Tuesday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM — Developing and Executing on a Successful Partner Enablement Framework
Tuesday 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM — Services Marketing: It’s Not a Role of the Dice
Tuesday 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM — The PS Hot Seat: Driving Services Sales
Wednesday 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM — Improving Customer Sat With Your Partners
Tuesday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PMLocation: Montego D
- What an enablement framework is
- How to identify partners
- How to execute on an enablement strategy
Why You Need to Attend This Session:
Even with the strain on the economy, companies are still spending money on services. However, companies are looking for a high level of quality and improved ROI for their spend. This session focuses on building a partner enablement program to drive the best possible customer experience. This enablement framework ensures customers receive a top-notch, professional experience that justifies their initial spend and leads to additional solutions opportunities.
Presentation Abstract:
This presentation will focus on the Symantec Consulting Partner program's enablement model. Attendees will get an overview of the program's inception (from objective determination, target partner base, and design), details on its launch, and lessons learned. Additionally, time will be spent exploring the tools, systems, content areas, and executive sponsorship required for supporting a successful partner enablement program.
About Doland White:
With more than 20 years of consulting and senior management experience, Doland White is the director for Global Consulting Partner programs for Symantec. Doland developed and launched the Symantec Consulting Partner program for the company in July 2008. Working in partnership with Heath Ramsey, Doland executed on a program called the Consultant Enablement Lifecycle that ensures consultants have access to the necessary training, tools, and resources to deliver high-quality, consistent engagements.
About Heath Ramsey:
Heath Ramsey is the director for Partner Consultant Enablement for Symantec Consulting. Heath has created and instituted a program called the Consultant Enablement Lifecycle that ensures consultants have access to the necessary training, tools, and resources to deliver high-quality, consistent engagements. This Consultant Enablement Lifecycle and associated Clear Path to Learning have been built upon 15 years of hands-on consulting delivery and project management experience. Knowing what the needs are from the field is critically important to building a program that can support customer satisfaction initiatives in the consulting space.
Tuesday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PMLocation: Montego C
- How service and support pricing pressures are affecting the discounting terms companies offer for service contracts, what impact these pricing pressures are having on companies’ service revenues and margins, and what the anticipated impacts are going forward
- What new and creative services companies are adding to their service and support offerings to help forestall maintenance price reductions
- How both hardware and software companies today are pricing multi-tiered service and support contracts, such as basic, premium, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, etc.
Why You Need to Attend This Session:
In this tough economic climate customers are leaning on their hardware and software suppliers to reduce the costs for maintenance and support services. How are these vendors responding to that pressure? And what do executives see as the future growth prospects for their maintenance and support related revenues? You might be surprised at how the respondents to this landmark survey answered these and other service related questions.
Presentation Abstract:
Michael Israel, senior research director for AFSMI and SSPA, will discuss the results and analysis of the survey these associations conducted during the summer on maintenance pricing practices. The associations receive more comments and inquiries on this topic than almost any other. Members and those considering membership will find the results and analysis of this survey extremely informative and very relevant, especially in this economic climate where many maintenance and support organizations are facing increasing pressure from their customers to reduce pricing for maintenance and support services.
About Michael Israel:
Michael Israel is senior director of research and advisory services for AFSMI and SSPA. In this role, Michael is responsible for expanding the research portfolio in the area of field and support services. He works closely with both AFMSI and SSPA members to provide the industry data they need to optimize their services organizations. Michael previously founded igniteService, Inc. and has worked in customer support, field service, and repair operations for more than 30 years. He has significant service operational experience, having spent 15 years—including 12 years with IBM—managing field service, service parts, and technical support operations. He also spent more than 15 years selling and marketing customer service, service management, and service parts management software solutions to manufacturers and service providers in a wide variety of industries. His sales and marketing roles include management and executive-level positions with Oracle, SAP, and other leading software organizations. In addition, Michael was a widely respected research director in the service chain practice at Aberdeen Group, where he researched and reported on customer support, field service, maintenance, and repair topics.
Tuesday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PMLocation: Montego B
- Lessons learned in the transformation from technology services vendor to strategic partner
- The process, resources, and tools that facilitate the process
- How to embrace social networking as part of your strategy
Why You Need to Attend This Session:
In this session you’ll learn how to survive in today's changing economic climate, including what manufacturing companies are doing to capitalize on the downturn, how to convert from a commodity supplier to a trusted advisor, and how companies need to reposition their service offerings. You’ll also discover how to own the customer user experience and how you can provide greater value to your customers.
Presentation Abstract:
With complex and high-tech products commoditizing, technology service providers today need to develop better differentiation and develop long-term partnerships with their customers. How did Oracle Consulting develop the strategic initiative and validate the vision that is aligned with its loyal customer base? This session will provide an overview of the initiative and the extensive plan to incorporate the right people, process changes, and tools to achieve the internal transformation. It also will share some of the lessons learned in building customer interactions with the newest phenomenon in social networking and loyalty management strategies.
About Jennifer Chang:
Jennifer Chang is a veteran in the software technology industry with more than 12 years of experience in management consulting, product management, and product marketing. Her professional background includes CRM management consulting with Deloitte Consulting, hosting solution development with Corio, procurement and invoicing product management and marketing with Ariba, and now marketing strategy and programs with Oracle responsible for NA Consulting marketing activities. Her interest lies in how to best create market differentiation with new product introduction and customer-centric marketing. Chang has a BA from UC Berkeley in psychology and a minor in business as well and as an MBA from the Johnson Graduate Management School at Cornell University.
About Stephen Slade:
Stephen Slade is senior director, supply chain management marketing, at Oracle. He is responsible for the product messaging and marketing direction of Oracle’s asset life cycle management, service, and manufacturing products. Slade has spent 25 years working in logistics, service, operations, and program management. Prior to Oracle, he held senior marketing and sales positions at Siebel and was vice president of global account management at RTS/Viryanet Software. Slade was also director of field service at Siemens-Oce USA, vice president of operations at Cordura, and operations manager at ITT Avionics Industries. He has extensive experience working with firms engaged in Lean, Six Sigma, ISO 9000, CRM programs, and quality compliance initiatives. Slade received an MBA and a BS in mechanical engineering from Farleigh Dickinson University. He also completed his doctoral studies from New York’s Pace University in the fields of finance and international business.
Tuesday 2:30 PM - 3:30 PMLocation: Montego C
- What you should be expecting from your marketing organization for the different stages of business growth
- The trigger points to alignment reality between business strategy and marketing execution
- How to deliver short-term practical gains, while moving forward strategic initiatives and positioning
Why You Need to Attend This Session:
Knowing what you should―and shouldn't―expect from your marketing resources to drive your business is even more critical in these challenging times. This services marketing session enables you to quickly identify where you are in the marketing maturity curve and will deliver proven, practical execution tactics for acquiring and retaining customers.
Presentation Abstract:
You roll the dice in Vegas, but not when it comes to marketing your business. Just as there are multiple phases in the maturation of your technology services businesses, there are also similar phases in the evolution of your services marketing organization. The more in concert these phases are with each other, the more effective marketing is in driving and propelling your business forward. This session will explore what you can expect from your marketing organization at these various phases within the services maturity curve. In addition, this session will help to identify key signals to be cognizant about as your services business evolves. Understanding these two areas will help you make the appropriate investment in your services marketing organization, putting the odds in your favor for a successful business.
About Cynthia Curtis:
Cynthia Curtis is a senior executive with over 14 years of international IT marketing experience. Most recently, she was executive vice president of global marketing for Utimaco Safeware, a security software company acquired by Sophos PLC. The majority of her career was spent at EMC, where she led the development of the services marketing function for the company. Prior to joining EMC, Cynthia served as vice president of global marketing for Unisys Corporation’s network and desktop services division. Other positions include director for the United Services Organization (USO) in Germany; government liaison for Rogers & Wells in Washington, D.C.; and legislative correspondent for Senator Lowell Weicker, Jr. Cynthia earned a BA from Boston College and holds an MBA in international marketing from Thunderbird School of Global Management. She is currently fusing her IT marketing expertise with her commitment to clean technologies to help companies incorporate sustainability initiatives into their corporate strategies.
Tuesday 2:30 PM - 3:30 PMLocation: Montego D
- What the different options are for structuring a Services Sales Organization and the pros and cons of each approach
- What the different options are for assigning account coverage/quota for Services Sales Principals
- How a Service Sales Organization should engage with the Direct Sales Organization
Why You Need to Attend This Session:
This session will present the challenges of enabling an overlay services sales organization to help drive PS opportunities. Audience members will be given a chance to provide recommended solutions. At the end of the session, a gift certificate will be awarded to the audience member who provides the most helpful insight. Come prepared to collaborate!
Presentation Abstract:
CA will discuss the challenges of enabling an overlay services sales force to help drive PS opportunities. Senior vice president Ng Leong will present some of the challenges currently facing CA. Audience members will be given a chance to provide recommended solutions. At the end of the session, Ng will award a gift certificate to the audience member that provided the most helpful insight. Come prepared to collaborate!
About Ng Leong:
Ng Leong is senior vice president, global services operations at CA. He is responsible for developing and executing innovative strategies that drive operational efficiency and continuous process improvement for the CA services organization. He oversees all global services operations functions, which include services partner management, global resource and contractor management, services processes and systems improvement, and business analytics and reporting. Prior to joining CA, Ng held various management positions at Bearingpoint, Deloitte Consulting, and Pricewaterhouse, where he worked for over 16 years in providing process and technology consulting services to Fortune 500 companies. Ng holds bachelor degrees in economics and systems engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Wednesday 11:00 AM - 12:00 PMLocation: Montego E
- How to help companies and partner organizations realize the synergies that can be gained when measuring customer satisfaction for partner delivered services
- An understanding of real world examples of business implications when utilizing customer satisfaction for partner delivered services
- How to identify tools and systems to aid in measuring customer satisfaction for partner delivered services
Why You Need to Attend This Session:
Improved services customer satisfaction translates into improved utilization and margins, and an enhanced bottom line for your consulting organization. Come and learn how to expand your services footprint and customer satisfaction while leveraging your partner community.
Presentation Abstract:
Delighted customers equal repeat services business. It is possible to grow your services business inorganically with partners while maintaining happy customers. Emphasizing, enabling, and measuring customer satisfaction creates a level of trust with partners so they will treat your valued clients with the same level of attention and quality that you do. Learn how to improve customer satisfaction in your partner community through a real world case study and by way of appropriate systems and metrics.
About John Beuchert:
John Beuchert is senior manager of the Consulting Services Partner Program in North America for Symantec. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing partner delivery activities for select partners within the VAR, GSP, and Regional System Integrator segments. With over 20 years in the information systems industry, Beuchert has broad experience in program, alliance, marketing, and engineering roles. Prior to joining Symantec, he held director positions at Novell and NASA. Mr. Beuchert holds an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Central Florida and an MBA from Westminster College.
About Doland White:
With more than 20 years of consulting and senior management experience, Doland White is the director for Global Consulting Partner programs for Symantec. Doland developed and launched the Symantec Consulting Partner program for the company in July 2008. Working in partnership with Heath Ramsey, Doland executed on a program called the Consultant Enablement Lifecycle that ensures consultants have access to the necessary training, tools, and resources to deliver high-quality, consistent engagements.
