As a VAR, the decision to shop around for an automation tool is an excellent step in the right direction.
On the other hand, choosing a solution that doesn’t provide the assorted specific and unique functions that solve the pitfalls and complexities that are involved in the ICT quoting process, can send VARs down a regret-ridden rabbit hole.
This guide will give the ICT Reseller the information that is needed to make the right quoting-tool decision for the VAR’s business; the tools to understand the differences, the questions to ask when shopping around and a practical checklist to share with your teams, colleagues and fellow stakeholders.
There are two types of software solutions that are inherently different. The quoting solutions available, all fall under one of these 2 categories:
Horizontal solutions are of a generic type. Vertical solutions are industry specific.
These solutions are not named horizontal or vertical because of a specific direction. They are very different business models with significant differences.
(Referred to as generic solutions)
Designed for use across industries and businesses
Solve problems that are common to businesses of a variety of sizes and industries
Examples: CRMs, cloud storage services, email marketing tools
(Referred to as industry-specific solutions)
Designed to address the needs of a specific industry, a specific organization.
Specific technology that solves specific functions and problems of a specific industry.
Examples: Zillow, PIN Terminals, Banking
Understanding the difference of these two inherently different solutions, is critical to ICT VARs whose goal is to optimize their pricing and quoting process.
Quoting solutions come in both variations, horizontal and vertical. The questions VARs should ask themselves, is does this solution that I am considering, solve the key, unique obstacles that complicate the quoting process for VARs.
There is a strong correlation between overcoming these challenges to creating a smoother path to achieving the business goals that many VARs have set for themselves.
The following table illustrates the differences and relevance of these differences, within the context of quoting as a VAR of ICT and how each type of solution solves, or does not solve, these quote-related challenges.
Universal solutions, agnostic to the customers’ industry. Designed to target to a mass audience. Non-specific for any segment of users, aren’t thoroughly familiar with the in-depth challenges of specific industries' users. Typically serve CRM, payroll, email.
Designed to solve the unique needs & functions that are applied by specific responsibilities and needs of specific people to the ICT VAR's quoting process. For example: Sales Operations, Chief Revenue Officers, Quoting Mangers, Chief Technical Officer, Marketing and the many stakeholders who are involved in the many actions and bits and pieces that are part of all stages of the proposal process
Product configuration is processed within the vendor’s and or Disti's platform, due to the complexity of the configuration. Vendors and Distis then provide ICT VARs with configurations within the Bills of Materials (BoMs). Product selection and sometimes basic configurations are processed within this type of CPQ platform. In most cases, the generic CPQ solutions cannot smoothly integrate the complete and viable configuration of ICT products, the main challenge is maintaining complex hierarchies, preserving each item specifications.
Product configuration is processed within the vendor’s platform, due to the complexity of the configuration. Vendors and Distis then provide ICT VARs with configurations within the Bills of Materials (BoMs). The VAR's quoting tool enables the user to automatically transfer the Bill of Materials (BoMs) to one quoting workspace, with a couple of clicks. The transfer of the configuration maintains the structural units and components of the configuration, maintaining all of the specifications and components of the complex hierarchies.
Limited with the amount of line items (products) that it can handle, as well as limited in ability to maintain the complex, multi-level product hierarchy as detailed above in the product configuration section.
Designed for easily handling tens of thousands of line items, 30,000+. Maintains the product hierarchy and the complex structure as mentioned above.
Generic quoting solutions offer customizations that are usually not industry-specific. Customizations can be very complex, lengthy and expensive. since the customizations are implemented by people who are not deeply familiar with the workflows of specific industries. e.g, unfamiliar with the high complexities of managing ICT projects.
These solutions offer customized solutions that are specific to the VAR's business and workflow. No matter how complex, workflows can be customized, simplified and automated. These implementations are usually easier since the vendors of these solutions are deeply familiar with the industries needs and workflow. Furthermore, the vendors and customers of ICT Industry quoting tools, speak the same language and jargon. This puts everyone on the same page immediately. These solutions offer Integration with vendors and Distis such as: Cisco, Ingram Micro, TechData.
Most CPQ vendors serve multiple functions for multiple industries and niches: Banking, healthcare, retail, banking, and others.
Serve multiple functions for one specific industry and niche: Example: StrataVAR (quoting solution for value-added resellers of ICT).
The essential features for optimizing your quoting process as a VAR, are those that have been developed to directly solve the unique and specific challenges that we pointed out above.
The following checklist points out the unique features and functions that every VAR of ICT needs, as part of their quoting tool solution. As we’ve illustrated, many of the CPQ solutions in the market, don’t solve the industry-specific quoting challenges.
They do include certain features that are helpful in solving some challenges, although they lack the top features needed, in order to create the perfect quoting solution package for VARs.
At StrataVAR, we’ve seen just how investing in the right quoting solution can dramatically transform the VARs’ business by turning all quote-related tasks and processes into a non-issue.
StrataVAR is an all-inclusive quoting platform & subscription and contract management platform. It’s also where VARs of ICT feel at home. We speak your language.
We’ve developed our platform with the individual people in the VARs organizations who work on the quote, in mind. We serve dozens of happy ICT VAR customers.
Join us for a demo here. We can’t wait to meet you & your teams!
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