SAP Territory and Quota Management vs. Anaplan for Optimizing Sales Performance

SAP Territory and Quota Management vs. Anaplan for Optimizing Sales Performance

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Author: Lizzy Wolff

In sales optimization, businesses use advanced planning solutions to streamline processes and enhance performance. SAP Territory and Quota (T&Q) Management and Anaplan are prominent players in this space. This article will help decipher the two options and find the best solution for your organization.

Canidium has been offering strategic services and software implementation since 2008. We have helped countless clients thoroughly analyze their business needs and implement game-changing T&Q solutions.

In this article, we will cover:

What Territory and Quota (T&Q) is

What type of companies can benefit from T&Q

Comparative analysis of SAP T&Q and Anaplan

What is Territory and Quota (T&Q)

In the world of sales, "T&Q" is a commonly used abbreviation for "Territory and Quota." This term refers to the methods and procedures involved in handling sales territories and establishing sales quotas within a company. Territory and quota management are crucial aspects of sales strategy and performance improvement.

 

Territory Management

Assigning specific geographic or market areas to sales representatives is defining territories. This process aims to ensure that each representative is accountable for a clearly defined set of accounts, prospects, or geographic regions. Effective territory management optimizes resource allocation, improves customer coverage, and enhances overall sales efficiency.

What is a territory?

  • Geographies.  Zip codes, states, countries or regions - however you define it, geographic designations are one common element for determining and optimizing your coverage model.
  • Accounts. Another common element for determining coverage is account type: new versus existing, revenue/profit potential, pipeline stage or verticals.
  • Products and Services. Focusing on specific products (or services) is another common element for coverage planning, particularly with overlay or specialist positions.

 

Quota Setting

Establishing sales targets or quotas for individual sales representatives or teams is essential to sales management. Sales quotas are typically determined based on historical performance, market potential, and overall business objectives. When the quotas are well-defined, sales teams have clear targets and incentives, which drive motivation and align individual efforts with organizational goals.

Effective sales management requires integrated Territory and Quota Management (T&Q) strategies. Technology solutions, such as SAP Territory and Quota Management, help to streamline and optimize these processes by providing efficient tools for territory planning, quota setting, and performance monitoring. Such solutions are essential in maximizing sales effectiveness.

 

What companies benefit most from T&Q solutions?

 

Why do you need a solution for Territory and Quota (T&Q) Management? 

Information, if kept and interpreted correctly, provides a north star for data driven organizations. Many sales , finance and operational teams are still using Excel or highly customized legacy systems for processes as important as commissions, modeling and territory and quota management.

The Achilles heel of Excel is its domino effect - manual input/human error can lead to a big, costly miscalculation that takes hours to find. That’s also not considering that Excel isn’t built specifically for many of the tasks it’s being used for. In short, a T&Q solution is a much more powerful tool that will help you realize higher ROI in the not-so-long run.

Territory and Quota Management (T&Q) is particularly beneficial for organizations with a sales force looking to optimize their sales operations. This includes a wide range of industries and business models. Here are some types of organizations that can benefit significantly from T&Q practices:

 

Sales-Driven Organizations

Organizations where revenue generation heavily relies on sales activities, such as B2B (business-to-business) companies, often find T&Q crucial. This includes industries like technology, manufacturing, and professional services.

 

Large Enterprises

Large enterprises with extensive sales teams and diverse product or service offerings can benefit from T&Q. It helps in organizing and managing the efforts of a large sales force more efficiently.

 

Multi-Channel Sales Models

Organizations employing multiple sales channels, including direct sales, channel partners, and online sales, can use T&Q to allocate territories and set quotas for each channel strategically.

 

Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Companies

Pharmaceutical companies often have complex sales structures involving territories, especially when selling to healthcare professionals. T&Q can help optimize the allocation of territories and set realistic sales quotas.

 

Insurance Companies

In the insurance industry, where sales agents are often responsible for specific geographic regions, T&Q helps manage territories effectively and sets sales targets that align with business objectives.

 

Retail Chains

Retail organizations with many stores or outlets may use T&Q to optimize sales territories for field representatives, ensuring adequate coverage and coordination.

 

Technology Companies

In the technology sector, where sales cycles can be complex and involve direct and indirect sales channels, T&Q is valuable for coordinating efforts and setting achievable sales targets.

 

Financial Services

Banks, investment firms, and other financial institutions with sales teams can benefit from T&Q to manage territories based on client demographics and allocate sales quotas for financial advisors.

 

Telecommunications

Telecommunications companies, especially those offering enterprise solutions, can use T&Q to optimize territory coverage and align sales efforts with the diverse needs of business clients.

 

Manufacturing

Manufacturing companies focusing on business-to-business sales can use T&Q to strategically allocate territories based on industry sectors, ensuring a targeted approach to customer acquisition and retention.

 

Comparative analysis of SAP T&Q vs. Anaplan

Overview

SAP Territory and Quota Management

Developed by SAP, a global enterprise software leader, this solution is a pivotal component of the SAP Sales Cloud suite. Its primary focus lies in empowering businesses with robust tools for territory planning and quota setting, contributing to an overall improvement in sales performance.

 

Anaplan

Anaplan, a cloud-based platform renowned for business planning and performance management, offers a comprehensive suite of planning solutions, including sales planning and territory management. Its reputation is grounded in flexibility, scalability, and adaptability to diverse planning needs.

 

Functionality

SAP Territory and Quota Management

This solution stands out for its advanced territory and quota planning tools. Seamless integration with other SAP Sales Cloud modules ensures end-to-end sales process management. Additionally, it provides analytics and reporting features crucial for monitoring and analyzing sales performance.

 

Anaplan

Anaplan distinguishes itself with a flexible and scalable platform, allowing businesses to model and plan various aspects, including sales territories and quotas. Real-time collaboration and data integration capabilities contribute to dynamic planning and decision-making.

 

Integration

SAP Territory and Quota Management

This offering is designed to integrate seamlessly with other SAP solutions and create a unified sales ecosystem. It establishes smooth connections with SAP CRM and other related modules, fostering cohesive data flow across the organization.

 

Anaplan

Anaplan offers open APIs, facilitating integration with various third-party applications. Its adaptability allows integration with popular CRM systems, ERP solutions, and other critical business applications.

 

User Interface

SAP Territory and Quota Management

Recognized for its user-friendly interface, consistent with the broader SAP user experience, this solution provides a dashboard for easy monitoring of sales territories and quotas. The intuitive design contributes to a more efficient user experience.

 

Anaplan

Anaplan stands out with its visually appealing and intuitive interface. Customizable dashboards and reports offer users a personalized and engaging experience, contributing to ease of use and increased productivity.

 

Flexibility and Scalability

SAP Territory and Quota Management

Scalability is a notable feature of this solution, catering to the needs of both small businesses and large enterprises. Its tailored approach makes it particularly suitable for companies already utilizing other SAP products.

 

Anaplan

Highly flexible and scalable, Anaplan adapts seamlessly to the planning needs of diverse industries. Its ability to evolve with changing business requirements makes it an attractive option, with flexibility and scalability at the forefront of its design.

 

Deployment

SAP Territory and Quota Management

This solution provides flexibility in deployment options, offering businesses the choice between on-premises and cloud deployment. Such flexibility accommodates different organizational preferences and requirements.

 

Anaplan

As a cloud-native platform, Anaplan capitalizes on the advantages of cloud-based solutions. This includes easy access, automatic updates, and a reduced burden on internal IT resources, aligning with the contemporary cloud adoption trend.

 

SAP Territory and Quota vs. Anaplan: Which is right for your organization?

When choosing between SAP Territory and Quota Management and Anaplan, several factors must be considered. These include your current IT infrastructure, specific business needs, and preferences around user interface and flexibility. Evaluating your unique requirements thoroughly is essential, considering integration capabilities, scalability, and pricing factors. 

Large organizations often hire a strategic software partner to help them analyze and understand their complete business requirements. The strategic partner will then find and build the ideal T&Q solution.

Now that you have read this article comparing the two major providers in this space, SAP T&Q and Anaplan, your next step is to find a strategic SI partner to help you assess how T&Q can optimize your sales processes. To learn more about strategic software partners, read this article:

The Sherpa of business growth: The value of a strategic partner

 

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