Revolutionizing Sales Commission Management: A Case Study of CI Global’s Product Development

Commission management is crucial for incentivizing and rewarding performance. But there are several challenges organizations face in managing commissions. Some common challenges include

• Multiple commission structures,
• Technology limitations,
• Data accuracy, and administrative burden
• Delayed commission payouts.

One of the leading quick service chains based out of New York with over 23 retail locations was facing the challenge of tracking and managing sales commissions. They reached out to CI Global for a solution for automating their commission payout process. This case study demonstrates how we achieved this by evolving the solution into a software product.

Calculating and controlling sales commissions was a daunting task in front of the quick service chain.

As the requirement analysis was done, the key factors for commission calculation were identified. The following commission aspects presented issues for the business::

• Sales Percentage
• Monthly targets
• Revenue
• Bonuses

Integration to the Sage 300 ERP was critical for this customer as they wanted a solution that would service their commission management workflows end-to-end.
Intensive user testing and market research activities were carried out to pinpoint the problems and difficulties the sales team experienced. The solution was built upon software that was developed after several rounds of discussion with the customer. The focus was on building an automated solution with integrations to accounting software. What started as building a solution for solving the challenges for a single customer turned out to be a potential for the development of a full-fledged product.

CI Global created Commission Manager, a software product to expedite and simplify the commission management process after realizing the need for an all-encompassing solution in the market. Commission Manager improved the commission management workflow by automating multiple commission criteria calculations.Commission Manager needed to be adaptable and scalable while still having the capability to integrate with accounting software to provide an end-to-end commission management experience.

Manual errors were removed with automated data entry through Sage 300 ERP integration. The solution enabled a fair and transparent commission payout process for the sales staff. This increased the team satisfaction score within the organization and enabled the sales staff to perform much better.

Upon implementing Commission Manager, the quick-service chain’s complex and time-consuming commission calculations were more straightforward and accurate.

The quick-service chain’s sales commission management procedure underwent a dramatic shift following its adoption. The introduction of the Commission Manager changed the game by making complex and time-consuming commission calculations more straightforward and accurate.

Commission Manager improved the commission management workflow by:

• Automating data entry,
• Incorporating numerous commission criteria,
• Automating the commission calculations,
• Automating the posting of data to Sage 300 ERP,
• Providing transparent commission calculations.

Manual errors were greatly minimized, and the solution made sure that the sales staff would get fair and transparent commission payments. The quick service chain’s problems were remedied by adopting a Commission Manager, allowing them to concentrate on their primary duties and stimulate sales growth.

The automation and user-configurable capabilities made the commission administration process simple and painless, freeing the sales staff to focus on driving sales. The customer acknowledged the following benefits:

• Productivity improvement
• Error-free commission calculations
• Improvement in employee morale

CIG: Identifying problems, building solutions

As organizations grow, manual processes can become increasingly challenging to manage. Building a software product offers numerous advantages and opportunities for organizations. The case study highlights how software products can be built to address specific needs or provide a solution to a customer’s pain point. While building a software product involves investment in time, resources, and expertise, its benefits in terms of customization, competitive advantage, revenue generation, efficiency, and improved customer experience can make it a worthwhile endeavor for many organizations.

With 25+ years of experience in ERP, CI Global has been developing products in integration with ERP. Reach out to us today to get your product development started.