ANM & StrataVAR
How ANM Shifted into Top Gear with StrataVAR's CCW Integrated Quoting Solution
Since ANM started using StrataVAR's Cisco-integrated PqW solution, they've seen quote preparation time drop from 3 hours to 30 minutes or less. They're also quoting more frequently, which translates into more orders and increased revenues.
"With StrataVAR we've been able to dramatically lower turnaround times when the quote that we get from our engineers accurately reflects what we propose to our customers."
About the Company
Advance Network Management (ANM) is one of the USA's leading IT service providers, responsible for upgrading and maintaining the IT infrastructure for over 400 clients. They work closely with Cisco, EMC, Microsoft, NetApp, VMware and F5, among others.
The Challenges
Within the typical inquiry-to-order workflow, ANM found that the quoting process was a key bottleneck to efficiency and customer satisfaction. Generating an Estimate or Deal registration from CCW (Cisco Commerce Workspace) used to also mean doing multiple Excel copy/pastes, where everything happened at the file level and there was no way to analyse profitability across multiple deals and at the item level.
The process was not just time-consuming but financially risky as well. Working with complex Excel documents made it far more likely that an accounting error might pass unnoticed to a client.
The Solution
ANM appointed StrataVAR, a specialist in developing apps for Cisco Reseller Partners, to replace the Excel approach with a fully CCW and ERP-integrated quoting solution.
"Part of delivering a highly efficient IT infrastructure is having the responsiveness and flexibility to make changes. Fast and accurate quoting is a big part of that. What's more, we need the software to have excellent customization features so that PqW can align with our specific requirements. That's where StrataVAR is strong."
— Sean MacKirdy, ANM's Support Manager
With its Partner Quoting Workspace (PqW) solution, StrataVAR streamlines and accelerates the process of generating professional and profitable customer quotes, while seamlessly integrating with CCW and CCW-R.
PqW allows various 'Ship To' addresses to be defined during the quoting process. The sourcing partner (Distributor) can be named at the Quote Item level. PqW's open API also enables easy integration with ANM's CRM (Salesforce) and ERP (FinancialForce).
The Results
PqW’s impact on ANM’s productivity has been remarkable. An average quotation with hundreds of lines of Cisco equipment can now be completed in around 30 minutes — five times faster than before.
In just six months, ANM doubled its quote volume compared to the Excel-based method. The sales team quickly adopted the new tool and became significantly more productive.
"Whether the quote is a draft version or an actual decision-bearing document, this new scalability and flexibility makes everything work as it should. The system has much greater output, our clients are delighted with our responsiveness and business is rolling."
— Sean MacKirdy, ANM
About StrataVAR
ANM and StrataVAR are now deepening their partnership to expand PqW usage beyond Cisco. The goal: a unified 360° quoting solution covering all vendors, with greater focus on SaaS and CCW-R renewal quotes.
Transform Your Quote-to-Revenue Process
Ditch the manual, error-prone spreadsheets and embrace the quoting solution that streamlines your processes with accuracy and efficiency.
