VAR/Systems Integrator Analysis Auto ID
export strategy, as this is not just a case
of shipping kit and software abroad.
“Globalisation has shrunk the world and
brought significant new markets much
closer,” he said. “However, franchising,
licensee programmes, subsidiaries or
putting your own people on the ground
all need to be considered.” Rowland adds
that the UK market, as the fifth biggest
world economy, has kept CRT very busy
and the company has made the decision
to explore other markets, but not to rush
out internationally. “We currently have less
than 1 per cent of our home market – so
lots more available here,” he said.
Clark explains that global activity has not
dominated Blueleaf’s business focus;
although the company does get contacted
by more companies abroad than it used
to, and it does sell some handhelds and
RFID readers and tags into Europe. “We
Without focus, a business continues to struggle to find its true identity. With
focus, a company knows why it exists and what it is to do, and therefore can
assess its progress against well defined targets.
James Hannay, senior VP, Northern in another, integrating all the relevant
Europe, Zetes, agrees. “I think that, going data to be held in a single repository
forward, the most successful companies in real time. The advantage to the
will be those that can offer a much customer of working with a supplier at
broader service and the ability to consult this level is that it minimises the cost
on business processes,” he said. “Users of ownership because they have a single
want to work with supply chain experts point of contact with fewer suppliers and
who can analyse business processes, disparate systems to manage.”
map the required software processes,
Paul Clark: If you only offer one
vendor’s equipment it is difficult to
align the two and then deploy and support
cross-sell should you meet resistance
the final system – to give them a real-time Shrinking world
from a potential customer. Having
view of business performance. That
more ‘goodies’ in your bag offers
is what a system integrator does, and Has globalisation affected our commentators’
more chances of landing the deal.
this is what Zetes does for its client base. businesses to any extent? Burnett reports
We work with our customers to, first, a resounding ‘no’. “We are a UK-focused
examine their business processes and business, and our customers have local do now get a lot more hits on our website
performance before we consider which catchments,” he said. As for Rowland, from all around the globe,” adds Clark. “It
amazes me, though, that some ‘unsavory’
“
customers still rear their heads from time
A lot of our customers are small- to medium-sized enterprises and
to time, saying something like ‘I saw
cannot afford the time to get ‘up to speed’ on all the intricacies of the latest
product X on your website and would like
handheld devices. Therefore we offer a 90-day warranty period where we
to buy 25 on my credit card for immediate
shipment to Singapore’. Yeah, dream on
will fix any errors in our software or the supplied supporting software and fella. Having been bitten once (fortunately,
train/coach our customers until they are confident in the system and are
for only a small amount) I have learnt that
lesson. Resellers would be advised in
able to support themselves.” – Paul Clark, BlueLeaf. this credit crunch not to take orders that
appear out of the blue at face value,
one, or combination, of our applications he points out that the directors at CRT however tempting they may seem.” And
should be deployed. So, for instance, we have gone through the passport for continuing the theme of web responses,
might implement voice in one part of the excellence programme, and recently Harris makes the point that having
warehouse and ePOD or data capture work has started on assessing the best pricing so easily available on the>>
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IT RESELLER – APRIL/MAY 2009 9
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