HP has announced enhancements to the HP Unison Platform, as well as its demand-generation platforms, for better partner support throughout the marketing and selling cycle.
According to a recent Canalys survey, partners rated rebates, deal registration and lead generation among the most important benefits of a partner program. Accordingly, HP has redesigned its registration, quoting and pricing processes, and added the MyComp Optimizer tool, which provides partners with the ability to manage and forecast their compensation and rewards. Improvements include a single source to view and monitor payments, increased transparency into program performance capabilities and the ability to simulate performance to optimize compensation, improve predictability and maximize payments.
“Partners want to work with vendors that make it easy to do business together,” said Heather Murray, vice president of product marketing for the HP Solutions Group at Tech Data. “The HP Unison Platform has helped our partners effectively navigate all aspects of the selling cycle, from developing joint business plans with HP to demand generation and compensation management. Through the platform, Tech Data is further enabling solution providers to capture new opportunities that exist in the market, helping them gain efficiencies and improve profitability.”
HP has also added an enhanced lead and opportunity management process for passing and managing leads, a single location for reviewing, editing and updating opportunities, a shared view of the pipeline, and visibility to deals in process by HP.
A market development fund (MDF) tool allows partners to track their MDF dollars, and includes enhanced guidelines, integration with the joint business planning structure, improved reporting and a streamlined claims process. The Co-Marketing Zone meanwhile provides partners with access to the assets they need, enabling them to efficiently create marketing materials. And, new joint business planning processes and tools include a consistent planning structure across HP that facilitates goal setting, a single place to track KPIs and quarterly reviews to help meet collaborative objectives.
Worldwide deployment of the new tools and resources is under way and will continue through 2015.
