HP's 'Click To Cash' Tools Paying Off For Partners
Smith said the $120 billion IT company has made deep investments in new partner tools such as iQuote and HP Concierge that are geared toward speeding up the process for partners.
HP's iQuote tool, for example, which is aimed at making it easier for partners to quickly configure and place an order for HP systems, is paying off big time for partners, which are using the tool at a breakneck pace. "A year ago we were doing about 1,000 configurations a month," said Smith. "This month we did well over 40,000 configurations. The pipeline for this is phenomenal."
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HP is planning to add PartnerOne compensation modules to the tool in the future, including deal registration benefit payouts, said Smith.
The HP Concierge service, meanwhile, which provides instant chat and phone service for partners looking to get answers on products or incentives, has helped partners close sales as much as 20 percent faster, said Smith.
Smith said the new tools are aimed at helping partners maximize time and profitability. "We are not just measuring on margin or revenue, but the time it takes to engage with HP, the 'click to cash' time for you guys," he said.
Partners, for their part, say they see a marked improvement in HP's channel go-to-market execution.
"We see a big improvement as a result of [HP CEO] Meg Whitman's channel commitment," said George Pashardis, regional vice president of sales for ePlus Technology, one of HP's largest enterprise partners. "She has made a big difference for HP and partners. At the end of the day what matters is what happens on the street in the sales trenches. It is the sales planning and communications in the field. All that has improved."
Bill Hoblin, technical sales engineer for Westcoast Technology, Redding Calif., said he see iQuote and HP Concierge as major competitive weapons against Dell. "iQuote is a huge deal," he said. "It makes it so much easier for us to do a price quote. That's something that has been a hassle with HP. That has been an advantage for Dell. This could neutralize that."
PUBLISHED AUG. 20, 2013