Sift Analytics Group's supply chain and marketing strategy

Sift Analytics Group Pte Ltd. is a company headquartered in Singapore and is the leading provider of enterprise software solutions in this country since 1999. The growth and size of the company is evident in its current numbers of customers given that it has more than 500 corporate customers in Singapore alone. Throughout the years, Sift Analytics Group Pte Ltd. has remained successful and profitable because of the numerous advantages associated with its products and solutions. The company's growth is also attributed to its ability to attract, retain, and grow its customer base. As a business to business supplier organization, Sift Analytics Group utilizes effective business marketing mix components to market its products and solutions to customers. The growth and profitability of this company can be understood through an Analytics of its supply chain and marketing channels, marketing strategy, and value proposition.

Brief Background of the Company

Sift Analytics Group is the leading provider of enterprise software solutions that is headquartered in Singapore since 1999 ("About Us," n.d.). The firm's solutions work smoothly to provide organizations apparent, direct, and actionable insights into current performance and the capability to forecast future outcomes. Consequently, various customer groups including commercial, governmental, and academic organizations across the globe rely on its provided solutions. This has enabled Sift Analytics Group to obtain competitive advantage over its rivals and attract, retain, and grow its customers. In addition, the company currently has more than 500 corporate customers in Singapore alone. Sift Group profitability is attributed to its ability to enable organizations to achieve maximum returns on investment from data insights and achieve effective results. This is possible through rich industry solutions, proven practices, and professional services.

Supply Chains and Marketing Channels

The role of Sift Analytics Group is supply chain is a distributor with various participants involved in its supply chain. These participants include business development, sales or account manager, presales consultant, technical consultant, project manager, and support consultant. Business development focuses on lead generation through performing cold calls and research calls before qualifying leads while the sales/account manager controls expectations by managing various aspects related to current resources. Presales consultant basically understands all main points, data and design solution architecture as well as articulating solutions whereas the technical consultant focuses on project delivery. Support consultant provides first level support and keeps track of logged cases while the project manager focuses on profit and loss of the project, project planning and schedule, resource planning, and stakeholders' status report.

Distribution channels play a crucial role in Sift Analytics Group's supply chain management and initiatives. Some of the major distribution tasks for this company include logistics and physical distribution functions and structuring and managing distribution channel relationships. The logistics and distribution functions include inventory planning, shipping scheduling, transportation, just-in-time delivery, and model product demand. Structuring and managing relationships include adhering to strict measures in selecting and managing distribution players.

One of the supply chain management goals for this company is to ensure that suppliers provide goods and services through the use of disparate information systems on strict time limit ("Supply Chain," n.d.). Secondly, the firm focuses on creating a supply chain process that efficiently accomplishes the perfect order of supply chain management goals. The other supply chain management goals for Sift Analytics Group include realization of efficient fulfillment, driving customer value, improving company's responsiveness, creating network resiliency, and promoting fiscal success.

The sales cycle involves buying the software from Singtel, which is one of the group's customers and reselling the software to Singtel. However, Singtel, which is the product company, does not carry out professional services. Therefore, Sift Analytics Group customizes and designs the software based on the needs and requirements of Singtel. In addition, the company design and customizes the software based on the requirements of other customers in order to meet their needs.

Networks

Sift Analytics Group is a Business to Business and Business to Customer firm with various players in its supply chain management. The channel structure incorporates various players in the supply chain initiatives with individual roles. As a Business to Business firm, Sift Analytics Group works with partners and combines their solutions with its own solutions. As a Business to Customer firm, the company integrates customers' requirements into a single platform and offer data visualization as well as data mining solutions.

The distribution network involves the use of various supply chains or channels to delivers its products and solutions to customers. These channels include visual aids to articulate the solutions, prototype, and training for product delivery. In addition, the distribution network for the firm involves the use of sales people and online sales force. Sales people are responsible for ensuring account proper handling while the online sales force involves the use of an application to manage sales pipelines and sales-related issues.

B2B Marketing Communication Tools

Business to Business marketing communication tools for this company entails the use of various modes of communication. The company's B2B marketing communication tool includes networking, email platforms, and seminars. In addition, Sift Analytics Group uses some of its managers as communication channels such as channel sales manager, marketing manager, and product enablement manager. The channel sales manager provides the firm the lead, qualifies the lead and offers first hand news about the prospect whereas the marketing manager offers first hand news on marketing-related stuff and the product enablement manager updates the technical staff on software releases and patches as well as latest features (Personal interview, September 16, 2014).

Recommendation and Conclusion

Sift Analytics Group has experienced tremendous growth and profitability since its inception to an extent that it is a leading provider of enterprise software solutions. The tremendous growth has been characterized by a huge customer base that incorporates commercial, governmental, and academic customers. The success of this firm can be attributed to its effective supply chain management strategies as well as efficient marketing strategy and value proposition. These strategies have played a crucial role in enabling Sift Analytics Group to attract, retain, and grow its customer base. However, the company's networks i.e. channel structure and distribution network are relatively unclear. Therefore, the first recommendation for this firm is to clarify its channel structure and distribution network in order to streamline its operations and enhance productivity. Secondly, the company should broaden its communication methods to ensure that it reaches out to more customers. Thirdly, Sift Analytics Group Pte Ltd. should develop and establish suitable pricing strategy based on its value proposition.

References:

Sift Analytics Group Pte Ltd. n.d., About Us, Sift Analytics Group Pte Ltd., viewed 16 September

2014,

Sift Analytics Group Pte Ltd. n.d., Supply Chain Analysis. Sift Analytics Group Pte Ltd., viewed

16 September 2014,