Case Studies > Empowering Sales Managers: Websense Boosts Forecast Accuracy with C9 Active Pipeline

Empowering Sales Managers: Websense Boosts Forecast Accuracy with C9 Active Pipeline

Company Size

1,000+

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

C9 Active Pipeline
Salesforce CRM
Triton™ integrated content security solutions

Tech Stack

Salesforce CRM
SAP
Oracle

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Customer Satisfaction
Digital Expertise
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)

Applicable Industries

Software

Applicable Functions

Business Operation
Sales & Marketing

Services

System Integration
Training

About The Customer

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Websense is a global leader in unified Web, data, and email content security generating revenues of more than $332 million in 2010. The company’s sales strategy involves distribution through a global network of channel partners and delivered as software, appliances, and Security-as a-Service (SaaS). Last year, Websense had $49 million in billings to new customers, a 10% increase from the previous year, while billings for its Triton™ integrated content security solutions grew by 74%. With overall deal-size increasing, the company is also on track to close a record number of seven-figure transactions in 2011. Managing that level of pipeline management and forecast visibility for a flourishing sales organization requires a balanced approach of strategy and depth.

The Challenge

The biggest pain points today’s sales organizations face are lack of visibility in pipeline movements and inaccurate sales forecasts. Compiling that level of analysis can be both arduous and time consuming and takes resources from the primary goal – selling. For Jake Hofwegen, Vice President of Global Sales Strategy & Operations with Websense, the intelligent data from C9 was not only eye opening and crucial for his business, but his newfound accuracy came without excessive man-hours spent manually compiling forecasts. Websense, a global leader in unified Web, data, and email content security, faced challenges in managing pipeline visibility and forecast accuracy. The company’s sales strategy involves distribution through a global network of channel partners and delivered as software, appliances, and Security-as a-Service (SaaS). Managing that level of pipeline management and forecast visibility for a flourishing sales organization requires a balanced approach of strategy and depth.

The Solution

After evaluating a number of forecasting and pipeline management solutions, Websense chose C9 because the solution took daily snapshots of all their data – including all objects, custom objects, and fields – and provided immediately relevant pipeline information to sales leadership in an easy-to-use application tightly integrated with Salesforce. C9 provides Websense with visibility into what is happening in the pipeline, from finding deals that aren’t put into Commit until they are closed to reps who consistently defer deals. The Watchlist will be a key tool for Websense’s senior sales leaders by enabling them to monitor and implement strategies for their top 50 sales deals. C9 saves roughly 80 man-hours throughout the organization on rolling up forecasts and other sales administrative tasks that can now be spent on deals and customer retention. Additionally, C9 enables organizations to easily import critical sales information such as bookings and actuals from back office systems (including SAP and Oracle), as well as goals or quotas from incentive compensation systems or other data sources. The seamless integration with Salesforce and the standalone, clean user interface in C9 were key factors in Websense's decision-making process.

Operational Impact

C9 provides Websense with visibility into pipeline movements and sales forecasts, enabling better management of sales cycles and costs.
The Watchlist feature allows senior sales leaders to monitor and implement strategies for their top 50 sales deals.
C9 saves roughly 80 man-hours throughout the organization on rolling up forecasts and other sales administrative tasks.
The seamless integration with Salesforce and the user-friendly interface of C9 ensure regular use and effective deployment.
C9's customer support programs and training help Websense effectively use the system and stay updated on new features and functionality.

Quantitative Benefit

Websense had $49 million in billings to new customers, a 10% increase from the previous year.
Billings for Triton™ integrated content security solutions grew by 74%.
C9 saves roughly 80 man-hours throughout the organization on rolling up forecasts and other sales administrative tasks.