automatic data capture
point of sale
hybrid model – that is to say, both SaaS and on-premise systems.”
Multi-partner relationship
Agentrics’ idea of a truly effective supply chain is that of a successful multi-partner relationship. Machado elaborated: “A retailer, for example, will need to be connected to all of its suppliers, however many they may be; and in this very diverse environment each player may have its own standards. So, with our solutions we are able to standardise the information. We can ensure data is captured from different sources and in different formats and transform this information into a standard form that can be easily used in order for our customers to make better business decisions for the benefit of the whole supply chain.” Machado also explained that, when required, Agentrics deploys its own middleware to complete the system integration for a customer. “We have a lot of experience in middleware development, so our own team, or a team from one of our integrator partners, can undertake this task in a very quick and effective way,” he said. “And because of the speed we and our partners operate at, installing middleware never becomes a bottleneck in delivering an effective supply chain management software solution to our customers.”
“
precise source of goods and certifications that the suppliers have; and all this is done in a multi-layer environment,” explained Machado. “In other words, we can track not only the supplier, but also the supplier of the supplier and go into many levels. Therefore, our customers can have full traceability of where the products are sourced from, the certifications that suppliers have and even aspects that deal with local laws. In the US, for instance, laws can vary from state to state and our systems have the ability to track and manage this scenario.”
Europe and Brazil, and have more recently started a distribution model in Japan. In fact, to show our commitment to our channel partners we’ve also created a dedicated management team to assist our indirect reseller channel in different territories.”
Win-win
“…to show our commitment to our channel partners we’ve created a dedicated management team to assist our indirect reseller channel in different territories.”
Machado also commented on the importance of accurate and multi-layer traceability for its customer base. For example, when a retailer develops its own products – as is the case with Agentrics customers such as Asda and Marks & Spencer – it is important for them to be aware of things such as how green their suppliers are, or whether, for example, they are supplying genuinely organic materials etc. “Our system stores information regarding the
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In terms of providing, implementing and integrating the SaaS solutions to the target end-user base, this has largely been a matter of direct selling on the part of Agentrics over its 12-year history. However, the sales and implementation process is increasingly becoming more of a mixed model, with Agentrics currently looking to appoint an increasing number of VAR and systems integrator partners. Machado picked up the theme: “We have offices in Europe, the US and Japan – also in Brazil, where our headquarters are based. And in different territories we employ different
strategies depending on the local market. We have active and growing distribution channels in
Machado believes it is important to create a win-win situation with Agentrics’ channel partners. Therefore, he explains that when the company generates long-term revenue streams it likes to share these benefits with its channel partners. He also pointed out that Agentrics focuses mainly on high-scale types of solutions, so
the projects it becomes involved in tend to be large in terms of the number of system connections, as well as fast in terms of implementation speed. “Because of this, the revenue stream can build-up within a short period of time, and we believe this is a highly attractive proposition for our partners,” concluded Machado.
IT RESELLER – NOVEMBER 2010 25
INTERVIEW
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