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Helping Customers in a Down =
Economy
In a time of contracting budgets, the = job of the=20 channel partner is to help customers find a way to continue to = spend and=20 attain the greatest ROI, so when the economic crisis subsides, the = customer is in an even healthier position to do business. by Lynn Haber January 23, = 2009 |
| While the unstable economy is a cause for great concern among=20
Microsoft channel partners and their customers, it is also a great =
opportunity for partners to focus on what they do best to help =
customers=20
cut costs, improve business processes and productivity, and =
attract and=20
retain new business.=20
The truth of the matter is that even in the face of budget cuts = businesses must keep the lights on. =E2=80=9CThe job of the = channel partner is to=20 help them do that,=E2=80=9D says Tiffani Bova, vice president of = research indirect=20 programs and sales strategies, worldwide at Gartner Group.=20 The task, however, goes beyond that. In a time of contracting = budgets,=20 the job of the channel partner is to help customers find a way to = continue=20 to spend and attain the greatest ROI so when the economic crisis = subsides,=20 the customer is in an even healthier position to do business.=20 CIOs appear to be on the same page.=20 According to a recent Gartner survey CIOs expect IT to = contribute=20 results in the midst of economic uncertainty. Although the survey = of more=20 than 1,500 CIOs revealed that IT spending budgets will remain flat = for=20 2009, the same survey listed a number of CIOs top business = priorities for=20 2009 such as improving business processes, reducing enterprise = costs,=20 improving employee effectiveness, attracting and retaining new = customers,=20 and increasing the use of information analytics, to name a = handful.=20 In fact, there=E2=80=99s never been a better time for the = channel to strengthen=20 its strategic partnership with its customers and lead with = business=20 solutions that target business benefit.=20 Focus
Finally, she added Microsoft Financing to the toolbox to help = qualified=20 customers refocus tight budgets to grow their business.=20 The channel was listening.=20 Sharon Ward, director of ERP solution strategy at Green Beacon=20 Solutions, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner located in Boston, = Mass., is=20 heavily focused on Dynamics AX and Dynamics CRM with the = company=E2=80=99s=20 manufacturing customers. Why?=20 =E2=80=9CDynamics AX is agile and gives our customers who are = interested in the=20 supply chain the best of all IT architectures,=E2=80=9D says Ward, = who explains=20 that it=E2=80=99s the underlying software architecture that allows = custom=20 capabilities and configuration to enable customers to = differentiate=20 themselves and meet changing demands.=20 Despite the economic slump, Green Beacon customers = aren=E2=80=99t shying away=20 from technology investments.=20 =E2=80=9CWe=E2=80=99re not seeing too much pullback because = most our customer base is=20 astute and realizes that IT business applications are a key way to = differentiate their business and be more effective,=E2=80=9D says = Ward.=20 The solution provider does, however, detect a customer base = that=E2=80=99s more=20 cautious when it comes to spending and more focused on = understanding ROI=20 in greater detail. Green Beacon=E2=80=99s SMB customers span a = number of vertical=20 markets such as manufacturing, professional services, financial, = and=20 health care.=20 George LaVenture, president at Trinity Consulting Inc., a = Microsoft=20 Gold Certified Partner located in Marlborough, Mass., = isn=E2=80=99t seeing a lot=20 of panic among customers either. =E2=80=9CCustomers are being more = deliberate in=20 the solutions they=E2=80=99re looking at. Everything we do today = must have a=20 payoff,=E2=80=9D he says.=20 What customers are interested in today are green IT initiatives = such as=20 virtualization because it reduces hardware requirements and = improves cost=20 of ownership. Customers are also taking a look at = Microsoft=E2=80=99s Online=20 Productivity suite for better ROI.=20 =E2=80=9CIn an economic downturn customers want to reduce costs = and not cut=20 into their core business services,=E2=80=9D he says. Trinity = Consulting caters to=20 a mix of SMB and enterprise customers in the financial services = sector,=20 health care, manufacturing and non-profit.=20 LaVenture believes that Microsoft Financing is one of the more = unique=20 arrows in the quiver. =E2=80=9CIt would behoove all partners to = take out this=20 arrow whenever they need it.=E2=80=9D=20 For some customers, Microsoft Financing is a boon enabling them = to make=20 productivity improvements today. =E2=80=9CI think it=E2=80=99s one = of the best things that=20 Microsoft has done over the past few years,=E2=80=9D he says.=20 In-house, Trinity=E2=80=99s strategy for success during these = uncertain times=20 is to fall back on the things they=E2=80=99re expert at, such as = messaging=20 systems, database systems, document management systems, and = security.=20 That=E2=80=99s the same strategy Microsoft Gold Certified = partner Competitive=20 Innovations (CI), Fairfax, Va., is pursuing as it watches its = government=20 customers scramble to find funding for projects.=20 =E2=80=9COur core strengths are Microsoft Web services in a = secure environment,=20 cyber security, web content management and SharePoint,=E2=80=9D = says Mike Kennedy,=20 president and CEO of CI.=20 Solution integration around SharePoint is shaping up to be a = big piece=20 of business for CI among government customers. = =E2=80=9CWe=E2=80=99re helping agencies=20 transform their business or the way they do business to become = more=20 effective,=E2=80=9D says Kennedy.=20 Focusing on business outcomes and less on solutions and service = is=20 where the sales cycle is moving, says Gartner=E2=80=99s Bova.=20 Channel partners are confident that by helping customers = optimize IT=20 today their customers will be well positioned to run their = businesses=20 tomorrow. It=E2=80=99s the customers who hang back on spending = that they=E2=80=99re=20 worried about. =E2=80=9CWhen the economy turns around these = companies are going to=20 find themselves behind the eight ball,=E2=80=9D says Ward.=20
Lynn Haber writes about business and =
technology from=20
Norwell, Mass. |