How Do Field Force Automation Tools Help Agri-input Businesses Grow?

If you're in the agri-input business and struggling with managing field operations, field force automation software (FFA) could be exactly what you need. Imagine being able to schedule your technicians' tasks effortlessly, track your agents' locations in real-time, and manage sales orders with just a few clicks.?

Tools like TrackoField allow you to see exactly where your agents are, and how long they spend at each location, and even automatically track their attendance with geo-verified data. It’s a game-changer that makes field operations smoother, more efficient, and much easier to manage.?

Let's take a closer look at how this works for your business.

How Field Force Automation Tool Works for Agri-input Businesses

Here is how field force automation helps agri-input businesses improve task visibility, streamline agent deployment, and boost sales orders.

1. On-point Technician Scheduling

Whether your agents sell agro-products like seeds/fertilisers or provide demos, an automation tool can easily manage their schedules. You can plan their daily, weekly, or monthly shift schedules via the field force automation software.?

You can organise agents' job details data, shift data, and create an effective job schedule. This will ensure your agents are deployed in a timely manner and have clarity of their routine.

2. Quick Sales Tasks Assigning?

The software offers a task management module for bulk uploading daily tasks or sales targets, including agri-input sales or demos. You can input details like:

• Task description
• Priority
• Executive name
• Site location, and key documents.?

It additionally has a visually appealing calendar-like view that helps pin tasks by day. Making it easy to spot priority tasks and view complete details.

3. Live Tracking of Dealers/Farmers Meets

With automated tools like TrackoField, you can live-track your service or sales agents on a map, and view their:

• Current location
• Geo-Coordinates
• Timestamps (location-wise)
• Complete addresses

Additionally, you can monitor stoppage times at each client or vendor location and track the total sales orders secured by your agents.

4. Automated Sales Order Management?

The field force automation software simplifies the order placement process by all available agents. It lets your agri-input sales agents take orders, and apply custom discounts and prices — all while checking the inventory level. No need to carry paper files and memos to collect the orders.

Not just that, with TrackoField’s smart order management software…

• You can even track active orders and order value – of all agents.
• Create and edit performance invoices for vendors/farmers.
• Manage and refund amounts on order values.

??The best part? You can change the order quantity during the approval process while accessing the current inventory level.

5. Verify Visits With Location Verified Attendance

The software provides geo-verified attendance, notifying you with timestamps and locations when agents check-in. For added accuracy, agents can submit selfies with geo-location data.

You gain full visibility of their availability, task start times, and proof against time theft.

Attendance can also be automatedly…

• Synced with geofences, helping mark agents in/out as they entered or left client locations.
• Auto-marked out if they forget, based on their last geofence or shift end time.

6. On-Field Expense Reporting

We get how tough it can be to track and monitor on-field expenses. With field force automation tools, you get built-in expense management software. This lets your team report and upload any expenses they incurred on the field. These expenses could be - Fuel, meals, lodging, demo kits for farmers, banners, or brochures.?

Every expense is easy to register. It gets segregated into different categories which makes it easy to process reimbursements. Your accounting and finance team at the backend reviews those claims and processes them for disbursement.

7. Data-rich Analytics and Reports

As an agri-input business, thriving on growing sales numbers won’t be enough. You need to know what all bottlenecks, progress, and setbacks went behind.

When you choose Field Force Automation software, you get access to analytical and activity dashboards and 50+ performance reports. It displays how the team on-ground is making progress.

Moreover, you would know in what capacity your sales agents are performing. This way you can better judge your underutilised or overutilised staff – and make adjustments accordingly.

8. Tracking for Visibility (That goes beyond location tracking)

In the end, field force automation software isn’t just about tracking employees' location and their task progress. It’s about reflection on small processes that make up a successful sales lead or order volumes.?

You get to look into the minor cracks that are causing delays in the sales process. Or look into the sales quota your dedicated agent helped you achieve.

How Does It Benefit Your Field Agents?

The software also benefits the on-ground teams in following ways:

1. Real-Time Data Access

Since the software is cloud-based, your sales agents can access real-time data about agro-products, prices, and inventory levels through mobile apps. This lets them provide correct information to farmers, leading to better sales outcomes.

2. Sales Order Management

With FFA tools, your sales staff can place orders directly from client locations. This will reduce the time taken to process order requests.?

3. Automated Reporting

Field agents can generate reports and docs of important outcomes through custom forms in their apps. No need to carry paper memos.

4. Personalized Communication

FFA tools let field agents maintain detailed records of customer interactions. Plus, they can communicate with managers through in-app chats to convey any urgent communication.

5. Feedback Collection

Agents can collect feedback from farmers using mobile apps, allowing businesses to better understand customer needs and improve their products and services.

6. Timely Follow-Ups

Automated reminders and notifications ensure that agents follow up with customers on time, increasing the chances of repeat business.

Types of Agri-input Businesses That Must Leverage Field Force Automation?

Following agri-input businesses that lead through a sales force must now realise the potential of field force automation software and invest in one.

1. Seed Companies

That develops and supplies improved seeds. The tool can help them track their sales team visits to distributions and retailers.

2. Fertilizers & Bio-input Providers

Companies that offer chemical, organic, and bio-fertilizers or bio-pesticides, animal feed, or nutrition for livestock & Aquaculture. The tool can help automate delivery scheduling and sales order management processes.?

3. Pesticide and Agrochemical Manufacturers

Businesses that supply insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. They can use software to deploy staff to schedule product demos and farmer meetings efficiently. You can track sample distribution and follow-up processes.?

4. Irrigation Solutions Providers

Companies selling drip, sprinkler, and micro-irrigation systems for efficient water use. With the software, they can assign and track technicians for installations and after-sales support.?

??Other businesses that can effortlessly use this tool:

• Greenhouse and polyhouse solution providers - With tools, they can easily manage field visits for site assessments and client consultations. And track the progress of installations with photo and location proof.
• Digital Agri-Tech Platforms that send off on-ground agents to provide accurate product training.?
• Soil and water testing services offer diagnostic solutions to optimize input applications. The software can help them schedule and monitor technician visits for sample collection.?

Final Words!?

Field Force Automation tools are uplifting Agri-input businesses by streamlining their on-ground sales processes. It moreover is enhancing their field operations, and boosting customer engagement – all via data-led locational intelligence.?

It helps you tackle your long-standing challenges that were once stopping your potential to grow. With this one automation-driven tool, you can enhance the way you manage, monitor, and improvise your sales operations.

As your competitors are moving towards the technology, we see no reason for you to stay behind. Adopting FFA tools will be crucial for staying ahead in the market.

Want to see TrackoField in action? Join our upcoming webinar to discover how it perfectly fits your agri-input business use case.