Managing and tracking incentive
programs can be time-consuming and complicated. But today,
there are a number of online solutions that offer everything from a
simple tracking tool to elaborate management systems that enable
managers to keep track of a contest’s progress and allow incentive
participants to track their own standings and select their rewards.
Which system is best for you will depend on the nature of your
reward (for example, cash, merchandise or travel), how broad the
audience is and the associated costs.
Following is a review of some of the
main providers of computer-based incentive tracking programs; for
comprehensive offerings and pricing information, contact the
providers directly.
New York City-based Altour
Incentive Management (212-897-5000; www.easpire.com) has
Aspire, their product for online tracking of incentive programs.
The program can be tailored for customer loyalty, sales and
employee performance. Aspire also offers a wide range of online
reports for managers. One nice feature is an automated notification
and e-mail blast capability that sends participants announcements
and status reports.
Callidus Software
(408-808-6400; www.callidussoftware.com), based in San Jose, Calif.,
is a management and consulting company that has a wide range of
products and services including those tailored for the insurance,
banking, telecommunications, science and manufacturing
industries.
Scottsdale, Ariz.-based
Incentive Logic (888-558-4483; www.incentivelogic.com) offers online tracking for a
variety of programs, based on the audience and types of incentives
offered. They have an online process called Setting the Stage that
walks planners through five steps to define the general nature of
their program and then recommends a number of options and links to
help select the right package.
Loyaltyworks.com
(800-844-5000; www.loyaltyworks.com), based in Atlanta, provides a
multitude of programs for employees, customers, dealers and sales
professionals, as well as an umbrella program under which they will
unify any number and types of programs for a client under one
system. Their product also allows planners to administer overall
incentive budgets and adjust programs as needed (say, provide a
special sprint period within the main program that rewards top
sellers for a particular week or month).
Based in
Dallas,Online-Rewards (888-826-0783; www.online-rewards.com) offers tools for employee,
customer, training and safety incentive programs; they have
different program levels based on the number of participants,
ranging from less than 250 to 2,500-plus. All feature online
monitoring and reward redemption capabilities.
Perks.com
(501-707-0360; www.incentiveprograms.com), based in Los Angeles,
offers an online product that can be deployed at various levels for
both employee performance and customer loyalty programs.
Administrators and participants can monitor the progress of their
programs online, allowing them to view participant standings. Their
website has some good incentive management tools, including
research studies and white papers on various aspects of
motivation.
Xceleration
(888-800-4191; www.xceleration.com), based in Atlanta, has developed
Reward Station, which is a proprietary web-based sales incentive
and reward program that includes both traditional tracking as well
as peer nomination and recognition capabilities. Reward Station
lets participants redeem awards for merchandise, travel and gift
cards, while providing managers with reports on participants’
performance, program costs and rewards redeemed.
Bob Walters,based in Fort Worth, Texas, is founder of Phoenix Solutions
and developer of MeetingTrak Software.