TYSONS CORNER, Va. — Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc. (SRNA) has been recognized by an enterprise software firm for its development of an iPad application that provides its sales representatives with ready access to competitor pricing, fitments for popular vehicles in the area and more.
MicroStrategy Inc., a Tysons Corner-based software developer, recently presented SRNA with its Ventana Research Leadership Award in the digital technology category, which recognizes individuals, organizations, supporting vendors and consulting firms for their accomplishments using products employing the MicroStrategy Mobile platform.
"Operating in a highly competitive market, Sumitomo…is constantly looking for ways to gain a competitive edge," said Cameron Forbes, director of information technology for Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based SRNA. "To set ourselves apart, we wanted to empower our sales network with access to detailed information that could vastly improve the overall sales experience."
By developing a sales analytics app with MicroStrategy Mobile, SRNA was able to put critical information into the hands of its sales representatives to help them provide a more productive customer experience while also expanding brand awareness, Mr. Forbes added.
SRNA is responsible for the sales and distribution for Falken- and Ohtsu-branded consumer and commercial tires and Dunlop motorcycle tires throughout North America and the Caribbean markets. SRNA deployed the app in just eight weeks, MicroStrategy said.
The app combines data from SRNA's enterprise resource planning and sales systems with tire market data to provide salespeople with the insight needed to do their jobs better and help customers make informed purchasing decisions, MicroStrategy said.
"Our research showed that over 80 percent of tire sales are heavily influenced by 'the guy/gal behind the counter' at tire shops nationwide," said Mr. Forbes, who also noted that empowering the sales force with key information helped improve customer relationships, reduces the time sales teams spent gathering information for meetings and freed up business analytics teams to concentrate on more in-depth analytics tasks.
David Rennyson, senior executive vice president at MicroStrategy, said the award "further proves that empowering organizations to customize mobile apps for specific business goals facilitates intuitive discovery, precise action and incredible results."