Will Data Science Replace Sales Ops?

That headline got your attention, right? Well, there is a big discussion going on out there about how automation, data science, and predictive analytics, will replace certain types of jobs. In fact, the New York Times recently explored this issue, based on a McKinsey report entitled, “Four Fundamentals of Workplace Automation,” published a few months ago.

There are two assumptions baked into the study. First, the speed of technology innovation today is faster than ever before and second, software will automate cognitive tasks, not just physical ones, within the next 3–5 years. While only 5% of jobs will be entirely automated, such as the recent announcement that computers will replace hotel operators in New York, most will remain. You can let out a sigh of relief now. You’re not being replaced.

But, there is no doubt that data science will significantly change the nature of your work. For example, the report points out that roughly 20% of CEO activities can be automated with machine-learning software such as analyzing reports, making operating decisions, and preparing staff assignments. The same is true for sales operations leaders and it’s already happening.

In my last blog post, I mentioned that Aviso can automate forecasting and that sales execs can get back 10–12 hours in their week. That’s the magic of automation. It can relieve you of the most tedious and time consuming parts of your job and give you more time to do the things that really matter like working your network, cultivating warm leads, creative problem solving around stuck deals, and preparing winning sales presentations.

The simple fact is that a machine will never replace a skilled sales leader because, after all, the B2B sales process is still a human-to-human interaction. But, it will enable him or her to be even more productive, efficient, and effective. But how does it really work in real life? Last Fall, we launched the Aviso War Room, with a Live Deal Ticker that delivers actionable deal scoring so that–at a glance–you know which deals are in good shape, which need more attention and which are a lost cause. The War Room is also a Scenario Modeling Sandbox that enables sales leaders to run through different scenarios–best case, commit, worst case–and privately model the impact of your pocket deals. Armed with all of this information, derived from advanced analytics and data science, you can make smarter decisions and take immediate action so that you can drive towards meeting your quarterly number.
So, the role of Sales Ops is not only here to stay, but will only become more strategic to the business, when you have the right technologies at hand.

Originally published at www.aviso.com on February 8, 2016.