Evaluating the Effect of Digitalization on the Sales Force of Pharmaceutical Industry

Abstract

Digitalization is altering the processes and the comportment of many industries. Sales Force Automation (SFA) tool is designed to enable and assist the Sales Executive of the Pharmaceutical industry. This study empirically examines the Deleon and McLean Information System (IS) success model in the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry to access the impact of SFA tool on the performance of the Sales Executives. The proposed ICT Success structure included six aspects (System-Quality, Information-Quality, Service-Quality, User-satisfaction that measure the SFA systems success which is the Individual-Impact). Multivariate regression data analysis technique was used for the analysis. Empirical results denote that variables User-satisfaction, Information-Quality, and Service-Quality are strong predictors of Individual-Impact, whereas User-satisfaction is negatively related to Individual-Impact. This supports the findings of (Sharif, K., 2008) a study of the United Kingdom Pharmaceutical industry proved that the thrust of Digitalization was more data-centric and not customer centric. The Sales executive perceive that SFA tool is not so useful when sales pitch needs to be customized to service different customers (doctors).