IBM - Best New Sales Automation Solution

Company: IBM, Armonk, NY
Company Description: IBM is a values-based enterprise of individuals who create & apply technology to make the world work better. Today, more than 400,000 IBM employees around the world invent and integrate hardware, software and services to help forward-thinking enterprises, institutions and people succeed on a smarter planet.
Nomination Category: New Product & Service Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Automation Solution – New

Nomination Title: DSW Automation of Channel Quote Creation and Validation

IBM Quote to Cash (Q2C) Operations team supports the sales transactions ranging from quotes, orders, billings to cash collection. Since 2020, team put efforts to enhance and automate quotes related process so as to eliminate manual execution. Finally, in 2021 we deployed Robotic Process Automation - DSW Quote Validator across APAC markets to fulfill different sources of IBM channel quote requests automatically.

What is Automated?

DSW Quote Validator Automation is developed by leveraging Blue Prism software. It connects to our quote creation tool (DSW SQO – Distributed Software Sales Quote Online), ordering tool (DSW SAP) and file storing tool BOX@IBM. The robot can automatically log in DSW SQO (Sales Quote Online) system for draft quote Creation, Validation, and Correction. Several batch jobs are scheduled on each day to run the RPA.

1) when Business Partners submit quote requests via PGS (Partner Guided Selling) tool over to SQO, the robot retrieves a saved quote and starts quote validation, including customers and partners info, parts and pricing, sales information, etc.
2) when Business Partners submit quote requests by emails attaching manual request form, the robot starts quote creation in SQO and next proceeds to quote validation steps.

Once creation and validation are completed, the robot identifies discrepancies, generates and uploads validation result reports into BOX, and meanwhile sends an email notification to users with the link for final review and quote submission.

What Benefits the Automation Brings?

- 80% Improved Productivity

Prior to the automation, the process has 34 manual steps if the quote is submitted via PGS tool and 54 manual steps if the quote is created by Q2C from the beginning. With DSW Quote Validator, we have 80% reduction of manual work for every transaction. Future iterations will be continued to achieve the most touchless.

Productivity saving resulted by DSW Quote Validator RPA is 23,700 hours per year. As for now, the automation covers all APAC markets. Since Q2C support to quotes process is global, this automation solution is scalable to the other regions’ Q2C Operations teams and Sellers to increase the savings.

The DSW Quote Validator was deployed in 3 phases in 2021: January 2021, March 2021, Sep 2021 across APAC markets and for different sources (channels) of quote requests.

1. Drives Process Transformation –
DSW Quote Validator RPA is one key element to achieve successful Process Transformation from Q2C support to Seller Self-service Model for channel quote requests, with effectiveness in 4Q 2021 and beyond.

2. Improves Customer Experience –
Internally, Q2C and Sellers can utilize the automation to execute pre-defined steps and eliminate manual work. The automation relieves them from low value manual work to focus on higher value and core activities.

Externally, with the automation solution, the rework and validation handoffs are reduced so that pre-sales overall cycle time is shortened. In terms of accuracy, it is improved since less human action is required. Through all the improvements, IBM Business Partners have better experience to deal with IBM.

User Testimonials:

You can start working on your next quote while the other quotes are being validated by the RPA. Afterwards, you can just review the output report to check which ones can be submitted for pricing approval. - Fernando Musad, Q2C Professional

This RPA minimizes human error by providing me with the information needed through its output report, from customer's information, to the most important part, the Bill of Materials (BOM). From there, I can simply revise as necessary. - Maria Eloisa Turqueza, Q2C Professional