Smarter Filters, Timely Nudges, and Clearer Planning: What’s new in SFA 7.19

Field sales is a fast-paced environment, and small issues can slow it down. Browsing through long product lists, missing your login by five minutes, or having trouble with planning tools that don’t fit your workflow can create obstacles. These aren’t just technical problems; they drain focus and slow down progress.

In this latest update, we’ve tackled three common hurdles with straightforward improvements. They are not just features; they are upgrades to your workflow. From smarter filters and timely reminders to organized journey planning, each change enables your teams to work faster, stay coordinated, and concentrate on selling.

Here’s what’s new:

• Visual Brand Filters
• Attendance Nudges
• PJP Approval Workflow

Let’s look at what’s new.

Filter Smarter, Tap Faster: Product Images in Brand Filters

Let’s consider a common situation. A sales rep is placing an order on the SFA app. The brand list shows a long list of names, some familiar and some not. They pause, trying to remember which sub-brand belongs were. They might even scroll past a brand they recognize only by its packaging. The system isn’t broken, but it certainly slows things down.

The Solution: We’ve made a visual upgrade to the product filter. Brands and sub-brands now appear as images—logos or product visuals—rather than just text. These images come directly from the DMS product hierarchy and display in a clean, scrollable format.

How it Works:

• In DMS, users can upload product and hierarchy-level images using templates or the UI.

A new option, “Enable Brand Filter for Product,” controls this feature:

1. Enable: Displays brand images in filters across SFA order booking screen.
2. Disable: Keeps the current text-based filter layout

• SFA will sync all brand images from DMS for viewing in the filter grid or carousel.
• Users can tap a brand image to filter the product list accordingly.
• If an image is missing for a brand, its name will appear as text.

A second option, “Brand Filter Level in Order Booking,” allows filter control by:

1. Brand
2. Sub-brand

How This Update Works in Real Life

A salesperson walks into a general trade store. The retailer says, “Order me the green shampoo—the usual one.” The rep opens the order screen, taps the brand logo instead of searching by name, and quickly finds the right product line. No guessing. No delay. Just a few taps.

Advantage for Business

• Faster product discovery during order booking
• Visual navigation cuts training time for new reps
• Better fit with how field teams think and sell
• Increased order accuracy and confidence
• Configurable for flexibility across brand structures

Start Strong: Attendance Nudges That Drive Daily Discipline

Let’s be honest. Starting the day on time sounds simple, but in field operations, it’s easy to fall behind. A quick delay, a missed check-in, or forgetting to mark attendance can result in lost hours and reduced productivity. The challenge isn’t only about discipline; it involves visibility and building habits.

The Solution: We’ve introduced a smart nudging system that reminds and rewards field teams for attending on time. It helps create consistency through notifications, gentle reminders, and adjustable alerts.

How it Works:

• A default attendance time is set to 10 AM for all users.
• Admins can update attendance times for each user in the backend (DMS integration will follow in future updates).

A new backend configuration allows toggling of three types of nudges:

• Attendance Reminder (Push Notification)
• Sent 10 minutes before the set login time if attendance isn’t marked.
• Message example: “Clock ticking! It’s time to mark your attendance.”

On-Time Attendance Nudge:

• Triggered when a user logs in before the scheduled time.
• Message example: “Congrats! That’s how consistent success begins—on time!”

Late Attendance Nudge:

• Displayed if attendance is marked late.
• Message example: “15 minutes late—2nd time this month. Don’t let it become a habit.”
• Nudge content and images can be fully adjusted from the backend to match the company’s tone and culture.
• No changes are needed on the frontend; everything is managed server-side.

How This Update Works in Real Life

A salesperson used to log in a few minutes late almost every day. With the new attendance nudge feature, they now receive a gentle reminder at 9:50 AM. After three early check-ins in a row, they even got a congratulatory nudge.

Advantage for Business

• Builds a culture of punctuality and consistency.
• Encourages timely logins without manual follow-ups.
• Customizable tone and messaging to match company values.
• Backend-only setup allows for quick rollout; no app update is needed.

Plan Better, Approve Faster: The New PJP Approval Workflow

Creating a Permanent Journey Plan (PJP) should enable productivity, not be a complicated process. Until now, reps could create PJPs freely, but there was no way to validate those plans, check for visit frequency compliance, or ensure consistency across the team. For growing teams, this led to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and a lack of visibility.

The Solution: We have redesigned the PJP assign screen to promote smarter planning, frequency validation, and a built-in approval process. Whether it’s one route or several, for oneself or the team, PJP is now structured, trackable, and accountable, just as it should be.

How it Works:

Route & Class-Based Planning:

• Reps can assign multiple routes each day.
• Only relevant outlets for the selected class will be displayed.
• Classes allow multiple selections; Leave, Holiday, and Meeting types are included.

Visit Frequency Validations:

• Configurable by class (e.g., Class A: 4-6 visits/month).
• The system won’t allow plans outside these limits.

PJP Approval Flow:

• Single or multi-level approval options are available.
• Approval status is shown as Pending, Approved, or Rejected.
• Notifications and comments are included for all decisions.
• Configurable auto-approve or reject after a set duration.

UI Highlights:

• Live color-coded planning grid (e.g., min/max visit limits).
• Draft and submit modes are available.
• One-day edits are supported with a two-day advance limit.

Hierarchy Logic:

• PJPs created for oneself go through the approval process.
• PJPs created for team members are auto approved.

Deviation Handling:

• Deviating from the planned beat triggers an OTP request to the supervisor.
• This includes reason logging and RNA tracking.

Reporting & Integration:

• Fully integrated with DMS for reports.
• RNA captures a complete audit trail including approvers, timestamps, and deviation logs.

How This Update Works in Real Life

A supervisor plans their team’s routes for the upcoming month. The system flags any under- or over-visited outlets and blocks submission until corrected. Once submitted, the manager reviews the plan, approves it, and it becomes active. If a rep forgets to plan next month’s visits, trying mid-month will trigger a flag and require supervisor approval. This keeps everyone on the same page without confusion.

Advantage for Business

• Monthly planning is accurate, down to class-level frequency.
• It prevents over- or under-serving key outlets.
• It builds accountability with real-time visibility and approval.
• It handles mid-month changes with minimal disruption.
• This reduces manual intervention while increasing compliance.

Conclusion

These updates aren’t only about fixing problems; they focus on making what already works even better.

With visual filters, reps can operate more quickly and make decisions with greater confidence. Reminders encourage discipline without being overbearing. The new PJP workflow clarifies planning, approvals, and execution.

What connects them all is intent: each update is based on how real salespeople operate in the field. It’s not about adding more screens or steps; it’s about removing the ones that don’t help.

When sales tools are simple, responsive, and designed for how people work, productivity becomes the norm instead of just a goal.