---
title: "A Digital Operations System May Matter More Than Digitalization Itself"
description: "The article argues that while digital tools like SFA, mini-programs, and one-code-per-item are important, the key is building a comprehensive digital operations system that integrates these tools to connect F2B2b2C, enabling coverage, acquisition, activation, repurchase, and referral. It emphasizes that these tools have limitations and must be adapted to specific contexts, and that product quality remains fundamental."
author: "赵波"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2021-08-26"
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# A Digital Operations System May Matter More Than Digitalization Itself

> The article argues that while digital tools like SFA, mini-programs, and one-code-per-item are important, the key is building a comprehensive digital operations system that integrates these tools to connect F2B2b2C, enabling coverage, acquisition, activation, repurchase, and referral. It emphasizes that these tools have limitations and must be adapted to specific contexts, and that product quality remains fundamental.

**Click to read the original article for details**
**SFA: Coverage**
Through the popularization and application of SFA, the operational efficiency of frontline sales personnel has been greatly improved. However, we need to look at this dialectically: what exactly are frontline sales personnel doing? What can the system provide for them?
**Is it monitoring or empowerment?**
From Jinmailang's system, sales personnel only need to follow the product sell-through logic required by the manufacturer, and complete the work without much thought. Essentially, they are treated as tools.
This action is not complex but requires consistency. Since it's difficult to manage personnel in the field, the system completes the actions of store visits, product placement, and sell-through through standardized processes, checkpoints, incentives, and performance management.
The underlying prerequisite is: **manufacturers need to achieve large-scale initial market coverage and complete the distribution actions: distribution means coverage and shelf placement; sell-through means driving sales and terminal activation.**
There are many variations of the four-in-one model, **but essentially they all achieve increased sales by digitizing process management and providing real-time incentives to boost frontline personnel's enthusiasm for terminal operations.**
Through system management, we must not only see the advantages but also the limitations:
**First limitation: Application scenarios**
Jinmailang's four-in-one model is based on instant consumer goods categories, with numerous small retail outlets requiring continuous visits and terminal services.
These services are simple, repetitive, and standardizable, but require a large amount of manual labor at the terminal. The technical content is low, and they are highly substitutable.
Under this premise, the system is effective. However, for non-small-store categories, or those requiring non-standardized visits and complex problems that heavily rely on intellectual solutions, this method is not effective. Therefore, it must not be blindly copied.
**Second limitation: Game rules**
Designing the game rules requires profound market management expertise. Rigid execution needs marketing flexibility; the starting point is the logic of sell-through. If products could sell just by being displayed in stores, there would be no hard-to-sell goods.
This requires market managers to have deep insight and design systematic visit and terminal execution rules based on sell-through logic.
**Different categories have huge differences in digitalization. Jinmailang's model solves the problem of product coverage within stores. The logic of this system is based on instant consumer goods where goods don't move but people do.**
But today's problem is that, except for some high time-cost needs, consumers no longer shop in stores but have shifted online, requiring us to have the ability to reach and transact online.
However, FMCG, especially many instant categories, still need to be sold through stores, which requires another capability: **the ability to reach community consumers through technical means. This capability, in professional terms, is called BC integration.**
**BC Integration: Acquiring New Users, Activating Existing Ones**
BC integration was first proposed by Mr. Liu Chunxiong in the New Marketing group: **Today's marketing, in addition to operating the B-end sales, also needs to use mini-programs and the social networks of community store owners (KOC) to reach the C-end. Through educating the C-end, it's a marketing method that reversely activates the B-end.**
Simply put, it uses mini-programs and the social networks of small store owners to complete consumer education and promotions.
So, what problems can BC integration solve?
**First: Solving consumer experience and awareness**
Since consumers no longer enter stores, we must reach them. But the process requires both methods and investment, similar to a blitz attack, to solve phased market problems.
For new products entering stores, to complete consumer trials, brand owners need to bring people and products into communities for consumer education.
But today, brand owners and distributors can use mini-programs and the store owners' social circles to achieve the process from consumer unawareness to product experience through special offers, buy-one-get-one, flash sales, etc.
Mr. Liu mentioned in his previous article that BC integration can provide backend support to the frontend with **timed (specific time slots), targeted (specific stores, specific areas), and personalized (specific personnel) resource support.**
Through mini-programs, store owners can promote in their social groups, which is precise and efficient; costs go directly to consumers, reducing intermediate losses, and feedback is timely. You can see feedback immediately after the first drop. It also helps drive in-store traffic.
**Second: Solving market attacks**
In markets where a brand is relatively weak, mini-programs can be used to intercept consumers in social groups, allowing them to complete purchases without leaving home.
For example, in March and April, the beer peak season is coming. Weak brands can use buy-one-get-one or other special offers to pressure consumers' home beer inventory in specific markets and areas, achieving C-end interception within social groups.
But this is fundamentally different from community group buying's special offers. The core is **that activities are self-controlled, and can be launched at specific times, places, and people based on actual conditions, achieving marketing goals.**
**Limitations of Mini-Programs**
The limitations of mini-programs are also obvious. First, since consumers only receive limited image and text information, unless it's a branded product or one with strong personal endorsement, consumers lack a three-dimensional perception of the product. Therefore, promotional effects for non-first-tier new products may be unsatisfactory.
Additionally, although intermediate losses are reduced, the promotional intensity must be large enough, requiring substantial investment, which demands strong support from manufacturers.
High promotional intensity can lead to the possibility of "wool-picking" (exploiting deals) and create a false impression of strong sales.
Of course, everything has two sides. Mini-program promotions are currently still an effective promotional tool. We see first-tier brands like Six Walnut, Unify, Jingjiu, and Luzhou Laojiao all applying similar practices.
**One Product One Code: Repurchase**
One product one code is already a very common marketing tool in the FMCG industry, with almost all domestic consumer goods having related applications.
But currently, most domestic enterprises use it relatively simply. Previously, when communicating with Mr. Wang from Mido, he shared a viewpoint:
One product one code is not just a simple scan-for-promotion tool, but a means to connect consumers, brand owners, and retailers based on a cloud platform. It's an enterprise-level SaaS technology that provides comprehensive digital marketing, anti-counterfeiting traceability, warehousing and logistics solutions.
From the simplest perspective, consumer promotions are the most direct use of one product one code.
But this is based on a premise: after purchasing and experiencing the product, consumers are willing to further interact with the product and the company. At this point, a very important node emerges: **the operation of the user repurchase system.**
We see that enterprises' private domain systems, such as membership and official accounts, all rely on the one product one code entry point.
But after users scan the code, what to do depends on the core purpose of each enterprise: whether it's for promotional repurchase or building a private traffic pool through a membership operation system.
From the perspective of single promotions and repurchase, one product one code remains a very effective promotional entry point. The key is the brand's promotional intensity, methods, and how the promotion is presented.
The above discussion of SFA, mini-programs, and one product one code all revolve around operations within small stores, based on consumer scenarios, involving people, stores, and goods.
Digital operations are centered on one purpose: **combining multiple technologies, methods, and tools, through systematic operation, to connect the F2B2b2C chain, link users, and achieve integrated marketing. Based on user operations and experience, ultimately achieve market and consumer coverage, acquisition, activation, repurchase, and referral conversion.**
Whether it's SFA, mini-programs, or one product one code, although they can solve product coverage, acquisition, and activation, there is a prerequisite: the product must be good enough.
If the product is not good, no promotional tool can solve brand loyalty. The costs of offline channels will only increase. If new products are launched without rigorous validation, the stronger the technology, the faster they will die.
**Regarding the construction and practical cases of digital operations systems, at the China FMCG Conference in Shanghai from September 23-25, New Distribution will organize three special forums: "Digital Marketing," "BC Integration," and "MarTech and Private Domain Traffic," inviting industry brand executives and experts to discuss and exchange ideas. Interested friends should not miss it!**
**PS**: From September 23-25, 2021, the 2021 (4th) China FMCG Conference hosted by New Distribution will open in Shanghai. **Focusing on industry trends + practical cases + growth connections**, **3000** FMCG practitioners will gather.
Confirmed heavyweight guests include: **1. Tao Shiquan, Founder of Jiangxiaobai; 2. Yao Xuhong, General Manager of Meiyijia Holdings; 3. Lu Xiuqiong, Global Expert Partner at Bain & Company, former VP of Marketing at Coca-Cola China; 4. Chen Xiaodong, Senior VP of Nestlé Greater China; 5. Zhang Fujun, President of Lee Kum Kee China; 6. Bi Chaojiao, General Manager of China Resources Snow Breweries Marketing Center; 7. Yang Hongbin, VP of Junlebao Dairy Group; 8. Yang Shun, COO of Lipton Greater China; 9. Zhang Yipeng, General Manager of Kuaishou E-commerce SKA Brand Operations Center; 10. Li De, E-commerce General Manager of Gold Hong Ye Paper Group...**
**A grand event for FMCG professionals, you must be there!**
**Are you "watching" me?**


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