Those Who Believe VARs Just Fill Orders Will Find Themselves Doomed To Failure
But every once in a while I run into an inexperienced and/or closed-minded executive or even a solution provider who doesn't understand how the channel creates demand. I generally shake my head when they say the channel just fulfills orders or that solution providers just do what the customer wants. In both cases, I try to make them understand that if that's what they believe, they are doomed to failure.
It's a fact that solution providers, because they tend to be technically astute, don't always realize the many ways in which they create demand. As for executives, perhaps they sometimes don't want to believe it because they think it devalues their own role.
So with that as a backdrop, let me tell you two stories about two different solution providers I've talked to over the past couple of weeks who are, without a doubt, creating demand.
Ted Hunter, general manager of Champion Networks in Brunswick, Maine, is a solution provider I've known for better than 10 years. Ted's a "Down Easter," as they say up in those parts, who knows his customers and finds opportunity where others think it doesn't exist. Along the way, he makes his customers more efficient by driving new technology in new areas. And he absolutely drives demand.
Ted recently told me a story about how he is working with some doctors three hours from his office who are forming a new clinic. The project involves integrating a vertical application that handles billing and scheduling; automating paper documents into digital format (which immediately has HIPAA implications); and offering remote software management.
One of the things I love about Ted is he is so unassuming. He is also the type of solution provider every vendor ought to be clamoring to have as their partner. Champion Networks is not only automating the patient billing and physician records for these doctors, it is integrating a third party's vertical application, making sure everything is HIPAA-compliant, and remotely managing the network with regular updates, patches and more. Along the way, Ted is making the clinic more efficient.
To make this happen, Champion Networks is bringing in dozens of vendors' products; it has even suggested and won approval to integrate all this with a telephony system. That means a patient's call into the office will trigger the system to pull up billing records for the receptionist. A call returned by a doctor prompts the system to display the patient's medical history so a meaningful conversation between doctor and patient can take place.
Before I jump to my next story, let me ask you a question, Mr. Vendor. Do you really think these doctors asked for a solution that is handled remotely; automates and ties billing, scheduling and medical records together; allows for the receptionist to have patient billing and scheduling immediately pop up before the phone is answered; gives the doctor immediate access to medical history; allows for the remote handling of updates, patches, backup storage and virus protection; and, oh, by the way, happens to be HIPAA-compliant?
Champion Networks is using this success as an opportunity to build a specialty, and is selling the dozens of technologies in this solution to other doctors.
Another interesting point: At least two major pieces of this integrated solution came from vendors Champion Networks did not have an arrangement with prior to the deployment. If all this isn't creating demand for those vendors, I don't know what is.
Wouldn't you know, I've run out of space. My next story will have to wait until next week.
Make something happen. I can be reached at (516) 562-7812 or via e-mail at [email protected].