Business Intelligence

So many times in the business intelligence (BI) services industry you'll hear, 'We sell solutions, not products.' As a provider of services, I completely understand that statement. But on the flip side, I can make a convincing argument for selling products as well.

As a partner to the top BI software vendors in the industry, we have consistently delivered product sales. Our main focus, however, is services--whether it's BI integration with ERP systems, data warehousing or BI implementation. But product and services sales go hand in hand. We are very competitive, so when it comes to ranking VAR partners, we want to be on the top of our partners' lists. How do we do this and remain vendor-neutral? And what do we add to the equation?

We deliver a product. Our product is business intelligence, which helps executives steer their businesses by utilizing accurate, up-to-date information. BI helps end users boost their bottom lines and enjoy the decrease in total cost of ownership that comes with streamlining processes and getting rid of outdated reporting and inaccurate data. Ultimately, business intelligence is what helps organizations make better decisions.

The specific tool chosen should be based on criteria, such as goals and requirements, existing infrastructure, budget, time frame and scalability. However, the effective integration of the tool with systems, people and processes will make the difference in TCO and successful adoption.

Today, I emphatically say, 'We sell products!' Just not the products you think. Business intelligence is a product--a product that can be seen and used by CFOs and COOs.

We're proud of our partnerships, and these alliances are highly valued in our organization. Business intelligence, when successful, is one of the most sought-after "products of a service" we see in the marketplace today. Without our partners, our product may not exist, so the relationship continues to flourish.

Going forward, organizations will require a value-add to our vendor product offerings. For example, a BI query and analysis tool is the product, and the value-add our customer would want is a solution for preventing or detecting credit-card fraud or money laundering. VARs need to remember that the customer wants value and not simply a tool.

Keith Boyer is the founder and COO of Data Management Group, which has offices in Hampton, Va., and Washington, D.C.