Governance through Workflows in Managing Incentive Plans and Programs

Introduction

Effectively managing sales incentive plans and programs is a key factor in maintaining compliance, ensuring fair compensation to salespeople, and driving sales performance. For organizations, it can involve a robust governance structure that leverages various workflows to oversee and control different aspects of the incentive program. In this blog post, we will explore key governance levers you can use to enhance your program's efficiency and compliance.

Key Governance Levers

1) Approvals

Incentive Plan Rollout: Before launching any incentive plan, it must undergo a series of approvals, ensuring that the plan aligns with company objectives, complies with regulations, and is achievable and fair.

Payout Approvals: Every payout needs a thorough review to make sure calculations are accurate and align with the incentive plan's terms. This step prevents errors and potential disputes.

Acknowledgment: Employees should acknowledge receipt and understanding of the incentive plan. This step helps all participants be aware of the criteria and expectations.

Target Approvals: Setting targets demands careful consideration and approval to guarantee they are both realistic and motivating.

Incentive Plan Elements: Each element of the incentive plan, from quotas to bonuses, requires to be scrutinized and approved to ensure fairness and compliance.

2) Dispute Management

Queries: A dispute management system should handle all queries related to incentive calculations and payments.

Transaction Disputes: Disputes over transaction records need a clear resolution process to maintain trust in the system.

Payout Disputes: Any payout discrepancies must be resolved quickly and fairly to avoid dissatisfaction and demotivation.

3) Exception Management

Credit Overrides: Handling exceptions like credit overrides requires strict control to verify that they are justified and correctly applied.

Splits: Managing splits in sales credit among team members should be governed by clear rules to prevent conflicts.

Assignment Updates: Any changes in sales assignments must be carefully managed to ensure they reflect current responsibilities and contributions.

HR Exceptions: Human resources exceptions, such as leave or transfers, should be accurately incorporated into the incentive plan.

Large Deal Size: Deals of significant size may need special handling and approval to confirm they are correctly incentivized.

4) Adjustments

Participant Additions and Deletions: Keeping the participant roster updated is essential for accurate incentive calculations.

Roster Updates: Regular updates to the roster make sure that all active participants are included and eligible for incentives.

Payout Prorations: Adjusting payouts proportionally for participants who join or leave mid-cycle ensures fairness.

Target Refinements: Periodic reviews and adjustments of targets keep them realistic and aligned with market conditions.

Alignment Refinements: Regular alignment updates will allow the incentive plans to stay relevant and effective.

5) Change Management

Maker and Checker: Implementing a maker-checker system guarantees that all changes and approvals undergo a dual-control process for accuracy and compliance.

Target Updates: Any updates to targets should follow a clear, documented process to maintain transparency and accountability.

6) Audit and Compliance

Audit Trails: For audit purposes, maintain detailed records of all transactions, approvals, and changes.

Compliance Checks: Regular compliance checks against internal policies and external regulations help identify and rectify issues proactively.

Documentation: Comprehensive documentation of processes, rules, and decisions helps maintain consistency and compliance.

7) Training and Awareness

Regular Training: Regular training sessions for employees on the incentive plan and its governance ensure everyone is aware of the processes and compliance requirements.

Communication: Clear and consistent communication about changes and updates to the incentive plan helps reduce confusion and increase compliance.

Differentiating Through Effective Workflow Management

To effectively govern your sales incentive plan and programs, consider implementing workflows that cater to data-driven and information-based processes. Here’s how you can achieve that:

1) Ticket-based Cases

Manage approvals, disputes, exceptions, and adjustments through a ticketing system that tracks and resolves every issue efficiently.

2) Data-driven Cases

Leverage data analytics to drive decisions and manage exceptions. It ensures that all actions are backed by reliable data, enhancing accuracy and trust.

3) Configurable Flows

Hierarchical Action: Set up workflows that follow the organizational hierarchy, ensuring that the right people review and approve each step.

Multi-level Data-dependent Approvals: Create approval workflows that depend on specific data points, ensuring that each decision is well-informed.

Actions Based on Role: Customize workflows in your incentive plan so that actions are taken based on the user’s role, ensuring accountability and efficiency.

4) Delegation

Allow for delegation of tasks and approvals to ensure continuity and efficiency, especially during absences or high workload periods.

5) Request for More Information

Incorporate steps where additional information can be requested to make well-informed decisions, enhancing transparency and accuracy.

6) Case History Visibility

Maintain a detailed case history for every approval, dispute, exception, and adjustment. This ensures that all actions are transparent and can be audited.

7) Email Notifications

Automate email notifications for every workflow step to keep all stakeholders informed and take timely action for the same.

8) SLA Tracking

Implement Service Level Agreement (SLA) tracking so that all tasks and workflows are completed within the specified timeframes, maintaining efficiency and compliance.

Conclusion

Governance through well-structured workflows is critical for managing sales incentive plans and programs. By leveraging the right governance levers, you can ensure compliance, fairness, and efficiency in your incentive processes. Evaluate your current workflows and consider incorporating these levers to enhance your program’s effectiveness and adherence to compliance guidelines. By doing so, you’ll streamline operations and build trust and motivation among your sales team.