Sales Assistance System for Priority Client Timing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sales assistance technologies struggle to efficiently prioritize sales activities for potential clients, requiring sales representatives to set complex search conditions and lack clear guidance on optimal timing for proposing product updates.

Innovation Solution

A sales assistance method executed by a computer that determines priority potential clients based on estimated update timings and proposed periods, eliminating the need for sales representatives to set search conditions and providing timely guidance for sales activities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If sales representatives manually set search conditions to identify priority clients, then they can filter clients based on specific criteria, but the complexity of setting appropriate search conditions increases and requires expert knowledge

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient priority identification accuracyVSAvoidsearch condition setting complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically performs client priority determination without requiring sales representatives to manually set search conditions. The computer system autonomously analyzes client data, estimates update timings, and identifies priority clients based on predetermined criteria, eliminating the need for human expertise in configuring search parameters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-calculates and stores criteria for determining client priority and estimated update timings before sales representatives need to identify priority clients. This preliminary preparation of determination logic and thresholds allows the system to immediately provide accurate results without requiring ad-hoc configuration of search conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If sales representatives manually determine priority clients, then they can tailor sales strategies, but the time required for analysis and the complexity of considering multiple factors increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesales activity efficiencyVSAvoidtime for client priority analysis

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The manual mechanical process of reviewing client data, estimating update timings, and determining priority is replaced by an automated computer system. The system uses algorithms to process client information, calculate timing estimates, and identify priority clients instantly, eliminating the time-consuming manual analysis while maintaining strategic tailoring capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously updates client information and automatically recalculates priority rankings based on new data. This feedback mechanism ensures that priority client identification remains current and accurate without requiring sales representatives to manually re-analyze client statuses, saving time while maintaining strategic relevance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the system provides detailed guidance on sales timing, then sales representatives can improve timing accuracy, but the complexity of the system increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesales timing accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the complex task of sales timing determination into separate, manageable components: client data collection, update timing estimation, priority calculation, and guidance generation. Each component handles a specific aspect of the analysis independently, making the overall system more manageable while providing detailed and accurate timing guidance through the segmented processing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250077988A1Sales assistance method, sales assistance program, and sales assistance system

Publication Date: 2025.03.06 HITACHI LTD

AI summary

sales assistance method includes a priority potential client determination step of determining a priority potential client of a sales activity to be performed at a certain timing and a display/output control step for a priority potential client list. The priority potential client determination step includes an estimated update timing determination step of determining an estimated update timing about updating of a product, an estimated proposal period determination step of determining whether or not the certain timing is included in an estimated proposal period which is a period suitable to propose updating of the product to a potential client, and a priority measure step of treating the potential client such that the potential client is likely to be determined as the priority potential client, in a case where the certain timing is included in the estimated proposal period.