The Benefits of Sales Force Automation (SFA): An Empirical Examination of SFA Usage on Relationship Quality and Performance

Abstract

Sales force automation (SFA) technologies are commonly used to support customer relationship strategies in firms across industries around the world today. However, research reports mixed results among companies incorporating SFA technologies, and there remains some debate in the literature about the specific benefits provided through these systems. Therefore, this study seeks to expand researchers’ understanding of the relative benefits of SFA usage on both customer relationship quality and job performance. The findings highlight the mediating roles of market learning, customer orientation, and relationship quality on the SFA usage–performance relationship. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed and future research directions provided.

KEYWORDS:

• customer orientation
• customer relationship management
• market information processing
• relationship marketing
• relationship quality
• sales force automation