�鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors Compensation Archives | �鶹ԭ�� News Center

Sales Performance Management for Better Customer Outcomes

Jacqueline Prause — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 12:15:09 +0000

Organizations depend on highly motivated sales teams to generate revenue and stay ahead of the competition. As the all-important link between an organization’s products and services and the customer, the sales team is a principal driver of bottom-line growth for the success of the whole organization.

For organization leaders, incentivizing and correctly compensating these employees requires a firm grasp of based on proven strategies and solutions aligned with organizational goals. In a climate of economic uncertainty, they are looking to trusted advisors to demystify sales performance and ensure business outcomes.

“Right before the fiscal year, companies start to ask the question, ‘How should we be compensating our salespeople?’” said David Cichelli, revenue growth advisor at and nationally recognized for his work linking sales performance to organizational objectives. “This year, there were some special questions people were asking: ‘Are wages going up? What about virtual selling? How is that going to impact our sales organization? […] And what about turnover?’”

Cichelli shared his insights with �鶹ԭ�� customers at the , held February 21-22, 2023, at the �鶹ԭ�� office in Tempe, Arizona. While sales compensation is often based on projections that are not very exact, it should not be overly complex either, according to Cichelli, who said, “The connection between quotas and sales projections has to be accurate. If you can’t get that right, you have the risk of either underfunding your salespeople or overpaying.” Watch an with Cichelli.

Hosted under the banner “Better Customer Outcomes,” the global summit attracted �鶹ԭ�� customers from a wide array of the 25 industries that use �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management. They came to learn about the latest innovations and features across the full product portfolio, which includes , , and . Product experts and �鶹ԭ�� partners were on hand to meet on an individual basis to answer questions and lead breakout sessions. The event showcased the �鶹ԭ�� ecosystem with sponsorships from , , , , and . Watch an with Accenture about �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management.

“The power of �鶹ԭ�� is really in the success of our customers,” said Maryann Abbajay, chief revenue officer, �鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors. “The innovation of �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management helps our customers win with compelling sales experiences. Hosting these customer summits is integral to maintaining a vibrant �鶹ԭ�� community. Here, customers can talk to product experts and give their feedback on operational efficiency, user experience, and other areas that are essential to future-proofing their business.”

Commitment to Innovate, Empower, and Connect Customers

In 2022, more than 650 customers processed commissions for over 12 million payees with �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management, said Rahul Iyer, general manager, �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management, �鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors, who presented a state of the portfolio during his keynote. He noted an increase in adoption by global customers keen to take advantage of ��’s capabilities. �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management is used by 25% of Fortune 100 companies, which rely on it to help reduce errors and payout time, provide an engaging user experience, and present a unified view of variable compensation. Iyer said that customers are increasingly taking a holistic approach to total compensation that includes various elements of pay, such as incentives, management by objectives, commissions, restricted stock units, and recognition programs.

��’s vision for the portfolio is organized on three pillars: to innovate by leading with insight, accelerating outcomes, and supporting sustainable innovation; to empower organizations with improved agility and enhanced expertise; and to connect with users on multiple feedback channels, including a new customer advisory board.

Iyer underscored ��’s strategy and commitment to delivering greater customer value with the �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management portfolio of enterprise resource planning (ERP)-agnostic, cloud-based solutions through integration with powerful solutions like �鶹ԭ�� Business Technology Platform (�鶹ԭ�� BTP), �鶹ԭ�� S/4HANA, �鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors Compensation, and offerings from �鶹ԭ�� partners.

Discussing the product road map, Barbara Rubis Linning, global VP, Product & Engineering, �鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors, noted that customers are driving innovation in the portfolio. Her team is working on new features for pipeline redesign, which she said will bring an improvement in the user experience. “We also are continuing our journey forward with modeling,” she said. “That is exciting because it allows other people to really start engaging with this data, gaining intelligence from it, and using it for business purposes.” Watch the .

Efficiency and Increased Visibility Improve Employee Experience

As a highlight at the summit, customers shared their experiences deploying �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management to drive better business outcomes. Sessions from �鶹ԭ�� customers provided valuable insights and real-world examples of how businesses are gaining operational efficiency.

PetSmart achieved a savings of US$1.5 million in labor reallocation when it replaced a patchwork of spreadsheets and legacy systems with �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management to figure compensation for its 1,700 store managers. The reduction in manual work and correcting errors meant that store managers could focus more on helping customers. “Store leaders, salon leaders, our distribution center team: they’re on the floor. They’re not behind a desktop. Now, they can open [the app] on whatever device they choose,” said Sam Boyer, senior manager, Human Capital Solutions, PetSmart, during an interview.

PetSmart has had a very positive response from sales associates, who like the dashboards in �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management. “They love the increased visibility. Now they can go into one system and see what their payout is,” said Boyer. “I just love the dashboards. It kind of pulls that curtain back and allows our associates to see how corporate is calculating their bonus.”

The dashboards are managed by PetSmart’s HR team in partnership with the HRIS team. Boyer’s team of business users has already successfully modified a widget with the low-code/no-code capabilities in �鶹ԭ�� Sales Performance Management. “[HR] owns the compensation plan. We ultimately want to provide the best incentive for our associates,” she noted. “It’s been critical that we really own sales performance management.”

Watch interviews with these �鶹ԭ�� customers: , , and . Learn more about sales performance management .

NTT DATA: “It Takes Your Entire Team to Win the Race”

Jacqueline Prause — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:15:50 +0000

We live in a culture of speed: a digitalized environment where results are expected at the push of a button and innovations are rolled out in increasingly shorter cycles to meet spiraling demand. has harnessed this mindset in a powerful way to drive performance of its data and technology services with – a fast-track initiative that enables NTT DATA Services to maintain a hyper-focus on the finish line. At parent company , title sponsor and technology partner of the , it’s no secret that in business as well as sport.

“In racing, as in business, speed is the name of the game,” said Vicki Furnish, vice president of Global People Solutions Operations and Analytics, NTT DATA Services, a part of NTT DATA, a $22B, top-10 provider of global business and IT services, headquartered in Tokyo. NTT DATA Services is based in Plano, Texas, with 50,000 workers and revenue of $4B. In recent years the company has been growing rapidly through acquisitions.

“Companies can no longer wait to implement newer technologies or we’re going to be left behind by our competitors,” Furnish told an audience at , where she presented NTT DATA Services’ cloud journey. “We’re in a constant state of acceleration. We’re using technology to change the game.”

Rapid Ascent to the Cloud

NTT DATA Services’ journey to the cloud started with its established �鶹ԭ�� footprint in 2012, when the division ran to help meet the needs of its then-20,000 employees in five countries. When �鶹ԭ�� bought SuccessFactors that same year, NTT DATA Services quickly pivoted to implement the new cloud-based software suite for human resources.

Furnish says that her team started with �鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors Performance & Goals and �鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors Compensation and later migrated to �鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors Employee Central. “We were able to get our �鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors Employee Central module implemented globally across five countries in six and a half months,” she said.

In 2016, NTT DATA Services in an acquisition that expanded its offerings to become a comprehensive portfolio of business and IT services. The team at NTT DATA Services was able to get the core functions of �鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors Employee Central running in six months from the time the deal was signed. “We’re very excited about that,” Furnish said.

Two questions come up whenever Furnish shares the success story of NTT DATA Services’ migration to the cloud: How did you do it? How big is your team?

Lots of pre-work and preparation went into the project, according to Furnish, and executive buy-in was an important factor in seeing the project through to completion. With NTT Group leadership on board, the project was set for success. As for the team size, it’s remarkably similar to the six-person pit crews of IndyCar fame. “I’m very honored to manage a large team today, but the ones who manage our global �鶹ԭ�� SuccessFactors configuration and maintenance are six very smart and talented people who are deployed across the globe,” said Furnish.

Lessons from the Speedway

Lessons learned at NTT DATA Services come straight off the speedway. Furnish said, “To compete in this culture of speed, there are two things we can learn from the world of motorsports. First: reduce resistance. Second: keep the pedal down.”

One of the biggest barriers to speed in organizations today is outdated legacy software, tools, and technologies, which act as digital drag on efficiency. “While it’s easier said than done, updating those technologies and systems will unleash a powerful set of capacity and capabilities,” said Furnish, who noted that sometimes the problem is that there can be too much great technology to choose from. She recommended honing in on technologies that offer clear value, allow easy collaboration and quick implementation, and meet the strategic needs of the business.

Talent was identified as an area of investment at NTT DATA Services. “We are a professional services company, so people are core to what we do,” Furnish said. By looking at the whole person throughout the employee life cycle, the organization has advanced its people agenda. “Our approach is, if we put the right foundation in for our team and people, our team members will be successful. If they are successful, we will then be successful in our business.”

Keeping pace with customer demand and the competition will always be a challenge, but Furnish is optimistic. “I think moving to the cloud has kind of leveled the playing field. The companies that are nimble and address updating their technology quicker and faster are the ones that are going to take charge.”

The Checkered Flag

At the closing of her presentation, Furnish waved the metaphorical checkered flag for the takeaway: “Change is constant, but what we’re seeing is coming at us historically faster,” she said. “I would encourage all of you to remember the strategic objectives that you are focused on with your team, leverage all of your resources, and ask for help when you can – because in this environment of speed, it takes your entire team to win the race.”