Title: Sales force automation: research agenda

Authors: Jayanthi Ranjan, Sandeep Puri

Addresses: Institute of Management Technology, Raj Nagar, Ghaziabad – 201001, India. ' Institute of Management Technology, Raj Nagar, Ghaziabad – 201001, India

Abstract: Existing research on sales force automation (SFA) is primarily focusing on increasing the adoption and use of SFA by salespeople. However, the high failure rate of SFA clearly indicates that increased technology use does not always improve performance. Many companies have implemented SFA solutions in response to competitive pressures and as mechanisms to reduce costs. Adoption of an SFA tools by the sales force has been found to be a crucial factor for its successful implementation. Here, attitude of the sales force plays a critical role in SFA acceptance. We explore various individual characteristics that affect technology usage by sales persons. This research is an attempt to improve our understanding of the SFA in the context of developing countries like India. This paper explores the utilisation of SFA, the benefits derived from these systems, and user acceptance issues. Herein, we offer suggestions that will help organisations succeed in adopting SFA systems. Extensive literature review is done to raise this research agenda.

Keywords: sales force automation; technology use; sales management; India; information technology; sales technology; sales performance; employee characteristics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVCM.2011.042074

International Journal of Value Chain Management, 2011 Vol.5 No.2, pp.141 - 150

Published online: 26 Mar 2015 *

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