Schneider Electric's partner program designed based on constant feedback of the entire ecosystem

M Gurudutt
Director, Channel Sales Management & Transaction Business – Schneider Electric

“In a competitive business environment, the partner programme needs to evolve to ensure success. The benefit of an evolved and market-ready partner programme are many. It ensures accelerated growth, higher brand awareness, increased revenue and stronger presence in new markets and verticals.

There is huge shift in the market where most partners are looking to move away from Product-centric business to Solution & Service-centric business which helps them to achieve sustainable growth with improved profitability. At Schneider Electric, we understand this and have robust plan to offer partners not only state of art product to help customers but also with a program which upgrade partners to add more value through varieties of solution centric approach. Our Edge initiatives and Ecostruxure Offering helps partners to upscale and add value to their customers.

Partners play an essential role in the success story of a vendor. They are very crucial for a company in terms of market strategy. It is important to understand a channel partner’s requirements to design a vibrant partner profitable program. A vibrant profitable program should be one that is well structured, highly rewarding and one that continuously invests in the skilling of the channel. Not only vibrant, but it needs to be efficient enough to be able to respond to the changing needs and demand of the situation. It is important for vendors to put together a well-designed partner program that ensures both mutual growth and an upward growth trajectory.

The most important parameter of a partner program is transparency. A few key factors that must be remembered while designing a successful partner program are-identifying an ideal partner type as per requirement, the clarity of its offerings, the market to be addressed and understanding the needs of rapidly changing partner eco-structure and the partner’s compatibility with the vendor and competency of a partner  to make any partner program a success.

We work closely with our partners by understanding their long and short term need in our business planning. All our Product Offering and Marketing Programs are custom designed to help partners achieve their goals. We have unique MDF & Rebate program which help partner to generate demand, achieve revenue growth and earn profit along with customer satisfaction. We provide various tools and training where partner learn how they can cater to their key customers in most profitable way.

 APC by Schneider Electric, the Channel Partner Program has designed an innovative range of infrastructure to cater to this need of customers. The complete and best-of-breed range of IT and non-IT infrastructure solution and services by APC by Schneider Electric allows channels to leverage new opportunities. Schneider Electric provides educational, collaborative, marketing, and financial benefit to its channel ecosystem.

Our Channel Partner program is designed based on constant feedback of the entire ecosystem. The top reasons for channels to join APC by Schneider Electric Channel Partner Program are -

Multiple Certifications: With access to multiple certifications and updated trainings, partners can offer better portion value, extend their offer, and create additional creativity.

More Flexibility: With different types of certifications available, partners can gain the flexibility to choose how and when they add value when delivering solutions.

Additional Benefits: With multiple ways to grow through certification, partners gain increased ability to move up through the program levels and access additional benefits.

Minimum Risk, Maximum Profit: Being able to better target opportunities for their own business practices means fewer risks and more possibility of maximum profit, for partners

Extensive Portfolio: With full access to all of the APC by Schneider Electric IT products and some non-IT products, partners gain increased business opportunities and easier access to new customers.

The program is flexible and better-targeted that includes new solutions and services. It is now easier to use through process and online changes for channels to have that increased ability to move up through the program level and access the additional benefits. Working with APC by Schneider Electric also helps lower partner’s business risk with proven quality and results – like saving the customers up to 30% on their energy costs.

APC by Schneider is more committed to helping channel partners to turn the market challenges by offering innovative solutions that are easy to sell to their enterprise customers.

A lot has changed in the channel-vendor ecosystem. Emerging technologies, the ubiquitous M&A scenario, and a challenging business environment have made it imperative for channel partners to move away from the quintessential SI role, and partner with CIOs to facilitate digital transformation journeys.

A well thought through partner programme fulfils all of the above and adds value by understanding each other’s business needs.

This is an era of Digital Transformation and we have helped our partners to use the digital platforms in business planning, marketing as well as a periodic performance review. We know end customers are more aware and most of the buying decisions takes place at the exploration stage and that’s where we as an organisation work with partners to provide relevant contents which help us to generate opportunities with them.”