Using Your Field Force to Collect Market Data The field organization is in constant contact with the customer. The workers see customers at their best and worst. They hear their most-focused opinions. Enabling the field force to capture this information to feed into your CRM system is easy and can provide a wealth of vital information. 1. Why does it make sense for companies to use their field force to gather customer data? (Cheaper than hiring research and survey firms? Ongoing data collection?) 2. How many companies are using their field forces to gather data this way? What percentage are then having that data entered into a CRM system? (And how is the data entered? By the field force? When?) 3. What types of data are most often collected? Why? 4. What types of data are most frequently overlooked in the collection process? 5. How does a company determine what data to collect, which “big-picture” trends/statistics to compile, etc.? 6. How much time does data gathering and subsequent loading of data into CRM system take? 7. What system requirements exist? What types of devices are field workers using to transmit gathered data? Are certain types of devices more appropriate for mobile workers depending on their job and the information gathered? Please provide some examples. 8. How large/fast are today’s devices and systems? How much training is necessary for workers to learn how to use the systems? How much training do they need to learn how to gather data appropriately? 9. How should the system organize data? Will all employees have access to all data? How will different employees access data? How quickly will data be available to various employees? 10. Who gets input data first (Marketing?), or is it immediately accessible to all employees? Is there an “overseer” of the data to make certain data is entered correctly, etc.? Does a department gather statistics or an overall picture of customer impressions, or can the system do this? 11. It’s important that data be displayed in an understandable fashion. How are systems meeting this need? 12. What new devices and systems are on the horizon? What advantages may they offer over today’s systems? 13. Other important points?