Sales Force Automation (SFA)

Sales force automation (SFA) is an integrated application of customizable customer relationship management (CRM) tools that automate and streamline sales inventory, leads, forecasting, performance and analysis. SFA tools include Web-based (hosted CRM) and in-house systems.

SFA is also known as sales force management system.

All SFA systems are built with two core components:

• Content management system: Tracks customers, activities, forecasting, contacts, communication/sales history and analytics
• Sales lead tracking system: Tracks lead and opportunity pipeline data

SFA also includes features like account management and sales/product market research.

Hosted CRM, a web-based service, integrates the application service provider (ASP) model with cloud computing and is popular in small organizations without established CRM infrastructures. In-house SFA provides greater customization but is more expensive than hosted CRM SFA packages.

SFA software is known as Sales Automation (SA) software and CRM software.

Salesforce.com, SugarCRM and GoldMine are popular SFA products.