Company Case 13
SunGard: Building Sustained Growth by Selling the SunGard Way
Synopsis
SunGard got its start back in the last 1970s as a data recovery backup center for the Sun
Oil Company (Sunoco). That division was spun off into its own company and began
servicing clients of all types and sizes. SunGard is now one of the leading software and
services companies. In the past decade, SunGard has done well but has faced many
challenges faced by the industry from compliance with government regulations to
globalization. SunGard chose to radically transform its sales force and process while
times were good, rather than wait and be forced to do so. This case outlines the details of
that transformation.
Teaching Objectives
The teaching objectives for this case are to:
1. Allow students to consider the role of a company’s salespeople in creating value
for and building relationships with customers.
2. Help students understand how companies make sales force strategy decisions.
3. Give students exposure to the different aspects of sales force management.
4. To consider the dynamics of the marketing environment and their impact on sales
organizations.
Questions for discussion:
1. Compare SunGard’s sales force structure before and after the transformation.
2. What are the positive and negative aspects of SunGard’s new sales force
structure?
Positive – As Neve and Powell point out, the new sales force structure is designed
Negative – There is always resistance to major change. This new structure
requires sales reps with greater knowledge and expertise of the full line of
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Part 1: Defining Marketing and the Marketing Process
3. How would the challenges faced by SunGard have affected sales productivity had
the company not initiated its transformational plan?
The company was doing well. This is a case where top brass initiated major
change before they were forced to do so. If this change had not been initiated
4. Identify specific ways SunGard’s transformational plan addresses the different
steps of managing the sales force.
As already noted, the transformational plan realigned the sales force structure.
Given the need for sales reps with different skills, a new-talent assessment tool
was put into play for recruiting. Given that sales reps would now need greater
5. Will “Selling the SunGard Way” really work? Why or why not?
As pointed out in question three, SunGard has the benefit of addressing the
problems it faces before those problems become extreme or insurmountable. The
case points out the difference between efforts to improve sales force effectiveness
through incremental change versus transformational change. This is clearly a
Teaching Suggestions
Most people don’t have much of an idea as to what B2B sales representatives do. Lead a
discussion based around the question, “What do B2B sales representatives do?” Let
students respond, then guide that discussion in a manner that directs it more toward
developing relationships with customers rather than just pushing product.
This case was developed for use with Chapter 13.
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