Therese Hume, Strategic Partner Director at Oncam discusses the number of ways to bring a product into the security market, including direct sales, integrator and dealer networks, OEM relationships, technology partners, and the list goes on
At times, it might seem like the market is a bit crowded, challenging the way today’s manufacturers do business and reach end-user customers in the process. However, there’s one method by which some manufacturers see success: through continued and ongoing strategic partnerships to build an ecosystem of mutual support.
Arguably, strategic partnerships hold the key to move forward in a crowded marketplace that threatens to drown out smaller, “niche” products, which can become detrimental for customers seeking customized, comprehensive solutions that meet their needs for intelligent situational awareness.
Creating this type of collaboration involves two key characteristics: commitment and interoperability. When technology providers possess the goal of delivering enhanced solutions to customers through products that seamlessly integrate with one another, end users benefit greatly.
There are a number of advantages that stem from this kind of business model and relationship building, including:
Open communication
In relationships between product manufacturers, open communication becomes an advantage in the direction of the go-to-market strategy, how technology pieces are being used in the market and identifying potential problems that may occur. This level of communication sets partners up for success, as many challenges can be overcome through simply remaining open to feedback and embracing the idea that “their success is our success.”
Technology advancement
In fostering strategic relationships with valued partners, the technology development process and outcome benefits. Manufacturers in a true partnership can discuss the kinds of features they’re looking to include in new products, which can directly feed into the product roadmap of the future. Additionally, it’s critical in these relationships to ensure a route to the voice of the customer: What do they need? What do they want? How can we deliver real value?
Effective training and management
Building a partnership begins with the knowledge of each other’s sales processes, technology and mechanisms for growth, which can be a real benefit beyond simply helping sales. Long-term customers often cite the ability of technology providers to maintain an effective training and management program that not only teaches how the technology works in the day-to-day, but also delivers information about how the tech will serve the company well into the future. Feeding into the open lines of communication, training and management takes it a step further to ensure the customer is at the heart of the relationship.
Solutions-centric customer outreach
Gone are the days where a company sells one device, collects the payment and moves on. Today’s organizations are looking for partners that can provide a solutions-centric approach that takes the best possible technology pieces and combines them together for a holistic strategy to ensuring the overall safety and security of a facility or global network of locations. Building a strategic partnership with technology providers that have identified a piece of your technology to deliver this is one way to help provide this level of coverage for customers.
Better industry outcomes
With any partnership, one side cannot be reaping more than the other — it simply won’t work. True partnership lies in the ability for both parties to align in a two-way communication of benefits and needs in an effort to streamline decision-making and provide end-user customers with the tools they need to protect assets. Customers benefit by engaging with technology partners that have synergy and interoperability at their core, which bring ease-of-use and the ability to scale into the picture in every aspect.
Today’s end users are looking for more than just a product from their manufacturers; they desire a relationship that combines multiple elements and expertise and one that is based on trust and knowledge. Companies that work together with their strategic partners toward addressing feedback from end users, effective training and open, two-way communication will see a significant advantage over their counterparts, making this kind of relationship imperative.
Copyright IFSEC Global
The original article can be found here.