tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77588365164791262812024-02-20T22:44:24.843-05:00Incentive, Compensation and Sales Performance ManagementVariable Pay News, Information, Tutorials, Reviews and OpinionsJulien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-10102001236740448052008-08-10T07:48:00.004-04:002008-08-10T07:55:10.903-04:00New Blog Destination - LeapComp.comDear readers,<br /><br /><br />When I started this blog in January, I never expected to gain such a large readership so quickly. It was now time to move my blog to a more permanent destination. I am in the process of improving the new home for this blog at: <strong><a href="http://leapcomp.com/">leapcomp.com</a>.</strong><br /><br /><strong></strong><br />It may take a few more days to get it to work perfectly, and in the meantime I will appreciate your feedback. I migrated all the content, so please update your bookmarks and Feed Readers to point to this new location.<br /><br /><br />Many thanks,<br /><br /><br />JulienJulien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-27363696327006845842008-07-29T21:00:00.000-04:002008-07-29T21:21:48.387-04:00Offshoring SPM - Communication Challenges<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUPUxFnZarYenk7-qQv8ZR3y9ox-cgW56vNbjm6Z8BNApDe2UnZSNts9gp2I2vpkhfkpU6YvTK9-p3xQxEzBebQayP1aiN962p-juI0YcsfMsHU6VW9cwtcHq1mDaYUff6627EgmYeKtF/s1600-h/cultural.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228609393066397042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 175px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 190px" height="254" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUPUxFnZarYenk7-qQv8ZR3y9ox-cgW56vNbjm6Z8BNApDe2UnZSNts9gp2I2vpkhfkpU6YvTK9-p3xQxEzBebQayP1aiN962p-juI0YcsfMsHU6VW9cwtcHq1mDaYUff6627EgmYeKtF/s400/cultural.gif" width="142" border="0" /></a>One of the most important challenges in leverage an offshore team for an IT implementation is to communicate effectively. If this is not taken seriously, all the efforts surrounding making the offshore strategy successful could be wasted.<br /><br /><strong>Communication can be difficult because:</strong><br /><p>The offshore team is often in a different time zone. Meetings are often very early in the morning, or very late at night (often both). </p><ul><li>Meetings are usually virtual - often onshore and offshore team members never meet. </li><br /><li>The onshore and offshore team don't always share the same first language. Even in a situation where they share the same first language, accents can be a problem. (Although it can also be a problem between onshore resources). I think people get used to by French-Canadian accent fairly quickly, but it took me a long time to get use to the Indian accent. Expressions also vary from country to country. </li><br /><li>There can be cultural differences leading in communication failure. </li></ul><strong>Cultural Differences</strong><br />Erran Carmel and Paul Tjia wrote a great book called "Offshoring Information Technology - Sourcing and Outsourcing to a Global Workforce" in which they list examples of such communication failures with Indian offshore teams. Among their observations, they say that Indians are less likely to engage in small talk than most of their Western counterparts and that they tend to be too optimistic about times and schedules (referred to as the "Indian factor"). Indians are also reluctant to say "no"; they may say "yes" even when they mean "no" to avoid having to give bad news.<br /><br />Their book also lists many expressions used in English which can be interpreted in a bad way by an offshore team. For example, when an English speaker says "Not bad", he means the work is good; the offshore resource could interpret that as the work being of poor quality. Another example is when an English speaker says "Interesting!", it can mean he or she does not agree or believe what the other person is saying; this could be understood as "they are impressed" by the offshore resource.<br /><br /><strong>Improving Communication</strong><br /><ul><li>Avoid slang, idioms and acronyms, and speak slowly. Ensure your message is well understood</li><li>When giving a task, ask probing question to ensure the task is well understand. </li><li>Keep written communication short</li><li>"Offshoring Information Technology" mentions six "R" rules: Repeat, Reduce, Rephrase, Reiterate, Review and Recap.</li><li>Have regular meetings (usually daily)</li><li>Use collaborative tools such as Wiki's when possible</li><li>Be patient - you may have problems understanding them and vice-versa, but treating each other with respect is they key to develop a solid working relationship. </li><li>Read more about the cultural differences with the country in which the offshore team is located. </li><li>If the project is big enough and the offshore contribution significant enough, it may be worth it to meet the offshore team in person. This should create stronger bonds between the onshore and offshore team. </li><li>If most of the meetings are held over the phone (video conferencing not available), sharing pictures of the team members can also help out in creating bonds. </li></ul>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-70737504758152574892008-07-28T21:54:00.007-04:002008-07-28T22:09:18.991-04:00Makana Motivator for Free!<a href="http://www.makanasolutions.com/game-plan/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228250125160052642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdHZVdx0c98-r35beVZ8e0PLnVYEL82Fl6xHGgpWYd-mq7WhUaK1zyXcPefhgBVqavOwArj4kUVqHEEF5DmiLQpNuADdFzpYQtcSI0nK_tk3l_orzgP3XdHyggE14K1ylGl7U5N0dgjzJ/s400/gameplan.gif" border="0" /></a>I talked about <a href="http://www.makanasolutions.com/game-plan/">Makana Solutions' </a>product - Motivator - before. Makana offers a solution to build really good compensation plans and help you out in the process every step of the way.<br /><div></div><br /><div>The usual cost for Makana Motivator is $49 per month for up to 20 participants, $69 for 21 to 100 participants, and $149 for more than 100 participants. A yearly subscription will even cut that cost by 2 months. <br><br><strong>Game Plan</strong><br>Makana just launched a new program called "Game Plan". Game Plan is a free program to help out with your 2009 Sales Compensation planning. It offers a free year's subscription to Makana Motivator and strategic advice with sales compensation experts. <br><br>The catch? You have to take a training in July or August to receive your free one year subscription. That probably doesn't sound too bad, so there is no reason why you shouldn't <a href="http://www.makanasolutions.com/game-plan/">check it out</a>. <br><br><strong>Note:</strong> Makana didn't ask me to promote this "deal". I don't usually promote any Sales Performance solution, but... it's free! </div>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-75754842906588050002008-07-28T16:41:00.003-04:002008-07-28T16:51:14.510-04:00Webinar Galore - 2 SPM Webinars TomorrowI will try to provide coverage on this blog for these 2 webinars taking place tomorrow. The webinar hosted by Callidus features an Accenture partner discussing the insurance industry, and the Xactly webinar features Jeff Kaplan discussing on-demand sales performance analytics. Follow the links to register. <br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Callidus 7/29 @ 9A CST - Best Practices from Accenture - Align producer and advisor behavior, maximize mindshare - and effectively manage compensation</strong><br /><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="https://callidussoftware.webex.com/callidussoftware/onstage/g.php?d=570992696&t=a" target="_blank">https://callidussoftware.webex.com/callidussoftware/onstage/g.php?d=570992696&t=a</a><br /><br />Learn about insurance industry best practices from Jon Walheim - Accenture Partner - North America Insurance Marketing, Sales, and Service Lead. You’ll learn about key trends in the insurance industry, challenges that organizations are facing, and what insurance leaders are doing to gain competitive advantage.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Xactly 7/29 @ noon CST - The Business Case for On-Demand Sales Performance Management Analytics</strong> <br /><a href="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/415893690">https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/415893690</a><br /><br />In this Webinar, Xactly’s Karen Steele and THINKStrategies’ Jeff Kaplan will discuss how post-sales analytics can provide new and strategic insight into an organization’s selling patterns, commission spend, product performance, sales rep and team performance, and sales plan effectiveness. They will examine how post-sales data – traditionally scattered across a variety of disparate systems including ERP, HR, and Payroll – can be now be integrated and analyzed with an eye towards enhancing business strategies, changing sales rep behaviors, and super-charging sales organizations.Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-53869498438622847392008-07-26T16:04:00.003-04:002008-07-26T16:14:02.592-04:00Topgrading for Sales Book Review<p>The <a href="http://www.topgradingforsales.com/">Topgrading team</a> sent me a copy of their newest book “Topgrading for Sales” to review. The book focuses on recruitment, an area in which I have very little experience. However, I think the book is relevant to this blog; incentive compensation is one way to increase your workforce performance, but at the root, it is important to hire top sales representatives.</p><p>When I first picked up the book, my first thought was - wow, this book is only 57 pages, 113 pages counting the appendix. However, when I opened the book I quickly realize that while it is small in size, it is heavy in content. </p><p>Topgrading for Sales promotes the Topgrading philosophy, to only hire “A Players” A definition of top performers and an explanation of the general concept is provided in the first chapter, and the following chapters detail methods to interview, hire and coach top sales reps. The appendix includes practical templates to topgrade your sales force. </p><p><br />Here is a quick summary of the proposed steps to increase hiring success: </p><ul><li>Construct a sales rep score card to know which skills and attributes are required (what needs to be done)</li><li>Analyse your sales team and determine what your top performers have in common, as well as what your bottom performers have in common. </li><li> Create a list of prospects</li><li>Ask good phone screening questions (many good examples are provided in the book)</li><li>Screen finalist candidates rigorously</li><li>Perform a reference check after the interview and contact all supervisors in the past 10 years</li><li>Coach your sales reps regularly</li></ul><p>This book is extremely practical. It provides many great tools and ideas to hire top sales representatives and the general concept can be taken beyond the “sales world”. </p><p>However if you don’t have prior experience in recruitment, other books will be required to build a solid foundation in some of the many areas touched by this book such as interviewing and coaching. </p>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-66274830238395285102008-07-24T11:11:00.003-04:002008-07-24T11:15:19.113-04:00New web forum for the EIM Community - Get your Answers Now!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMknSjj0dxJ78eoH0u9HUalgTYrYMFkQr4NqNCeWPHLMoAb5TLaBgYNTnAbutaCf_FNjr38DVTuK5Qgau6PLtdgOP2odbGmlVmtSnzqBHPbA8laR70cYUY1Zzn8wEvVwDqdyZ4d4DPRsrU/s1600-h/site_logo.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226598775583757970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMknSjj0dxJ78eoH0u9HUalgTYrYMFkQr4NqNCeWPHLMoAb5TLaBgYNTnAbutaCf_FNjr38DVTuK5Qgau6PLtdgOP2odbGmlVmtSnzqBHPbA8laR70cYUY1Zzn8wEvVwDqdyZ4d4DPRsrU/s400/site_logo.gif" border="0" /></a>Today I came across a web forum called "<a href="http://www.opensymmetry.com/AskJon/index.php">Ask Jon!</a>" by <a href="http://www.opensymmetry.com/index.shtml">OpenSymmetry</a>. It's a great knowledge exchange platform where anyone can submit questions and answers.<br /><div><br />Most posts are currently related to Callidus TrueComp, but there are new categories to discuss solutions by many other SPM vendors such as nGenera, Oracle, Practique & Merced, Sungard, Varicent, Xactly, etc. </div><div><br />Such forums are only as good as the content being posted, so I encourage everyone to visit and contribute in making this forum a one-stop shop for Sales Performance related information. </div><div><br />Of course my blog is still THE number one source of SPM information, but I may not [always] be able to answer all your questions, about every product on the market.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.opensymmetry.com/AskJon/index.php">Don't wait, go have a look and sign-up</a>. </div>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-82038687159988816242008-07-21T14:17:00.006-04:002008-07-21T14:23:21.117-04:00SPM Analytics Webinar Tomorrow, 1PM Central<p>Remember to join the free Webinar: <a href="https://opensymmetry.webex.com/mw0305l/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=opensymmetry&service=6&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Fopensymmetry.webex.com%2Fec0600l%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Ddetail%26confViewID%3D278006554%26siteurl%3Dopensymmetry%26%26%26">5 Best Practices with Analyzing Sales Performance</a>, hosted by <a href="http://www.opensymmetry.com/">OpenSymmetry</a> and presented by <a href="http://livengoodconsultinggroup.com/">Greg Livengood</a>. </p><p><strong>When?</strong> Tuesday, July 22nd 1pm (Central).</p><p>Find out more about the presenter <a href="http://compensationexpert.blogspot.com/2008/07/upcoming-sales-performance-analytics.html">here</a>. </p><p>Register <a href="https://opensymmetry.webex.com/mw0305l/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=opensymmetry&service=6&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Fopensymmetry.webex.com%2Fec0600l%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Ddetail%26confViewID%3D278006554%26siteurl%3Dopensymmetry%26%26%26">here</a>. </p>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-41230795814069418032008-07-18T23:00:00.001-04:002008-07-18T00:47:57.595-04:00Offshore Outsourcing - Humor of the WeekHere is one of my favorite Dilbert strip:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwSqM6LzGHMzuSgsDfbEZksJh5KTWlI7j52zNdnlOtpAMX5xUo70pecf1-HwieKcDAbUqudS1njqBDdkr4Vka8vzC6dlevHydGZ9MCiFQuvqzpU_rrBlQnxWBPfqdeC5Qq86wUX5OIMC5/s1600-h/dilbert2.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220722904586909442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwSqM6LzGHMzuSgsDfbEZksJh5KTWlI7j52zNdnlOtpAMX5xUo70pecf1-HwieKcDAbUqudS1njqBDdkr4Vka8vzC6dlevHydGZ9MCiFQuvqzpU_rrBlQnxWBPfqdeC5Qq86wUX5OIMC5/s400/dilbert2.gif" border="0" /></a><br />A friend also sent me this funny conversation between a consultant and an offshore resource:<br /><br /><strong>Consultant: </strong>So, today is the checkpoint for the designs, status should be on 90% completed, meaning everything’s done and waiting for final review. Are you finished?<br /><strong>Inder:</strong> Yes, I put the status on 90% completed<br /><strong>Consultant:</strong> Ok, let’s have a quick look at the document. Well… the document is basically empty? How can you put it on 90% completed?<br /><strong>Inder:</strong> Yes, document is empty – but it’s all in my head!<br /><br /><strong>In Summary:</strong><br /><ul><li>The communication infrastructure in some countries can be unreliable. </li><li>Risks associated to offshoring should be identified early.</li><li>Expectations need to be set and communicated clearly. </li></ul>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-40880142849453562962008-07-16T21:00:00.002-04:002008-07-16T21:03:40.636-04:00Compensation Architect: The New Blog on the Block<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-IIr-Sd_08s8PhHXvAw9wt7Qunjcd_F0gLmcRsBhDE55y5jw4TtNd3s4kaFBqezqmPkM2lPS36tX3ortUrLLOR8jQ5dRHV6feRuhW6K7gX1gle32bKCVhHqzxc1VgLj671U6Tisl6kBi/s1600-h/santorini.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223782348912677346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-IIr-Sd_08s8PhHXvAw9wt7Qunjcd_F0gLmcRsBhDE55y5jw4TtNd3s4kaFBqezqmPkM2lPS36tX3ortUrLLOR8jQ5dRHV6feRuhW6K7gX1gle32bKCVhHqzxc1VgLj671U6Tisl6kBi/s400/santorini.jpg" border="0" /></a>I mentioned Santorini Consulting a few times in previous posts and they just told me they had started their own blog called "<a href="http://www.santoriniconsulting.com/blog/">Compensation Architect – Your guide to designing, implementing and managing effective compensation solutions</a>".<br /><br />So far, David Kelly, a fellow compensation management expert, is the main contributor. Sheryl Friesz, Founder and VP of Partnerships, and Brian Silverman, President and CEO of Santorini Consulting, are also planning to contribute their perspective on related topics. Each have acquired years of experience working at Callidus Software before joining Santorini.<br /><br />Their 3 first posts which have been published at a frequency I hope they will be able to maintain, provide insightful information about sales compensation, policies versus procedures and the difference between reports, queries, feeds and analytics.<br /><br />Hopefully, over the next few weeks we'll see some synergy between our blogs, and rather than creating redundant entries, we will each be able to provide fresh perspectives and information to our readers. Even in a field as specialized as incentive compensation, there should always be a place for blogs from product vendors, consulting companies and especially from independent guys.<br /><br />Go on, <a href="http://www.santoriniconsulting.com/blog/">take a few minutes for a visit</a>.Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-57484483943501264562008-07-15T22:53:00.001-04:002008-07-15T23:40:32.674-04:00Offshoring Sales Performance Management Implementation Components<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uUjAPfNJ9mLVzcA-7lOha79FBB4DQUJEQlyccKFYVMjsHsY3HWWP2-4h2oL6I336QoHawhdoJd5o-N6EIIX8t7zyW1NYYNMkBts82On3VHOlXpDwbHknlZgn6HnYL5S3YzTS987siM5B/s1600-h/offshore3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220719285312142562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 166px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 161px" height="173" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uUjAPfNJ9mLVzcA-7lOha79FBB4DQUJEQlyccKFYVMjsHsY3HWWP2-4h2oL6I336QoHawhdoJd5o-N6EIIX8t7zyW1NYYNMkBts82On3VHOlXpDwbHknlZgn6HnYL5S3YzTS987siM5B/s400/offshore3.jpg" width="166" border="0" /></a>Based on my experience and on common sense, there are some project components which are easier to offshore than others.<br /><br /><div></div><div><strong>Requirements and Functional Design</strong></div><div>Early phases of a project are more challenging to offshore; these phases include the requirement gathering and the functional planning of the project. Offshoring these activities can be difficult because they require a lot of interaction with stakeholders, users and subject matter experts. This type of interaction usually works much better face-to-face than over the phone. </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Technical Design, Implementation and Testing</strong></div><div>Once the architecture of the project is established, components of the technical design, implementation and testing phases are good candidates to be offshored. Interaction with project stakeholders will obviously be necessary, but the "what" of what needs to be done should be obvious. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Sales Performance Management Implementation</span></strong></div><div>There are many strategies to leverage an offshore team to implement a sales performance management application. Compensation plans can be divided between on-shore and offshore teams, or both teams can collaborate on all the plans. I prefer the collaboration approach; coordination will be a bit more complicated, but many of the risks will be mitigated. As a result, the onshore team will have a clear idea on the status of the offshore team at all time, and there will be less communication issues such as misunderstandings of the requirement and functional design documents. </div><br /><div></div><div>Here is a list of several common SPM activities which in my experience are good candidates to be offshored. If the design documents are detailed enough, there is no reason why an offshore team could not work on everything. However, there is probably less risk in offshoring well defined activities. </div><ol><li><strong>ETL:</strong> A large project will use an Extract, Transfer and Load (ETL) tool to move data where it can be used by the SPM solution. With proper access, an offshore team can make a significant contribution to this process. </li><br /><li><strong>Configuration Management:</strong> An implementation is usually carried in different environments; development, various testing envionments, and production. Moving the latest files from one environment to the next can be very time consuming, and often can't be performed while a team works in the environment. </li><br /><li><strong>Reference Data:</strong> Loading all the reference data including participants, titles, positions, relationships, territories, etc are activities which will not impact the building of plans, until required for testing. </li><br /><li><strong>Quotas, rate tables and lookup tables:</strong> Creating and updating these objects can be a very time consuming activity. </li><br /><li><strong>Formulas and rules:</strong> Sometimes, several formulas and rules which are almost identical to each other are required. Not all SPM solutions have an easy "clone" feature, making this activity very tedious. </li><br /><li><strong>Processing:</strong> Also called pipeline in Callidus TrueComp, with a large number of participants and of transaction (in late testing phases), processing can take up to several hours. It can be very nice for the onshore team to work on the implementation during the day and come back the next morning to find the results ready and analysis of issues that occured. </li><br /><li><strong>Testing: </strong>Testing can be a tedious job. As I discussed before, test scripts should exist which will be executed again and again... and again. Some of the first testing phases such as unit testing and system testing can be almost entirely offshored, but later phases such as integration testing and user acceptance testing are often kept onshore to be able to better monitor quality. </li></ol><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Note: Offshoring all the boring and repetitive activities could have negative impacts on the moral and efficiency of the offshore team, just as it would on any team. <br><br>Does anyone have other examples of SPM components which can be offshored easily? </div>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-25667405238299772512008-07-11T09:11:00.004-04:002008-07-11T09:30:09.330-04:00Incentive Compensation Industry News<a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/technology/callidus-software-reports-preliminary-financial-results-second-quarter/"><strong>Callidus Software Reports Preliminary Financial Results for the Second Quarter 2008</strong> </a><br /><ul><li>Subscription and support revenues for the second quarter are expected to be approximately $10.0 million, an increase of 68% over the second quarter of 2007. </li><li>Callidus On-Demand (subscription) gross margins for the second quarter are expected to be within the range of 45 to 50%, up from 22% in Q1 2008. </li></ul><p><a href="http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/wageworks-selects-centive-compelr-to-automate-sales-compensation-management,462814.shtml"><strong>WageWorks Selects Centive Compel(R) to Automate Sales Compensation Management</strong></a></p><p>Centive, the leader in on-demandsolutions for sales compensation and sales performance management, todayannounced that WageWorks, the leading provider of tax-advantaged benefitsprograms, has selected Centive Compel to automate sales compensation and drivesales performance. Here is <a href="http://opensourcepbx.tmcnet.com/topics/development-tools/articles/33588-centive-picked-wageworks-sales-compensation.htm">another related article</a>. </p><p><br /><a href="http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/xactly-named-worlds-best-new-company-by-2008-international-business-awardssm,457444.shtml"><strong>Xactly Named World's Best New Company by 2008 International Business Awards(SM)</strong> </a></p><p>Xactly Corporation took home theprestigious International Stevie(R) Award in The 2008 International BusinessAwards.</p><p><a href="http://www.salesresourcegroup.ca/news.html"><strong>Sales Resource Group's PlanIt solution earns finalist award at 2008 International Business Awards and for for Microsoft Bluesky Finalist.</strong> </a></p>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-21468956629273358662008-07-10T16:20:00.005-04:002008-07-10T16:38:08.596-04:00Popularity Burst<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcz7hGVYYD-0Slge35qVZxFsVIdxYSMKgnr3oUMFBQ1-F4XpsMmrixlzR4JaHE1tMzVDG4DkWZpA7HbM-ukMHA1K6uwyjiqaK7AZTZK85OcObcTgU7kCWSEhOiuxX8tLJdsCiRxUKodzc/s1600-h/mountain.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221485347619809378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 201px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 145px" height="152" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcz7hGVYYD-0Slge35qVZxFsVIdxYSMKgnr3oUMFBQ1-F4XpsMmrixlzR4JaHE1tMzVDG4DkWZpA7HbM-ukMHA1K6uwyjiqaK7AZTZK85OcObcTgU7kCWSEhOiuxX8tLJdsCiRxUKodzc/s400/mountain.jpg" width="131" border="0" /></a>I'm not sure what is happening to my search engine ranking on Google, but it has been climbing very quickly over the past few weeks! Here are a few examples as of this afternoon:<br /><br /><br /><br /><ul><li><strong>Incentive Compensation:</strong> 10 (1st page!)</li><li><strong>Sales Performance:</strong> 17</li><li><strong>Enterprise Incentive Management:</strong> 20</li><li><strong>Incentive On-Demand:</strong> 7</li><li><strong>Incentive Offshoring:</strong> 2</li><li><strong>Incentive Compensation Implementation:</strong> 1 (woohoo!)</li></ul><p>And that's not including all the vendor-specific keywords where I'm also ranking very well. </p><p>Thanks to everyone who kindly link to this blog. Your help in making it more visible is very appreciated. Please keep the comments, topic ideas and questions coming. </p><p>Julien</p>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-76286391828056553882008-07-10T14:49:00.006-04:002008-07-10T15:08:16.929-04:00Upcoming Sales Performance Analytics Webinar, July 22nd 1pm Central<p>There is a very promising webinar coming up, hosted by <a href="http://www.opensymmetry.com/">OpenSymmetry</a> and presented by <a href="http://livengoodconsultinggroup.com/">Greg Livengood</a>. </p><p>I particularly wanted to promote this event because I worked with Greg for several months on an Accenture project, and I know that when it comes to Sales Performance Analytics, he REALLY knows what he is talking about. Expect a very insightful presentation by a friendly, dynamic and easy-going individual who built a world-class reputation as a sales performance analytics leader and pioneer. </p><p><a href="https://opensymmetry.webex.com/opensymmetry/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=661182247"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221460069352979874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0fO65L4sQXwluItMujIICGj17ccGs4NUtwSnpQyhTdCGq0BRXSwv9Q372H3jpsk2dZhmkQ9NzeECQDDgFgCvBqVBgYFSjljgu1QtQYbXaCBHTje8BLOQ1Zxgr11Xm5N8VmXGxzt7jGCU/s400/banner.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p><strong>Event Description: </strong></p><p>With the economy in a downward slope, sales leaders more than ever need 'Sales Performance Analytics' and efficient ways to proactively identify potential problems and opportunities. </p><p>Most companies have the information they need to improve sales performance, however, many sales managers are challenged with accessing and correctly interpreting the data. </p><p><strong>Greg Livengood, Senior Business Analyst with Livengood Consulting Group</strong>, will discuss how to leverage the 5 best practices in sales performance analytics that can boost your sales force performance.<br /><br />• Visualize Sales Performance<br />• Develop Corporate Alignment<br />• Simplicity<br />• Build a Self-Sufficient Solution<br />• Engagement at the Executive Level<br /><br /><a href="https://opensymmetry.webex.com/opensymmetry/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=661182247">Click here to register</a>. </p>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-54400231499662481902008-07-08T09:00:00.000-04:002008-07-08T10:00:02.830-04:00ICM Implementation Offshoring Pros and Cons<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFd_Jy05gnu3WXIgEOLQcc3ESXdLwGsJGYxidgBrvMCvHE__USFMzmyxfxSE5vyiuYkN5irL0w7n6J2khM8kLH265T0-yvCtEuhk792IGlAcLxaxyITNhizCch7zPUaNDfU-vDw_s2D-X/s1600-h/offshore2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220394656240414626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 147px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 173px" height="227" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFd_Jy05gnu3WXIgEOLQcc3ESXdLwGsJGYxidgBrvMCvHE__USFMzmyxfxSE5vyiuYkN5irL0w7n6J2khM8kLH265T0-yvCtEuhk792IGlAcLxaxyITNhizCch7zPUaNDfU-vDw_s2D-X/s400/offshore2.jpg" width="178" border="0" /></a>Projects can be partially or completely outsourced. The outsourcing can be done partially or entirely offshore. The most common scenario I usually encounter is when a company outsources a project to a consulting company. The consulting team usually works on-site, and often have several resources located offshore. There seems to be a trend for consultant who used to work on-site, to be allowed to work remotely.<br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div>As I pointed out, many EIM/SPM solution vendors and consulting companies will discuss the benefits which can be achieved by outsourcing parts of an Incentive Compensation Management implementation. I agree with these benefits, but there are also many challenges which must be carefully managed to be successful. </div><br /><div>Working with an offshore team through a consulting company reduces a lot of the risk; you don't have to worry about contracts, quality, infrastructure, intellectual properties, etc. Furthermore, consulting companies usually have a good relationship with their offshore arm. </div><p></p><p>Setting aside all ethical and macro-economics discussions about offshoring, here are some of the main pros and cons. </p><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Main offshoring benefits:</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong>Labor: </strong>Skilled labor can be very expensive, but it can especially be very difficult to find. Even a large consulting company may have problems finding an available consultant with the right skill set. </div><br /><div><strong>Cost: </strong>Offshore locations are usually developing countries where labor is significantly cheaper.</div><br /><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Speed: </strong>When a project is well managed, more people usually mean a more aggressive schedule. </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Work 24/7:</strong> For North-American people, working with a country such as India makes it "easy" to work around the clock. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Some of the challenges to be managed</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong>Communication and language barriers: </strong>Most of us have some experience working with team members who are located somewhere else, and have faced communication challenges related to this. Offshoring brings another layer to the communication challenges, a topic to which I will dedicate another article. </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Coordination:</strong> Because of all the communication challenges, complex coordination activities become even more complex. </div><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>Cultures:</strong> Each culture have their own principles and values. Not being mindful of cultural differences can lead to big problems. </div><p></p><p><strong>Cost:</strong> Savings could be only marginal, especially with rising labor costs in some countries (especially in India)</p><p><strong>Quality:</strong> This is a challenge for on-site and offshore team alike. Offshore teams are usually very good at achieving very high quality standards. However, quality is still perceived as a higher risk with offshore teams. </p><p><strong>Security:</strong> Quality is another concern most companies have, especially when dealing with confidential employment information. There are very secure mechanisms to collaborate, even across continents, but security is a topic which requires particular attention.</p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Key to Success</span></strong></p><p>In my opinion, the key to successfully leveraging an offshore team is in: </p><ul><li>Having a good manager and team leads experienced with offshore projects</li><li>Having A good [formalized] communication strategy, "hand-off" mechanism between onshore and offshore teams and processes in place</li><li>Having a good understanding of which project components can be tackled "at night" by the offshore team and handed to the onshore team "in the morning", and vice-versa. </li></ul>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-49053869952122665712008-07-06T09:26:00.006-04:002008-07-06T09:54:05.037-04:00Outsourcing and Offshoring your SPM Implementation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDMK-nrzktiWxG_pCUmcOCg_pzdEP8hjjryrIu4uE4Il-MscP3DlHmeKhSHiecq8mXOIfRecmls_KuQHszMyOV9D93833pqAI_MkDxTJrpZU1StVqYpxwiApioLx98BBRZVrJPLQpBBxw/s1600-h/offshore1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219897836129359282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 215px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 152px" height="176" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDMK-nrzktiWxG_pCUmcOCg_pzdEP8hjjryrIu4uE4Il-MscP3DlHmeKhSHiecq8mXOIfRecmls_KuQHszMyOV9D93833pqAI_MkDxTJrpZU1StVqYpxwiApioLx98BBRZVrJPLQpBBxw/s400/offshore1.jpg" width="268" border="0" /></a>I'm planning to write several articles related to sales performance management outsourcing and offshoring. Let me first define what outsourcing and offshoring means.<br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Outsourcing:</strong> This is when you subcontract the design and implementation of your compensation plans.<br /></div><div><strong>Offshoring:</strong> This is when you subcontract (typically parts of the implementation) to another country. India and China are well known IT offshoring destinations, but there are many others. </div><div></div><br /><div>One of my first post on the blog was about <a href="http://compensationexpert.blogspot.com/2008/01/implementation-in-house-development.html">in-house development versus outsourcing</a>. Most SPM implementations I see follow one of these patterns: </div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Pattern 1: </strong></div><div>An implementation partner is selected - this can be a vendor agnostic implementer, or the product vendor. As part of their submission, they propose the use of an offshore team to reduce the cost of their bid, or to be able to "go-live" more quickly. </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Pattern 2:</strong></div><div>An implementation partner is also selected. There are no upfront discussions about offshoring any work. The concept of an offshore team is brought up if the project falls behind schedule. </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Upcoming Topics</strong></div><div>The reality is that most vendors and consulting companies use offshore teams. I will write about the pros and cons of offshoring, the associated risks, the challenges it <u>will</u> add, the importance of communication strategies, and a few personal stories of managing offshore teams. </div><div></div><br /><div>I will also write about which aspects of the implementation can be "offshored" more easily. The good news is that with an SPM implementation, once the design phase is completed, there are different way to "break-out" work in different components which are not on a critical-path to each other. </div><div></div><br /><div>Finally I will answer several questions I have received on this topic. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send them to me. </div>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-37682661777517350122008-07-02T10:33:00.005-04:002008-07-02T10:42:15.468-04:00Six Disciplines Execution Revolution Book Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKD_NOC7nBWj-KUDA9SC5CJsEY6Cgm-s_CZWMO_-hznbNBZ-MdIEamFXQ1JuqJhiddo1BWeZzLnpKsyBj-fJ1h0rWGYuSq_XYh-t_TNjU5NHFs84mCyA_cQ5cc9UGjOMHME_HvO9zdaOLH/s1600-h/6disciplines.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218425578096676690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKD_NOC7nBWj-KUDA9SC5CJsEY6Cgm-s_CZWMO_-hznbNBZ-MdIEamFXQ1JuqJhiddo1BWeZzLnpKsyBj-fJ1h0rWGYuSq_XYh-t_TNjU5NHFs84mCyA_cQ5cc9UGjOMHME_HvO9zdaOLH/s400/6disciplines.jpg" border="0" /></a>I spend quite a bit of time every week reading books; technical books, business books, compensation books… But over the last few weeks I have mostly been catching up on classics. This is the only “excuse” I have for not blogging about a new book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Six-Disciplines®-Execution-Revolution-Business/dp/0981641105/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215009288&sr=8-1">Six Disciplines Execution Revolution</a>, by Gary Harpst which was released just yesterday.<br /><br />Gary is the founder and CEO of <a href="http://www.sixdiscipines.com/">Six Disciplines</a>, offering small to mid-size companies a business excellence program based on six business disciplines: strategizing, planning, organizing, executing, measuring and learning. Gary’s previous book, Six Disciplines for Excellence, focused on those disciplines and strategy. His latest, Execution Revolution focuses on the biggest business challenge: strategy execution in the real world.<br /><br />Gary told me how business leaders often try to solve the wrong problem rather than addressing the root cause issues. He said that by fixing the right problem, the solution to every other problem will be more obvious. Without execution, strategy is useless. This book provides a concrete framework to put the plan in action. This is particularly challenging because strategy only relies on a few people for a short period of time every year. On the other hand, execution relies on everyone in an organization, all the time.<br /><br />Achieving excellence is also tricky. Gary said that by solving current issues, an organization will grow, which will cause even bigger challenges. “Excellence is a journey – not a destination.”<br /><br />Gary explained to me how business methodology was comparable to IT methodology; you have to be able to repeat a process consistently over the long term to be successful. In my experience, many book in this category read like a text book. Execution Revolution distils concepts, frameworks and real-life examples which can be applied by small businesses.<br /><br />I was particularly interested by this book because not only does it talk about how a business can achieve excellence, it also focuses a lot on performance management. Throughout the book Gary acknowledges the importance of performance measurement, performance measurement, business intelligence and analytics, and performance management systems.<br /><br />Overall, this book is straight to the point, well-organized, and as the title suggests, focused on execution. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Six-Disciplines®-Execution-Revolution-Business/dp/0981641105/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215009288&sr=8-1">Order it today</a>.Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-46603317665299537222008-06-26T10:41:00.008-04:002008-06-26T11:22:12.697-04:00SPM News - Big News for Callidus, Varicent and OpenSymmetry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfR0HFClnXtD68VdNc9jQel24kwdA00ng91GieX99egExmxECqp-XmvvQhniJakXZ2A-08jDhcDznpSZQcCyaUnT-VcnUgpmwaOp6_SK5zPrBgR1M_nrOYdyyjHhGzY6XXK77i2HBRzDjZ/s1600-h/handshake2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216208281640104418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfR0HFClnXtD68VdNc9jQel24kwdA00ng91GieX99egExmxECqp-XmvvQhniJakXZ2A-08jDhcDznpSZQcCyaUnT-VcnUgpmwaOp6_SK5zPrBgR1M_nrOYdyyjHhGzY6XXK77i2HBRzDjZ/s400/handshake2.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.b-eye-network.com/view/7889"><strong>Varicent Software Announces Strategic Partnership with OpenSymmetry</strong></a><br /><a href="http://www.varicent.com/" target="_blank">Varicent Software</a>, an innovator and provider of the only comprehensive application for sales performance management (SPM), recently announced a strategic partnership with <a href="http://www.opensymmetry.com/index.shtml" target="_blank">OpenSymmetry</a>, a largest independent consultancy specializing in sales performance management. <div><br /><p>Other partners of OpenSymmetry include Actuate, Callidus Software, nGenera, Oracle, Sungard, TerrAlign and Xactly. </p><p><a href="http://www.callidussoftware.com/newsroom/press/press-release.aspx?Item_Id=826"><strong>Callidus Software Broadens Performance Management Capabilities with Introduction of TrueTarget</strong></a><br />The new SaaS-based software module, <a href="http://www.callidussoftware.com/products/truetarget/">TrueTarget™</a>, combines SPM and Employee Performance Management (EPM) capabilities to deliver <a href="http://www.callidussoftware.com/pervasive-performance-management/">Pervasive Performance Management (PPM)</a> across the entire enterprise. The concept of PPM offers a single, business-wide, pay-for-performance solution for companies.</p><p>Pervasive Performance Management goes beyond standard incentive compensation management and includes objectives alignment, goal management, bonus allocation and employee evaluation. </p><p>I could be wrong, but as far as I know the only other major vendor currently offering a similar end-to-end solution is <a href="http://www.successfactors.com/midsize-business/">SuccessFactors</a>. [Disclaimer: I have not seen Callidus TrueTarget or any of SuccessFactors' solutions yet]</p></div>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-20340347649872887812008-06-25T11:33:00.003-04:002008-06-25T12:15:07.166-04:00Don’t Automate Chaos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxQamD_qxftETTxWPWNEn-zKjMwqmotc0MaTt33IwGVEKaTNOaucs-aAvBRs_4URmIYlLZ0buQblgZQ7dV9XX2Q6dHhqgbaLcyUohsgCu5cx6vCDXm02oT8rQO7d4Uz74mpvP0de7V6GA/s1600-h/Process.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215852974208851282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxQamD_qxftETTxWPWNEn-zKjMwqmotc0MaTt33IwGVEKaTNOaucs-aAvBRs_4URmIYlLZ0buQblgZQ7dV9XX2Q6dHhqgbaLcyUohsgCu5cx6vCDXm02oT8rQO7d4Uz74mpvP0de7V6GA/s400/Process.gif" border="0" /></a>I came across an interesting article by Roy Altman: <a href="http://www.peopleservinc.com/pdfs/Avoiding%20Gotchas.pdf">Avoiding "Gotcha's" - Tips and Techniques that Drive Successful Implementation Projects</a>.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Roy describes some of the common pitfalls that can undermine an HR System implementation project, including the importance of getting buy-in, of planning early, of knowing your organization, of not reinventing the wheel, etc. </div><div></div><br /><div>There is one point which I haven't talked about on this blog so far: <strong>Don't Automate Chaos</strong>.</div><br /><div><blockquote>If your processes currently result in chaos, and you automate them, you end up with automated chaos.</blockquote></div><div>That's something a lot of companies implementing EIM solutions don't always seem to understand. Many Compensation System implementations are subject to delay, budget issues or even failure because processes are not re-examined. Implementing a new large-scale system should be seen as an opportunity to redefine and improve these processes. </div><div></div><br /><div>In a typical Customer Relationship Management (CRM) implementation such as SAP or PeopleSoft, business processes generally have to change to be in line with the application. However in the case of an EIM solution, it is easy to make the mistake to try to implement the system in the same way it is currently working... and that can result in automated chaos. </div><br /><div></div><div>When planning your implementation, set some time aside to map out existing processes and logic to assess if/how they can be improved. Better processes should result in a higher quality implementation which will fulfills business requirements. </div>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-54415407553443014742008-06-24T17:17:00.000-04:002008-06-24T17:51:28.307-04:00Sales Performance Management Glossary<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9W_5WmkkJMIRSkUOaGXkfP4PDwvRQTA0kz-hrWqSECIjbooDnmAHB4k7bbBXC0O__Y1rtgy21aCRhpemF0uFGyFcXHSnwlMDxKDcREauaAVOyyjgvFQOz-DzgDXjOYrNS1BydOxC8bA_b/s1600-h/dic.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215566548440119858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9W_5WmkkJMIRSkUOaGXkfP4PDwvRQTA0kz-hrWqSECIjbooDnmAHB4k7bbBXC0O__Y1rtgy21aCRhpemF0uFGyFcXHSnwlMDxKDcREauaAVOyyjgvFQOz-DzgDXjOYrNS1BydOxC8bA_b/s400/dic.jpg" border="0" /></a>There is a lot of very specific terminology used in the world of sales performance management. Different vendors may use different terms, so it is important when starting a project to make sure everybody understands what is what to avoid any confusion. <br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.callidussoftware.com/resources/terminology/">Callidus has an excellent lexicon of incentive compensation terminology</a>. Here are some important terms used frequently: </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Bonus:</strong> A performance-based reward or payment to an individual, team, business unit, or work force, made in cash, stock, options, or other form. </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Calendar:</strong> A set of continuous, non-overlapping periods that define when a compensation plan is in use. </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Commission:</strong> One type of incentive, often expressed as a percentage of sales, gross margin or dollar amounts per unit sold. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Credit:</strong> The amount of credit received for making a sale, where revenue is usually the measure for sales credit, although sometimes the number of units or some other measure is used. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Draw:</strong> Cash payment advanced against future income. There are two types: non-recoverable and recoverable. </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Formula:</strong> A method of calculating compensation that relates pay opportunity to performance achievement, generally falling into one of three categories: 1) Unlinked incentive formula; 2) Adjusted-value incentive formula; and 3) Linked-incentive formula. </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Lookup Table:</strong> Multi-dimensional: Created by the user to store values for use in rules and formulas.</div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Participant / Payee:</strong> Person participating in your company's variable compensation program. </div><br /><p><strong>Plan:</strong> A collection of rules that specify how to compensate the participants assigned to that plan. </p><p><strong>Position:</strong> Defines a specific, unique job.</p><p><strong>Quota:</strong> A predetermined sales performance goal, expressed as a percentage, percentage change, in absolute numbers, or in units sold. </p><div><strong>Quota Attainment:</strong> The percentage calculated from dividing the amount of sales credit earned (represented by a performance measure amount) and the quota for a performance period and participant. </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Rate Table:</strong> One-dimensional: A lookup table used for calculating commissions. The first column in the table represents ranges of quota attainment. The second column represents the pay-out rate for transactions within that range. </div><div><a name="10"><br /><strong>Rule</strong></a><strong>:</strong> A way to filter and calculate in the form of an "if-then" statement. The "if" contains a Boolean expression that selects objects from the database (for example, which transactions to use). The "then" part contains formulas that calculate and save new values. </div><br /><p><strong>SPIF:</strong> Acronym that stands for "Sales Promotion Incentive Fund." SPIF is a loose term referring to an on-the-fly addition to the compensation plan used to motivate the sales force in a particular way by providing additional sales credit or payment for certain types of sales. </p><p><a name="33"><strong>Territory</strong></a><strong>:</strong> A way of defining which transactions a participant should be credited with. It is usually a geographic area, but could also be an industry or a specific set of customers. </p><p><strong>Title:</strong> Occupational grouping, such as engineers, systems analysts, etc. Titles are used to group similar positions related by job function across the organization. </p><p><strong>Transaction:</strong> The original sales data, wich includes sub-line data on an order. </p><p><strong>Variable:</strong> A placeholder in a rule or formula for a fixed value, rate table, or territory. </p>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-2253850505281396802008-06-23T18:30:00.000-04:002008-06-23T18:47:26.378-04:00Stick to a Naming Convention - It's not Rocket Science!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR2M9b1u9_qbcMhERpBsFDhEJXp4HEoWv1L_vNimIBX_UwY-lGoFuqHxgQVmZ2gxEinc79C-qxEm2r1DCtHv4211dVmXq381vEhAMJCFtwZcXJxhEEwt3xB5Jf72u8dJhbcwOAnoRJGTM/s1600-h/jungle.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215211503486773986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR2M9b1u9_qbcMhERpBsFDhEJXp4HEoWv1L_vNimIBX_UwY-lGoFuqHxgQVmZ2gxEinc79C-qxEm2r1DCtHv4211dVmXq381vEhAMJCFtwZcXJxhEEwt3xB5Jf72u8dJhbcwOAnoRJGTM/s400/jungle.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naming_convention">Wikipedia</a> has one of the best definitions on the net for a "naming convention": <strong>A naming convention is a convention for naming things. </strong>Awesome!<br /><div></div><br /><div>In the Enterprise Incentive Management and Sales Performance Management world, this means naming all plan objects in a consistent way. Naming will vary from tool to tool and there is not a single set of best practices that can be followed. Most vendors provide some recommendations, but it's up to the implementers to decide which naming format will be used. Since there is no generally accepted "convention", it may be more accurate to call this a naming strategy. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Why is sticking to a naming strategy important:</strong> </div><div>Incentive Compensation Management is not difficult. What makes ICM systems complex is the volume of plan elements (plans, rules, formulas, tables, variables, etc..) A large implementation can quickly become a jungle if not everybody agrees on a common way of naming different objects. Not only will it make building and testing the system easier, a good naming strategy will especially be important once the original implementation team is gone and others have to understand the logic of the system. Finally, aside from clarity, a naming strategy will also help search for plan components more efficiently. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Choosing a naming strategy</strong></div><div>As I said, since all applications do not share the same objects, and also because each application works differently, I cannot provide a silver bullet for all situations. </div><br /><div></div><div>Generally, I try to stick to these principles:</div><ul><li>Make the name descriptive</li><li>Use abbreviations to identify object type</li><li>Begin object name with its object type abbreviation </li></ul><p>For example, a <strong>c</strong>redit <strong>r</strong>ule could be called CR_AE_description. Some systems could have a direct credit rule and an indirect credit rule; in such case my abbreviation could be DC and IC instead. In some systems I may want to prefix a formula with F (if all objects can be displayed in the same view), if not, then it would not be necessary to explicitly say that a formula is a formula. </p><p><strong>Naming of output is also important:</strong> The importance of naming an object may be obvious, but in the case of rules, the output of such rule should also be named carefully. A result name that makes sense can often by "Rule name _ result" or something similar. </p><p><strong>Getting Started...</strong></p><p>It is important to define a naming strategy early on in the project - before any detailed / technical design documents are created. The strategy should be illustrated on one page to enable the implementers to quickly see how to name the different objects. This "page" should be distributed to everyone involved in the implementation and be given to new joiners as well. </p><p><u>The first steps in defining the naming strategy is to find out if the application being used has a set of best naming practices or standards</u>. In the case of an upgrade, it is important to stick to previously used naming strategy. </p>Happy Naming!Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-11658484924667390792008-06-16T09:59:00.005-04:002008-06-16T10:40:00.827-04:00Incentive Compensation News<a href="http://totallyconsumed.blogspot.com/2008/06/part-two-on-anonymous-hr-blogger-series.html">Julien Dionne (Me), Receives the "Hot" Nomination on Popular HR Blog</a><br />Thanks <a href="http://hrwench.blogspot.com/">HR Wench</a> :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.crm2day.com/news/crm/125008.php">Merced Systems, Inc. Acquires Practique Associates Europe’s Leading Sales Performance Management Vendor </a><br />Merced Systems, the leader in Sales and Service <a class="kLink" oncontextmenu="return false;" id="KonaLink0" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,0);" style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,0);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,0);" href="http://www.crm2day.com/news/crm/125008.php#" target="_top">Performance Management software</a>, today announced that it has acquired Practique Associates, a privately held, UK-based company, and European market leader in Incentive Compensation Management (ICM) solutions. Practique Associates will operate in Europe as a wholly owned subsidiary of Merced Systems, allowing the company to continue its impressive track record of growth and profitability.<br /><br /><a href="http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0398721.htm">Callidus Software Ranks 4th on CIOZone's "Surging 60" List of Fastest-Growing Software Companies </a><br />Sales Performance Management Leader Ranks Among Top Five on Prestigious List of "20 Fastest-Growing Small Software Companies"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/xactly-appoints-william-j-sudlow-as-senior-vice-president-of-engineering,415307.shtml">Xactly Appoints William J. Sudlow as Senior Vice President of Engineering </a><br />Formerly withIntuit Inc., Sudlow will be responsible for all product development,engineering and quality-assurance activities as Xactly scales its product-development efforts to deliver the market's broadest portfolio of salesperformance management applications.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080616005464&newsLang=en">SuccessFactors Announces Support for Global Organizations With Simultaneous Product Updates Across 22 Languages </a><br />SuccessFactors, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFSF), the global leader in <a href="http://www.successfactors.com/" target="_blank" shape="rect">on-demand performance and talent management solutions</a>, today announced that it has made available a number of international enhancements to support simultaneous product updates of its monthly releases in 22 languages.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/06/02/daily21.html">Success Factors to sell 7.5M shares</a><br /><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/gen/SuccessFactors_Inc_7C57F7F2B97E4A728B8D7E67A17086ED.html">SuccessFactors Inc.</a> said Tuesday it plans an offering of about 7.5 million shares of its common stock.Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-37890252610372420972008-06-11T23:00:00.004-04:002008-06-11T23:09:27.450-04:00Incentive Compensation Meets HR at The Super Sexy HR Carnival<p>After missing 34 HR carnivals, I finally contributed an article for the 35th, hosted on <a href="http://strategic-hcm.blogspot.com/">Jon Ingham's Strategic Human Capital Management (HCM) Blog</a>. </p><p>My featured article is the recent story "<a href="http://compensationexpert.blogspot.com/2008/06/saga-of-purchasing-icm-system.html">The Saga of Purchasing an ICM System</a>", describing some of the common issues faced when purchasing and starting the implementation of an incentive compensation management solution. </p>Visit the <a href="http://strategic-hcm.blogspot.com/2008/06/super-sexy-hr-carnival-35.html">carnival on Jon's blog </a>- it's filled with very interesting and insightful topics from every area of HR.Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-7087487731112243092008-06-10T21:00:00.000-04:002008-06-10T21:02:13.012-04:00EIM Solution Maintainability - Should you care about this?People often consider buying an Enterprise Incentive Management (EIM) solution based on several criteria including cost, performance, ease of implementation, support, etc. One factor that if often overlooked in my opinion is the system's maintainability.<br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>What is Maintainability?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div>ISO 9126 defines maintainability as the ease with which a software product can be modified in order to:</div><br /><ul><li>correct defects </li><li>meet new requirements </li><li>make future maintenance easier, or </li><li>cope with a changed environment </li></ul><p><strong>Why is Maintainability important?</strong></p><p>The ability to modify a software system is obviously important for any type of system, but it is particularly important for an EIM solution. Why? Because compensation plans, organizational data, quotas, etc typically change at least once a year. Modifying this information is not a task equally easy to perform in all software packages. </p><p><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIj7lmbc_slz4V0OKDMwEwLI3WE8DLMwarGM464jI17pYasL3dJab-6a6o0kF1PxNAhtk1TZznwvE-fHhuXwiRYyWYr1gBk8YahattxH6JNiY1tjyOUDphqNweaNJfxbT6BUOLncV7EWq/s1600-h/matrix.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207684996948272658" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIj7lmbc_slz4V0OKDMwEwLI3WE8DLMwarGM464jI17pYasL3dJab-6a6o0kF1PxNAhtk1TZznwvE-fHhuXwiRYyWYr1gBk8YahattxH6JNiY1tjyOUDphqNweaNJfxbT6BUOLncV7EWq/s400/matrix.jpg" border="0" /></a>How to find out if a EIM solution is maintainable?</strong></p><p>Any vendor will say their solution is maintainable... only an opinion from an unbiased person with experience implementing the particular EIM solution will be able to give a true account of how easy it is to maintain the application. </p><p>Effective dating plays a big role in maintainability. Being able to modify the information at anytime, but with changes effective only at a certain date, is critical to maintain a system. </p><p>Another key aspect of maintainability to consider the impact of year end on the plans. Some of the important information to find out is: </p><ul><li>Are the plans still going to work at year end?</li><li>If plans need to be modified, how big of a change is it?</li><li>How easy is it to modify the quotas?</li><li>What about the rate / lookup tables?</li><li>If formulas are embeded within the tables, do those need to be modified as well? </li><li>How easy is it to move people in different positions? </li><li>What do I do when people leave the company?</li></ul><p>It is not atypical to see a somewhat complex logic which could be impacted by a simple change. For example, a formula referencing a table which contains another formula pointing to a quota. If the quota values can just be updated, it's not a big deal. If a new quota needs to be created, then the formula will also need to be updated to reflect the new quota. </p><p>Another example is when an EIM solution needs to be able to handle last year's orders at last year's rates. Depending on the system, this could mean creating new rules, new formulas, new tables, new quotas, etc. </p><p><strong>It may not all be about the Product</strong></p><p>Implementing a software package is a bit like custom development. A quality architecture results in the possibility to re-use components. Some programming languages are easier to maintain than others; as we discussed, the same goes for EIM solutions. However, no matter how good a programming language, a bad programmer can make the maintenance a nightmare. A bad EIM implementation team can also make the system's maintenance very hard, no matter how good the product is. </p><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong></p><p>Finding out the details about how maintainable an EIM solution is, is as important as finding out other characteristics such as how easy it is to implement it. You do not want to have to re-implement every plan every year; not only because it is time consuming, but also because major changes imply bigger risks. </p><p>The first part of the battle is to select an EIM solution which will make maintenance as painless as possible, but the battle is not won until the solution has been implemented properly.</p>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-10470086626891071112008-06-09T20:22:00.002-04:002008-06-09T20:43:41.614-04:00Review of Centive Compel On-Demand EIM SolutionIt has been a few weeks already since Sarah Carlisle, Director of Product Management and Bob Conlin, Chief Marketing Officer at <a href="http://www.centive.com/">Centive</a> agreed to give me a detailed demonstration of Centive's on-demand Sales Performance Management solution called Compel.<br /><br /><strong><br />About Centive</strong><br />Let's talk about Centive for a moment: Centive has been around for a while; the company was founded in 1997 and originally focused on delivering on-premise Enterprise Incentive Management (EIM) solutions for very large companies. By 2004, Centive saw an opportunity to leverage the growing on-demand market and began developing the first on-demand sales compensation management solution – this time targeting mid-market companies. In May 2005, Centive released Compel. Shortly thereafter, they divested their original on-premise application business to ensure a focus on the on-demand market.<br /><br /><strong>Compel Review</strong><br />Compel is another leading on-demand EIM/SPM application with a value proposition almost identical to other applications and companies I have reviewed including Callidus, Varicent and Xactly. One nice aspect of Compe<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-pOr5IvD2Htp2Q3e3i3JP6w6mJfPnihO_t0a1rHKY7T4aNPiJXhitnntKauy9g9d6vkWzsRpa_0QFJC34eRR18Kd5y2iJpqJSS1ZtI5ftS66_1lGJdIflvFSnCyHT89uSSNTjemAABOX/s1600-h/main.gif"></a>l is that all its functionalities are bundled within the core application (no additional modules are required for reporting, modeling, analytics, etc.). Compel is a <a href="http://compensationexpert.blogspot.com/2008/02/sas70-audit-for-on-demand-sales.html">SAS70 Type II</a> attested application and offers AppExchange-certified integration with SalesForce.com. Centive also has an OEM reseller agreement with ADP where Compel is sold as “ADP-ICM powered by Compel.”<br /><br />Many companies like Adobe, Salary.com, McKesson, Cars.com and Sterling Commerce selected Compel to automate their sales compensation.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Compel Interface</strong><br />There are 3 main "views" for Compel, each for a different type of user: the sales user view, the manager/executive view and the compensation administrator view. All views have one attribute in common: they are all very interactive. Any report or charts displayed will provide additional information when the cursor hovers over them. Clicking generally results in drilling down to get more detailed information.<br /><br /><strong>Sales User</strong><br />The main screen for the sales user displays at a glance all the information the salesperson needs to know. On the left portion of the dashboard they can see their total compensation, along with some details of how the total was derived. Clicking on the underlined amounts will result in showing more details.<br /><br />The central portion of the screen represents in a graphical format their year-to-date total compensation, and analytics showing earnings and performance (sales vs. target) for each of their plan measures.<br /><br />The bottom portion of the screen show alerts which can be either system generated or input by a business user, and more details on measure results.<br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208585718065740434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDqOVKeQMyXkHqAyiHSAM94Ar0sPm33HXXc4NsyTpwFXQX-rDABEPAQYTAagV7tofCkgqcps1klqjHEj_alTnlgqEH3YLcfErYtS9VcSh2F-KYcqV40PDMTbUCrZo2KDoZYCUm0LvNlGA/s400/main.gif" border="0" /> </div><br /><div>Hovering over a graph displays additional information: </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208589807033111490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuL4HoDxKxYwgw6845ORyDimOapf_PhiMYdcPhkuJEbVcq82kNwPtmefMZMmwmfTohymDgI9KHsxhJAER_TfqIIDf4Qbd0rJdQr1BgmMRudzilAVCvTtDePSFjml3xYTy4DIsiYEDyZKt/s400/hover.gif" border="0" /> </div><br /><div>Drilling down from the Incentive Payment section shows information at the transaction level:<br /></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208587725974536354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FztOQ1nqG32MkuPof9UPQN8L96DLkL1ss20SEKx6VgCtmB8-8If508c0EgQJNhhXRrGSEA5p66IyTMqn_GTKPmhb-0qlCMi1mzQhuSk41flF48iachL2Heti732iCxe0E002uYZLrvgm/s400/details.gif" border="0" /></p><div>Another very interesting feature of the salesperson dashboard is the ability to display sale opportunities (from salesforce.com or other CRM/SFA systems) and the effect they have on the rep’s total compensation:<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208593960036234194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevoXgtVY5FIvzsV6m68wKnRe-Eyq0dzcoz4Gju7wluihgjJd0uSEPqo1mofc2vJjKdN5lqxE3ySWmwo_hcw5pfTl6cxEhyphenhyphenQnmtY4WGz1dKyFLSMmIjzOLrVTTb0CmZTS4SNtBzrh21H4e/s400/opportunity.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><p><strong>Manager View</strong><br />The manager view has a very similar look and feel to the salesperson view, but displays information for the entire team: </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208588496017353362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51bUhQrDpMsAlSXMtlSRdmtT-pBBVhpeb2WgBvsOY3-glWNlJStLjjP-ibApK1q2amuwdyms69XvBHh5-PcmAZVU9NYe1yfGElI-4BNdyEVefo8lpsFITroc1C6bTo_oTRCHun-Vt6G3Q/s400/manager.gif" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>Results can also be expanded to easily find details about how a transaction was commissioned:<br /><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208589113430126162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxbyVhF8XUHHQsIoYJN6Odn4sCyo0Ehq9oXn0-1WE-iM-ZJDqfnHNR34eAaS_zeQNw2EQYPeFvJLiV_VRAvsHP7zAjv5A3Dh1vP0ZeaWF6eQiKxMoaHw9kKtIUar-elqbrdFS7cXl6OLH/s400/manager2.gif" border="0" /><br /><strong>Comp Admin View</strong><br /></div><div>This is where plans are created and configured.. Unlike other systems I have worked with, Compel abstracts the process of creating calculation and crediting rules through their Plan Builder wizard. Plans are created by defining and grouping the "Measures"by which reps will be compensated. First, the measure name, description, period, and type of measure is specified.<br /><br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208590582153358274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCyU1o7RNVptsWsZHD0xR6a7eShkxdvRyiCEHMkLT4aFKMvSx_j398-C_lwGEiIvd3n9XEtrgMg7NV0wekL_PdFj6LWSEb_3T8L6e23HMr8cr88zbhYDnxSWjqM_BH4iQX02SqOOETDyD/s400/admin1.gif" border="0" />The next step consists in specifying what is being measured, and defining any filters (for example, exclude sales to existing customers): </div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208591642130661330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dBcHrEbFIOLpkqdb11kxS2ubej7mOwbN0VTK2MpK5RNkzpY8aBHMEvkdRunowXUh6O8Cg2cqVFoY_yo-pTjUuIy_kfdGp0-frHYCQGxPS6EODE_Zp0vvDrB5K2L0JdSTyFm7L4V2c5V9/s400/admin2.gif" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div></div><div>The administrator just needs to choose the appropriate option and click on "Next" to the next configuration window.<br /></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208592065604126930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdCoO-gzIR1W7diTBWVvhHWCor06vBy6kYhTsIVDWF9psSzXyhvzGtR7IEh5CLY2PpZf9cnAfXTXFMy-z7Gmy_dcrRnB_avtTN1bjaF-EoofhALaWiqO4vUAWckloIC7PU-wo3g6wZ5Sz/s400/admin3.gif" border="0" /><br />Other systems have a component approach, and maintain a component library. In Compel you build measures. You can clone measures or plans, so if you need to build a new plan it is easy to clone an existing measure and re-use it as is or modify it using the plan builder wizard<br /><br /><strong>Effective Dating:</strong><br />I described <a href="http://compensationexpert.blogspot.com/2008/05/xactly-incent-40-effective-dating-and.html">effective dating </a>when reviewing the latest version of Xactly Incent and discussed how critical effective dating is in my opinion. Centive uses effective dating for everything: people records, quotas, measures, plans, transactions, results, reports, etc . which makes its maintenance much easier. It also solves the difficult problem of handling prior period adjustments – Compel recognizes the crediting rules, roll-ups and structures that were in place at the time of the original transaction, and trues-up the adjustment to the current period.<br /><br />The following plan builder screen capture shows how each plan uses effective dating: </div><div></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208593376252893554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-R0FMp9_S5MeIFTs-7dewJ_a-MsMbcNfYJUrO2TKoqeLS12wNfLd2Mr3e3r4Cd5EBgh19Wjc-KlAJnTvFtQ5PH2Huc_CTpU2ddfTjC5OXztVFwHXN1mkDeJ7_0P8-XR5S-hL_3rgUNhM/s400/plans.gif" border="0" /><br /><strong>Conclusion</strong><br />I would probably need to work with Compel to make-up my mind about if I like the concept of how plans are built, since it is so different from the other applications I have seen. It's very exciting to see a different way of thinking.<br /><br />What I can say is that configuring a plan seems to be a very user-friendly step-by-step task. The user interfaces for sales people and managers are also very clean and display all the required information at a sight. Compel also seems to offer all the functionalities anyone could be looking for, and does so without the need to purchase additional modules. </div>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7758836516479126281.post-74672910408290809822008-06-08T22:00:00.004-04:002008-06-09T08:56:23.118-04:00The Moral to the ICM Saga<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpY4IA0xuZAI6mXYR0iQTt4eCvJrKqOaYb8y6Sn0k7f_u1Cuju53IPyv2u2jfgTFTSxJwutsF1tdloIuzLsJZTgwTnEGh5D0BxQXSX9Xp6ZGJ6ldiubCpVXEs6-zb_dkIgjjlEnDXrVy1x/s1600-h/piza.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207418699703133042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpY4IA0xuZAI6mXYR0iQTt4eCvJrKqOaYb8y6Sn0k7f_u1Cuju53IPyv2u2jfgTFTSxJwutsF1tdloIuzLsJZTgwTnEGh5D0BxQXSX9Xp6ZGJ6ldiubCpVXEs6-zb_dkIgjjlEnDXrVy1x/s400/piza.jpg" border="0" /></a>Read <a href="http://compensationexpert.blogspot.com/2008/06/saga-of-purchasing-icm-system.html">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://compensationexpert.blogspot.com/2008/06/icm-saga-continues.html">Part 2</a> of this story first.<br /><br />The blame cannot be put on one person. ABC Corp, the ICM vendor and the consultant all own some of the responsibility for the issue.<br /><br />The entire situation could have been avoided if the requirements had been better designed. Requirements could have been better designed if the compensation plans had been completed with enough details. The vendor would probably have done a better job at scoping out the work initially or in certain situations may even have not submitted a proposal.<br /><p><strong></strong> </p><p><strong>What can we take away from this story?</strong><br /></p><ul><li>Requirements cannot be fully defined unless the compensation plans are finalized. Requirements may be inaccurate or incomplete unless compensation plans show sufficient details and examples. </li><br /><li>An ICM solution cannot be selected unless the requirements are fully defined.</li><br /><li>Not all ICM solutions can handle very complex compensation plans (no matter what the vendor's rep says). Some solutions are better suited for certain situations.</li><br /><li>Good requirements are the foundation for any IT project, mess up the requirements and the entire project will be shaky. </li><br /><li>Using an experienced consultant to help out with the requirements design, RFP writing and solution selection could be a good idea to select the ideal solution. </li><br /><li>Consultants and vendors alike cannot "always" guess client's intentions. </li><br /><li>Mentioning or emailing a requirement is not enough, this requirement must find its way to the requirement document to ensure it is met by the implementation and properly tested. </li></ul>Julien Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05495634468703089244noreply@blogger.com0