Structured Process Analysis

A structured business process can be defined as a series of tasks or a set of activities performed by a group of stakeholders to achieve an organizational goal. The structured process analysis we will be analyzing for SHI is sales. Using management information systems, employees are able to coordinate with clients and distributors to complete sales from start to finish. Being that SHI is an IT MSP, there are several different ways that the sales process can be started. The most common way is when one of SHI’s clients reaches out for procurement, meaning they are looking to purchase new hardware or software. This can be because the current hardware and software are outdated and in need of replacement, or it can be because of situations like new hires or the opening of a new branch. The Information Technology industry is constantly changing and improving and for clients to maintain their level of efficiency, it is not unusual for the need to upgrade either category every 4-5 years. Sales can also be initiated on SHI’s end by dedicated account managers whose job is to monitor their accounts and keep tabs on when any hardware or software is in need of upgrade based on sales history and hardware diagnostics monitoring. By being in constant contact with the point of contact from each account, account managers are able to keep their clients in the loop and avoid pitfalls where inefficiencies are avoided and clients are kept satisfied with their service. The last example would be when users from SHI accounts enter tickets for service into SHI, where an investigation into the issues is conducted by a technician. After troubleshooting, if it is determined that the best option would be the purchase of replacement hardware/software, the ticket is then moved to the client success team for procurement. 

Sales Process Steps:

1.    Prospecting - The process of identifying the potential sales candidates and their specific level of needs. This process is important, and often involves including multiple stakeholders and decision makers within an organization. Using information systems like CRM helps SHI account manager’s keep track of prospective client’s needs based on age. 
2.    Preparation - Preparing for your approach to the contact is the next step of the process. There is a different approach for each client depending on things like their temperament, relationship with SHI and their opinion on purchasing. Researching pricing, developing your sales pitch and properly prepping for the specific clients are all included in this step. 

3.    Approach - This is making actual contact with the client themselves. This can be in person, or virtually but is an imperative step in the process. This initial contact typically has three common methods:

·        Premium approach: Presenting your potential client with a gift at the beginning of your interaction

·        Question approach: Asking a question to get the prospect interested

·        Product approach: Giving the prospect a sample or a free trial to review and evaluate your service

4.    Presentation - Here is where you sell your pitch to your client. By showing a client how this product or service fulfills a need they have, you are actively “selling”. In our scenario, this can be on multiple different scales including company-wide or for an individual. 

5.    Handling Objections - This is the section that separates good sales-people from bad ones. Handling objections means actively being able to back up your claims and presentations and convince the client to go through with the purchase. Being prepared to address any concerns or objections a client may have in regard to the sales pitch solidifies the deal and builds trust amongst clients.

6.    Closing - This is the sealing of the deal. Closing a deal means that you have come to an agreement with the client and that they have promised to make a payment in order to officiate the transaction. There are different methods to closing that could include offering some sort of incentive (discounted rate, free services, comps, etc.), pushing a hard pay by date or offering to pay in installments. Being that the majority of SHI’s clients are also MSP clients, this part of the deal can tend to happen at a higher, corporate level. 

7.    Follow-up - Good salespeople know that the follow up is one of the most important aspects of the entire sales process. The follow up shows good faith and that your client is not just another number on your books. Follow ups help to build great business relationships as well as increase the likelihood of referrals from clients. 

The effectiveness of SHI international sales process is measured by its ability to gain new leads into customers and maintain them as customers. If SHI consistently meets its sales by getting new customers with their sale process and maintaining those customers for the long run then the sale process is working properly. The problem SHI International will face with the sales process is when ineffective leads are generated, or not closing on the leads which could be employees not being adequately trained or support for sales staff. Another one is communication gaps between sales representatives and other departments and having trouble properly adapting to the fast-changing market of technology could be one of those things that can affect the sales process. An information system that can help in the sales process are sales automation tools, Order Management system (OMS) keep track of sales and products, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to keep track of current customers, and easy to follow up, provide better service, less cost, and easy to analyze the customer’s history to keep the customer within the company.

 The Five Components of an Information System:

• Hardware: Physical equipment like a computer, data storages, communication devices like mobile phone, camera and camcorders, etc.,
• Software: Programs and applications that are used to document management, security service, business software, Database software, etc., 
• Data: Information collected and stored within the system that hold customer records, sale data and marketing insight like financing services, supply chain and integration services, cloud service, and CRM service like Microsoft Dynamics
• Procedures: Processes that employee follows for sale process are prospecting, preparation, approach, presentation, handling objections, closing, and following up is one procedure of SHI
• People: Employees that are involved in the sales process, includes sales representatives, managers and supporting staff. 

Information silos happen when a company stores data in separate, isolated systems. For example, the figure below shows how the sales, marketing, accounting and customer service data for a company are all stored separately and each department is unable to access the data from other departments. This leads to inefficiency, poor data integrity, disjointed processes and increased costs to the company. 

The marketing department at SHI uses Monday.com, a cloud-based platform that helps users manage different projects and workflows while the sales department mainly uses Microsoft Dynamics 365, a customer relationship management software. Although the marketing and sales departments use different software, SHI is able to limit the issues with information silos by using Microsoft Teams as their internal source of communication between departments. By using Microsoft Teams, the departments are able to communicate quickly and efficiently. According to our contact, Wesley Krempel, Microsoft Teams has been an effective way for each department to communicate with each other. If the sales department does not have access to a specific piece of marketing information they are looking for, they are able to communicate with the marketing department via Microsoft Teams to obtain the data needed.             

CRM, ERP and EAI? 

CRM systems are designed to manage interactions with customers, helping businesses to organize and analyze customer data, track leads, and improve customer relationships. ERP) systems, on the other hand, integrate core business processes such as finance, HR, procurement, and supply chain management into a single platform. They provide a centralized database and streamline operations, which gives efficient resource allocation and decision-making. EAI involves integrating various software applications and systems within an organization to ensure communication and data flow, facilitating efficient business processes.

For SHI, major ERP vendors include SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, and Infor. SHI utilizes one of these vendors which usually depends on the specific business requirements, budget constraints, and IT strategy.

An inter-enterprise IS gives communication and data exchange between different organizations or business partners. It facilitates collaboration, supply chain management, and coordination across multiple entities. While the adoption of an inter-enterprise IS can enhance efficiency, communication, and collaboration, its implementation requires careful consideration of factors such as security, compatibility, and integration with existing systems.

Whether SHI has an inter-enterprise IS and whether it should have one, it would depend on its business model, partnerships, and objectives. If SHI engages in extensive collaboration with partners, suppliers, or customers, implementing an inter-enterprise IS could provide benefits such as improved visibility into supply chain operations, faster decision-making, and market changes. The decision to adopt such a system should be preceded by a thorough analysis of costs, risks, and potential benefits to ensure alignment with SHI's strategic goals and objectives.