"We were left high and dry. The end users had to engage in a lot of self-learning because after the implementation partner failed to extend its support to the end users, they had to repose their trust in the notion of 'learning by doing'. They threw themselves at the problem with a passion that I have rarely seen. They were bullish about this because they were convinced that they would emerge richer by the experience. It was a self-propelling situation," admits Subramanian.

Rising From the Ashes

The system has offered several competitive benefits. It has led to enhanced process efficiency, data accuracy, transparency and reduced dependence on IT.

The system is now able to design, devise, model and run incentive plans on its own. This has helped the sales support team communicate effectively across channels. No manual work of calculating contest outputs is required now. Thereby avoiding incorrect payouts to the sales force. By linking the rules engine to the existing reporting application, communicating the results to the field has become an easier and efficient exercise. Post-implementation the sales support team saves 1.2 hours a day on manual compilation and communication of scheme outputs.