August 30, 2011 by The Bridge Solutions Group Team
Recently I have been talking to friends and clients—some IT techies, some business users, and senior level management — about their implementation lifecycles. Out of my discussions, a few key pain points have become very clear. Many companies’ decision- makers do not have the context, resources, or time to make a fully educated decision when it comes to some of their most important IT investments. Many of them feel that they were sold a truck, and received a compact car, while others feel that they were sold a luxury vehicle, when what would have best served them was a reliable station wagon. Ignoring the funny imagery of your IT sales people as used car salesman, there are ways for you to minimize your risks, receive significantly less biased information, and reduce the pain of a misconceived product implementation.
This article will detail ten (10) such benefits that can be derived from a good Value-Added Partner (VAP).
Before we start the list, let’s define a Value-Added Partner. A value-added partner is a third-party company that has deep knowledge about the industry, the product(s), and the latest technologies, and is asked to assist in the planning, pre-sales, or sales cycles to make sure that the goals and needs of both companies are aligned.
By providing information, research, and guidance, VAP’s can make sure that expectations are realistic, that the customer is making an informed decision, and that the sales team is focused on the truly important aspects of the product for the customer. Bridge Solutions is dedicated to being a Value-Added Ppartner for our existing clients, as well as new and potential clients. Our focus on this concept shapes us to the very core of our company- our Mission Statement. Excerpt from the mission statement:
“Our focus is on enabling and unlocking value in your core business processes. We not only provide IT solutions, but partner with our clients to create and harmonize their competitive advantages. Your IT solutions are there to support your core business, and our team is there to make this possible. By maintaining strong relationships with major technology providers, we ensure that we can bring you the best advice possible about your IT challenges. Whether it’s a matter of making the software work to fit your process, or determining how to change your processes to best utilize the software, we can help you find the most effective balance between people, processes, and IT within your organization.
Through our strong leadership team, our intensive and comprehensive training, and our industry experience, Bridge Solutions will always bring you the skills, advice, and resources that you need to enable your enterprise at every level.”
Bridge Solutions looks forward to an opportunity to partner with your IT group to ensure that you get the best solution for the least cost possible. If your company is in need of a value-added partnership, or your sales team could use some of the benefits listed above, please contact us.
You can email us at: contact@bridgesgi.com or call us at 1.877.245.4347
Filed under: Blog, Supply Chain