Create and calculate salesforce targets within a few seconds.
All sales target data in a single place
Automatic units, sales, and target recalculation
Save weeks of time spent on calculations
Problem
Even though Excel is still widely used in enterprises, it has many limitations when businesses try to scale up. This was evident as well to a client of ours, a global medical device company that worked with hundreds of salespeople worldwide. Every year each of their salespeople was given a specific target they had to achieve, and our client was facing difficulties setting up and managing these targets. In order to create the targets in the first place, they used many Excel sheets and had to combine all the data in one big report. That way, however, the target data was passed around many times, and there were often mismatches between all sheets. Furthermore, they were losing a lot of time during this back-and-forth process, and some users didn’t even have visibility of the data at all. So, our client decided to contact us and see if their processes could be simplified in any way.
Solution
In order to solve our client’s troubles, we developed a solution in the form of an Anaplan model that allowed sales and business unit directors to create targets for their salesforce. The model we developed was not only a target distribution solution, but it also included persona-based customization, presenting different information based on user, department, and region. It utilized the full power of Anaplan and connected planning, being able to immediately reflect changes within the model, thus resulting in a complete department-wide data sync.
First, we implemented the data from all the sheets they had and visualized it nice and clean. Then, we created a hierarchical functionality, and in that way, if a person is not working on a specific project anymore, he can be deleted with one click, and his targets can easily be reallocated.
Additionally, we were able to link several other models that feed information in real-time and make target calculations more accurate. With this integration, the other models were used as a baseline for the targets, and that way, the data was accurate and up to date, and the targets were always optimal.
We went even further to develop a feature that allowed adjustments on units or sales. So, if a person edits a specific value on the report and saves it, the model automatically recalculated it and sent it to the next person in the hierarchy who can validate it. That way, the change was automatically reflected on the account level, and the whole process was visible to both the business directors and the employees.
Last but not least, we developed a validation process that confirmed whether the targets for all employees were accurate or in need of change and if all was well, the whole target distribution got finalized.
Success
The model that we developed managed to save our client a lot of time since it eliminated the need for back-and-forth data distribution and calculation. Furthermore, it helped reduce the number of errors within the data, thus ensuring more reliable data. The company shared with us that they had never had so much information and control over their sales targets and units. We even introduced full transparency of any and all changes in the reports, and with our model, every person – from higher management to sales directors and salespeople – had access to the full information. Since we developed the Sales Quota Distribution Model, salespeople get adequate targets calculated by sophisticated formulas and thus are more motivated to fulfill them, and the whole sales process is way better.
