Almost every vertical industry sales force must stay in constant touch with their sales force, access corporate and client information while on the road and submit sales orders without returning to the office. This improves the productivity of the sales force and provides superior customer service because inventory can be committed in real time and shipping process can start immediately. Process time improvements can result in very significant ROI. There are a number of sales force application packages that have remote access capability – mostly through a wire-line connection but in some cases, through wireless networks as well.

Second field force application that has attracted the attention of mobile computing enthusiasts is the service and dispatch application. The functional objective is to monitor the whereabouts of service representatives, collect information about the completion of the service call wirelessly and then be able dispatch them electronically to the next call. For more details for field force dispatch, click here.

Third general application in this area is time and expense entry for field assignments whereby you can record this information in the field and send it in electronically. Therefore all manual paper-based  record entry processes can be replaced by electronic processes - saving time, reducing errors and faster billing. 

Wireless Interface to CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Applications 
A more recent variation of sales force automation is also called wireless front-end to CRM application.  Wireless CRM applications have certain characteristics that are common across all industries - hence are classified under horizontal applications.   On the other hand, there are certain vertical industry specific features that are unique to business processes of that industry.  As an example, Intersect Technology of Massachusetts, USA has developed a modern version of Sales Force Automation application for Utilities Industry.  For more on Intersect Technology's CRM solution in Utilities industry using Handheld Computers, go to our solutions catalog.

CRM Case Study - Atlantic Envelope Company

AvantGo's Wireless-based SFA Service - Announced in July 2001. Go here for MobileInfo news report.