i2 Readies Partner Program Changes

Darryll Dewan, executive vice president of global alliances and strategic sales at i2, said that having "a solid channel strategy is significantly important to our future success."

Dewan said he intends to discuss this week with partners changes to how they work with the company, which develops supply chain management and CRM software.

He said the working name for the updated program is TLC, which stands for Trust, Local contacts and Content.

In the last year, i2 has laid off about 40 percent of its employees, including some salespeople, Dewan said. He added that this quarter the company plans to start rewarding its remaining reps for including partners in deals.

"We never did that before," he said. "Our objective [is a partner in every single transaction."

Currently, about 40 percent of i2's deals involve partners in the selling or implementation phases, he said. "It ought to be 70 percent at minimum," Dewan said.

What's more, "account planning is a component of our sales strategy. We want to bring partners into account planning sessions," he said.

I2, based in Dallas, will maintain control over its top 500 global accounts, but the managers of these accounts have new incentive to bring in partners on the deals, Dewan said.

I2's partners include Accenture, Cap Gemini Ernst and Young, Experio and the Business Consulting Services unit of IBM Global Services.

"Right now our focus is on fewer, more strategic [partners rather than many less strategic partners," Dewan said.

In related news, sources said Ingram Micro has filed suit against i2 for allegedly failing to properly build Web storefronts for Ingram resellers.

Ingram Micro, seeking some $2.3 million in restitution, said in paperwork filed with the Supreme Court for the State of New York that "i2's proposed hardware infrastructure would not support the application" Ingram Micro wanted to provide to its resellers.

Both companies refuse to comment on legal matters.

I2 last week reported a narrowed loss of 46 cents per share on sales of $115 million in the third quarter of 2002. The company has been struggling with executive turnover in the past year, including the departure of CEO Greg Brady this past spring.

Katrina Roche, i2's chief marketing officer, left the company earlier this month to join i2 competitor Nonstop Solutions.