Case Extension: Plesico Pharma

Plesico Pharma is operating in the semi urban and rural belt of West Bengal. The company, after a market survey has decided to target 1800 medical practitioners. Plesico has decided to maintain a generalist sales force with geographical reporting structure based on a command and control framework. The company has decided to segment the medical practitioners on the basis of their prescription profile and clientele.

Three major segments were identified: Super core, Core, and Important. Super core doctors are those who have the highest potential of the promoted range of medicines in the given competitive landscape. They constitute 30% of the targeted doctors. Core doctors (60% of the target) are those who have mid-level prescription potential and important doctors (10%) are those who have low abut considerable prescription potential. Each sales campaign cycle is of 3 months (4 cycles in a year).

The per cycle call requirement for the Super core, Core and Important doctors are 3, 2, and 1 respectively. The time per call to be devoted to the Super core, Core and Important doctors are 30, 20, and 10 minutes respectively. Each sales person work 40 hours /week and 45 weeks/year. Out of the total no. of working hours selling activity consumes 40% time while non selling activity (admin work) and travelling consumes 40% and 20% time respectively. Time is non-differentiated as per various components of the personal selling process.

Calculate the sales force size on the basis of given data