners in the industry.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology, in the dynamic environment Sales Rothman has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Sales Rothman has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Sales Rothman has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the industry over the last five years. Sales Rothman even though has strong showing on digital transformation primary two stages, it has struggled to capitalize the power of digital transformation in marketing efforts and new venture efforts.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Sales Rothman has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Sales Rothman is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Sales & Marketing segment. Sales Rothman needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Sales Rothman to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Opportunities Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology are -
Developing new processes and practices
– Sales Rothman can develop new processes and procedures in Sales & Marketing industry using technology such as automation using artificial intelligence, real time transportation and products tracking, 3D modeling for concept development and new products pilot testing etc.
Manufacturing automation
– Sales Rothman can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Sales & Marketing segment. It can use CAD and 3D printing to build a quick prototype and pilot testing products. It can leverage automation using machine learning and artificial intelligence to do faster production at lowers costs, and it can leverage the growth in satellite and tracking technologies to improve inventory management, transportation, and shipping.
Use of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies for transactions
– The popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as asset class and medium of transaction has opened new opportunities for Sales Rothman in the consumer business. Now Sales Rothman can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Sales & Marketing industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Sales Rothman can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Sales Rothman has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Sales Rothman to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology case study. Sales Rothman can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Sales Rothman can leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the production process, customer analytics to get better insights into consumer behavior, realtime digital dashboards to get better sales tracking, logistics and transportation, product tracking, etc.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Sales Rothman in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Sales & Marketing segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Sales Rothman has spent a significant amount of money and effort to integrate analytics and machine learning into its operations in the sector. This continuous investment in analytics has enabled, as illustrated in the Harvard case study Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Sales Rothman to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Sales Rothman can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Sales Rothman operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Sales & Marketing sector.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Sales Rothman can still utilize the low interest rates to borrow money for capital investment. Secondly it can also use the increase of government spending in infrastructure projects to get new business.
Reconfiguring business model
– The expansion of digital payment system, the bringing down of international transactions costs using Bitcoin and other blockchain based currencies, etc can help Sales Rothman to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Sales Rothman to increase its market reach. Sales Rothman will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Sales Rothman can build a diversified supply chain model across various countries in - South East Asia, India, and other parts of the world. This reconfiguration of global supply chain can help, as suggested in case study, Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Threats Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology are -
Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc
– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Sales Rothman demand
– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Sales Rothman with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Increasing wage structure of Sales Rothman
– Post Covid-19 there is a sharp increase in the wages especially in the jobs that require interaction with people. The increasing wages can put downward pressure on the margins of Sales Rothman.
Backlash against dominant players
– US Congress and other legislative arms of the government are getting tough on big business especially technology companies. The digital arm of Sales Rothman business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
New competition
– After the dotcom bust of 2001, financial crisis of 2008-09, the business formation in US economy had declined. But in 2020 alone, there are more than 1.5 million new business applications in United States. This can lead to greater competition for Sales Rothman in the Sales & Marketing sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Environmental challenges
– Sales Rothman needs to have a robust strategy against the disruptions arising from climate change and energy requirements. EU has identified it as key priority area and spending 30% of its 880 billion Euros European post Covid-19 recovery funds on green technology. Sales Rothman can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Sales Rothman can face lack of demand in the market place because of Fed actions to reduce inflation. This can lead to sluggish growth in the economy, lower demands, lower investments, higher borrowing costs, and consolidation in the field.
Regulatory challenges
– Sales Rothman needs to prepare for regulatory challenges as consumer protection groups and other pressure groups are vigorously advocating for more regulations on big business - to reduce inequality, to create a level playing field, to product data privacy and consumer privacy, to reduce the influence of big money on democratic institutions, etc. This can lead to significant changes in the Sales & Marketing industry regulations.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Sales Rothman in the Sales & Marketing industry. The Sales & Marketing industry is already at various protected from local competition in China, with the rise of trade war the protection levels may go up. This presents a clear threat of current business model in Chinese market.
High level of anxiety and lack of motivation
– the Great Resignation in United States is the sign of broader dissatisfaction among the workforce in United States. Sales Rothman needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Sales & Marketing industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Sales Rothman is facing in Sales & Marketing sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Sales & Marketing field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Sales Rothman can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology Template, Example
Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants.
We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –
First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.
Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.
Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of Implementing Sales Force Automation at Quantum Technology is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Sales Rothman needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
