EDITOR ’ S COMMENT engagements , even the way distributors sell have changed . Tying all these elements together is analysing data at scale for the distributor to deliver relevant solutions and capabilities for its partners . In turn , the benefits this provides can be passed on to customers . Things such as faster time-to-market , seamless software updates , patch management , and firmware upgrades can happen in the background , leaving everyone to focus on more strategic deliverables .
This extensive back-end planning means hardware orders can be prepared months in advance to align customer refresh rates with the lifecycle management on the partner side . In fact , relationships form a critical component in tying the entire value chain in the channel together . And with
Evolving distributor role
Thanks to this resultant digitalisation , distributors , resellers , and other partners have access to more advanced technologies helping drive increased automation , self-service , and customer need . It is now a case of enabling partners to fully manage how they run the business , with the distributor providing the platform to do so in a user-friendly manner .
In the past , it was easy for the reseller to become a box mover in the process simply . They were merely the middlemen between the distributor and the customer . But thanks to Digital Transformation , they can now make changes that can enhance their roles in the process . The resultant value-add further improves the customer experience .
Shortages persist
Even though there is a massive shift to software-first , physical hardware devices still need to ship . And given the current global chip shortage , the impact on the channel is significant .
This is where distributors who have close relationships with vendor partners become critical . Having sight of potential shortages lets the distributor plan more effectively . And the ones such as ourselves who have international warehouses can shore up key products in the event of a crisis . reseller partners now in a more empowered state thanks to self-service , personalisation becomes an invaluable differentiator . It provides peace of mind to customers that they will get the solutions they need as expediently as possible .
And in a world where uniqueness is ever important , the distributor ’ s role in the channel becomes the key to business success . •
Customers are expecting service providers to deliver a more enabling environment where digital distribution takes priority .
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS 17