Implementation of SFA Solutions in Colgate-Palmolive ⚐ Comarch

The Situation Before The Implementation

Colgate-Palmolive belongs to the FMCG industry, where a quick response to constantly changing market needs is a priority.
A constant flow of current market information is essential for manufacturers to take appropriate action on time. Before the implementation of the Comarch Mobile Sales Force Apps, Colgate-Palmolive used a different mobile system, but due to its deficiencies in key functional areas, the company decided to change their SFA solution supplier. Prior to the implementation of Comarch Mobile Sales Force, sales representatives were connected with only one warehouse, to which they sent orders based on the available inventory.

The Implemented Product

The Comarch Mobile Sales Force and Comarch Online Distribution Project in Colgate-Palmolive began in 2007. Since then, implementations have been carried out in more than 60 locations that belong to almost 30 distributors. Dedicated reports were created for Colgate-Palmolive to enable the maximum optimization of the generated data. Initially, the project operated on a separate database but in 2010 it was attached to a common database (Central Data Repository) which included data from most of the projects using the Comarch Online Distribution solution. This significantly accelerated customers decoding and greatly increased the accuracy of reported data. In the same year, Colgate-Palmolive’s commercial department gained access to sales reports, inventory reports and information from Comarch Mobile Sales Force via Comarch Online Sales Support. These factors provide unlimited access to reported data and facilitate two-way communication with the entire field sales structure

Benefits

The capability to place orders by sales representatives at various warehouses, as well as working on stock levels were the main factors in ensuring the successful implementation of Comarch’s integrated solutions at Colgate-Palmolive. Since then, Colgate-Palmolive pre – sellers have not been tied to only one particular supplier and have been able to choose the most attractive offers for customers, and thus facilitate sales growth.

Other benefits indicated by Colgate-Palmolive and related to the implementation of Comarch Online Distribution and Comarch Mobile Sales Force include:

Quick access to essential data necessary for sales representatives (in stock, out of stock, resale targets, quality targets and how they
are implemented)
Ability to implement objectives and competitions based on selling-out targets as well as monitoring tasks
Automated acquisition of verified market data – business verification by comparing data reported automatically via the system with traditional data such as cumulative statements
Orders generated by Colgate-Palmolive sales representatives are sent directly to the distributors’ financial and accounting systems (orders are not copied by billing clerks, the PSD credit limit is “consumed” with the first order in a distributor’s accounting system)
Access to accurate, verified hard data (sales, stock) 24X7 with Comarch Online Sales Support and access to soft data (number of clients, scheduled routes, target accomplishment) with Comarch Mobile Sales Force
Flexible changes to the projects, i.e. project extension with other distributors related to Colgate-Palmolive business development
Continuous KPI monitoring describing the activities of mobile sales representatives
Route management for sales representativ

New Reality After The Implementation

The implementation of Comarch Online Distribution and Comarch Mobile Sales Force was completed successfully. Close integration with Colgate-Palmolive distributors and the implementation of the Comarch Mobile Sales Force system has ended the commercially inefficient situation where sales representative could only make use of one warehouse. Customer service levels increased as a result – sales representatives can now offer better products to customers, on better commercial terms, thanks to access to data from different, connected warehouses. The electronic transfer of delivery orders has significantly accelerated their flow and influenced the supply chain optimization through more efficient order selection by warehouses.

In addition, each sent document leaves a trace in the system, so errors in copying faxed orders (by sales representatives or billing clerks) and missed contracts (elimination of missed sales) were eliminated. The timeliness of reporting is monitored on an ongoing basis, so any deficiencies are registered and solved in accordance with project procedures. In addition, all documents are checked for both the correct structure and content (compliance with ColgatePalmolive system data). On the basis of data from Comarch Online Distribution, Colgate-Palmolive reports the results of its activities to the Central Office in the United States. This data is also used by Colgate-Palmolive to settle with warehouses connected to the project and Colgate’s sales representatives, to assess goals and to grant bonuses within various competitions.