Pipol Partner Insights – December 2020
As part of its global alliance of leading Dynamics 365 partners, [company] counts Pipol on Alistar’s expertise and dedication to bringing all our projects to a successful conclusion. In return, Pipol offers us numerous opportunities to generate revenue and grow our business, even when we are not actively involved in implementations.
In this recent Partner Insights article, you'll discover how Alistar benefits from the Pipol alliance.
Pipol wants to ensure that all of its trusted partners are aware of the many benefits of active membership in the alliance. That is why Pipol recently held discussions with Willem van Rooij, Sales Manager at Alistar in Belgium, on the added value that Pipol and its global alliance offer the company. Alistar has been a member of the alliance since 2008 and is a leading software and services company with extensive expertise in automation, including ERP, CRM, ECM, and BI.
Access to specialists around the world
As an alliance partner, Alistar has access to the world’s largest organization of Dynamics partners and specialists in international, multi-site Dynamics 365 implementations. Whether we need someone to help roll out a project locally or just have a quick question about localization, the alliance provides significant added value for us and our customers.
When we work with Pipol partners in other countries, those partners have a local presence. They speak the language and are familiar with local requirements. Our customers also benefit from this: they have a partner in their own country.
“For example, we had a very small project that took only a few workdays. The client had two users in Belgium and a subsidiary in the United States. We contacted Pipol because we needed a partner in the United States. They put us in touch with Laurel Loehlin, President of BMI, whom I knew from the annual Pipol World Conferences. BMI implemented the project. The client was satisfied, we were satisfied, and BMI was satisfied: everyone was satisfied!”
“Even if we have just a small question—for example, about the German localization—I can contact Pipol. They give me an answer right away or put me in touch with a German partner who can help,” Willem concludes.
Through Pipol, Alistar can also call on specialists and other resources worldwide during busy periods. Conversely, we can share our own capacity when things are quieter.
Support When You Need It
In December 2014, Willem spoke with Roland Europe Group. That conversation would ultimately lead to one of our most successful international implementations of Microsoft Dynamics NAV. The project was urgent, and the deadlines were tight. After that first meeting, Alistar and Pipol therefore worked together to develop a two-phase plan.
In the first phase, Dynamics had to be implemented quickly for Roland’s new European headquarters in the United Kingdom. During the second phase, we would develop a core solution and implement a localized version in Belgium and other European countries.
We couldn’t provide an exact estimate for the first phase because we didn’t yet know exactly what was required. That’s why we prepared an estimate based on the resources needed. We told Roland that our team would work on the project full-time for three months and that we would make sure it was a success. Roland approved the plan, after which we got to work and went live on schedule.
Willem continues: “The Pipol team always helps us determine the right solution. We work together throughout the sales process to offer customers the right proposal and thus earn their trust. No time is wasted on discussions about who pays the invoice or other practical matters. We don’t have those kinds of discussions—we just make sure it gets done. That’s because we always have the same goal in mind: to generate more revenue and create new business opportunities in the future. Thanks to the relationship of trust we’ve built with Pipol, this approach works.”
Generate Revenue with Minimal Effort
During the second phase of the project for the Roland Group, the solution had to be implemented in other countries. When we asked Willem about the current status of the project at Roland Europe, he replied:
I’m not sure! The fact that I don’t know is actually another benefit of our partnership with Pipol. We handle the local implementation in Belgium and develop the core solution. Once that’s ready, Pipol takes over and finds a partner in Germany or another country where the solution needs to be implemented. Either we or Pipol transfer the necessary knowledge to those partners, and after that, we no longer need to remain involved in the project.
Opportunities for cross-selling and upselling
Membership in the Pipol Alliance also offers benefits for cross-selling and upselling products to international customers. Partners within the alliance gain access to a steady stream of international leads and projects that are shared among the various partners.
The Roland Group also turns to us for cross-selling opportunities. For example, they needed a SharePoint project and wanted to add scanning capabilities to their central warehouse. For all these cross-selling opportunities, we handle account management in collaboration with Pipol.
Access to valuable support materials
Pipol provides the structure, legal and contractual support, project management, and resources that partners need. Everything is easily accessible through the Pipol Partner Portal.
The portal contains valuable resources, such as a readiness assessment, a price calculator, campaign tools, and ready-to-use guides and templates for working with international clients. This means you can count on Pipol to collaborate with you and provide support at every stage of an international project.
Strong teamwork
Pipol understands how important it is to build strong relationships. By fostering dialogue, critically questioning assumptions, and offering constructive feedback and encouragement, we build strong teams based on mutual trust.
“One of Pipol’s greatest strengths is its outstanding team. Everything is handled in a very flexible and agile manner, which aligns well with our own way of working. The collaboration isn’t overly formalized, allowing us to act and respond quickly. When you ensure that all partners benefit from the collaboration, you ultimately reap the rewards yourself as well. After all, that’s how you offer your customers the benefits of a global alliance.”
One of the most important conditions is that you have confidence in the alliance and in the other partners. That confidence is necessary to be able to provide all partners with the required services. Perhaps ‘trust’ is the key word for the alliance. We are therefore very pleased to be a part of it.
