Complex organizations have always found it challenging to predict sales targets in an attempt to truly understand the health of their businesses. Furthermore, these organizations also face challenges in implementing techniques that provide a platform for healthy competition among their employees to achieve awards and recognition. Dynamics365 sales comes with forecasting and gamification features that allow these organizations to achieve this.
Forecasting refers to the process of assessing future revenue by foreseeing the quantity of sales for products or services as a unit for a given period. Gamification utilizes game mechanics in non-game situations to achieve desired levels of performance among employees.
Forecasting
The new features introduced by Dynamics365 sales will enable complex organizations to generate and manage accurate sales forecasts. This will be achieved through:
- Customizing Forecast Models
Although numerous organizations implement a common method of generating these forecasts, there are differences depending on the location, type of product, and type of industry. Dynamics365 sales contains the native forecast feature that is highly flexible to accommodate numerous configurations to optimize its use for a particular organization. This feature allows an organization to:
- Customize rollup and calculated columns.
- Generate forecasts according to geographical location or jurisdiction.
- Utilize excel template to enable quotas in the forecast.
- Restrict access to specific forecast models to authorized persons.
- Improving and Adjusting Forecast Accuracy
Sellers who do not have the expertise to forecast the value of a deal tend to avoid disclosing the details until it comes to an end to improve their chances of exceeding the quota. Dynamics365 enables sales managers to provide accurate forecast numbers by:
- Simplifying adjustment of forecasts. Existing forecasts can now be configured to conform to the changes in demand and other factors.
- Gain a deeper understanding to the adjustment of forecasts. The history of forecasts can be evaluated and the records contributing to a change in forecast identified.
- Understanding Forecasts with Precision Pipeline Management
Dynamics365 sales enables visual representation of the whole forecast hierarchy and the attainment of sales targets. This will enable the sellers to acquire a better understanding of the forecast process. Sales managers can now update emerging opportunities to the forecast directly. Dynamics365 automatically recalculates data after each update to ensure the data presented is the most recent.
All of the feature in Dynamics365 Sales Forecasting are only available in Unified Interface.
Gamification
To enhance productivity, Dynamics365 allows commissioners to utilize game mechanics in a work setting. Employees are selected into teams and allowed to participate in competitions to achieve predetermined key performance issues (KPIs) and win prizes, awards and recognition. The purpose of these games is to encourage participation through healthy competition and collaboration to achieve quotas (for example for sales).
These games can be created in Dynamics365 under Gamification by a sales manager or a commissioner. There are multiple gaming models and themes that can be modified to accommodate the preferences of the employees (since it is an employee-centered approach to enhance productivity). Dynamics365 recommends 2 – 6 months gaming period to allow the employees to become immersed in the game.
In Dynamics365 gamification, KPIs automatically integrate into the tool and form the basis of awarding points. A set of KPIs are provided from which the sales manager/commissioner can choose. Options for setting quotas and KPIs for individuals and teams have also been availed. Players can be selected to acquire certain positions depending on the type of game. Also, fans can be selected to root for certain teams. Dynamics365 recommends that the players and fans be distributed evenly for an even outcome. In the final steps, awards and prizes have to be defined for each achievement. After setting up the game, the game is run; certain KPIs have to be manually updated. After the defined period, the game is completed ensuring performance records are accurately kept.
Through these features, D365 remains to be a vital tool in bringing worth to sales teams all over the world.
