“Where does your business stack among other channel organizations?” That’s the question Bruce Enright, CEO of Tallgrass Technologies, asked his peers in Tuesday afternoon’s CompTIA Partner Advisory Council (PAC) meeting at CompTIA’s Annual Member Meeting. This moment was actually quite significant for the group as it was the culmination of one of its members’ key long-term initiatives: a measurement tool for solution provider businesses.
The CompTIA Business Model Benchmark that Enright outlined meets that goal with a streamlined survey process that any solution provider can complete. “It’s not only a useful tool for gaining a better understanding of your organization, but the survey is simple and takes only about 45 minutes of your time,” said Lester Keizer, CEO of Business Continuity Technologies, a Las Vegas-based provider and council member.
The introduction is just the beginning. The PAC did the heavy lifting on the benchmark program with many members involved in the initial pilot. Now it’s time for others to benefit and help CompTIA further shape this critical channel program. There are only 100 slots available for solution providers interested in gaining access to the tool as well as the aggregate information collected in the survey.
The Tool
What companies will benefit from taking part in the CompTIA Business Model Benchmark? While there is no restriction as long as it’s a solution provider business, the target audience is small to midsize organizations looking to make improvements. The benchmark was designed to highlight their strengths and, more importantly, identify areas where enhancements are needed.
Survey participants will receive a confidential customized report showing how their company data compares to relevant, business model-based, peer groups. The aggregate data provided following the rollout will allow solution providers to make more informed decisions about their finances and operations.
Of course, knowing your shortfalls is just the first step, it doesn’t fix them. CompTIA Premier Members who participate in the survey will receive a one-hour complimentary financial consultation at ChannelCon in August. The aggregate data will be released at the event to the solution providers who takes part in the initial survey.
All company data will be kept strictly confidential, with research firm Real Measures, Inc. (RMi) collecting and processing all the information. Use of this third-party organization helps CompTIA ensure complete neutrality throughout the benchmark process.
Next Steps
ChannelCon 2015 won’t signal the end of the CompTIA Business Model Benchmark. Far from it, members of the PAC are hard at work designing programs that will help solution providers address issues and opportunities identified in the survey results.
In fact, the benchmark is simply a tool that will help solution providers enable the right changes. Without a baseline to work from, it’s all a mystery and modifications to existing practices and policies can be a shot in the dark. Solution providers have to truly understand their own weaknesses before they can address them. That’s what the PAC intended to address with the Business Model Benchmark and, based on initial feedback, the companies that participate will surely gain valuable insight to their own operations in 2015.
Brian Sherman is founder of Tech Success Communications, specializing in editorial content and consulting for the IT channel. His previous roles include chief editor at Business Solutions magazine and senior director of industry alliances with Autotask. Contact Brian at Bsherman@techsuccesscommunications.com.
