Challenges for VARs managing modified subscription (MSDR)

VARs play a pivotal role in facilitating the adoption and integration of cutting-edge solutions for businesses. However, beneath the surface of seamless service delivery lies a series of intricate challenges, particularly concerning the quoting of subscriptions, modified subscriptions, and renewals of maintenance and subscriptions.

Modified Subscriptions Deal Registration, or MSDR, lie at the core of VARs’ business models, representing not only a source of recurring revenue but also a gateway to long-term customer relationships and sustained profitability. Unlike traditional one-time transactions, subscriptions offer VARs the opportunity to establish ongoing partnerships with customers, providing continuous support, updates, and enhancements tailored to their evolving needs. This shift towards managed services and subscription-based models aligns with the broader industry trend towards service-oriented solutions, enabling VARs to deliver value-added services while ensuring predictable revenue streams. Moreover, the recurring nature of subscriptions fosters customer loyalty and retention, reinforcing VARs’ bottom line and enhancing their competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market. In essence, Subscriptions serve as the basis of VARs’ business sustainability and growth, driving innovation, fostering customer relationships, and underpinning profitability in an ever-changing ICT landscape.

Consider a scenario where a company, midway through its subscription term, recognizes the need to scale up user capacity or incorporate new features into its ICT infrastructure. What appears as a routine adjustment on the surface presents VARs with a complex web of considerations and calculations to navigate. In this landscape, the role of a VAR extends beyond transactional interactions; it requires adept navigation through customer requirements, and financial considerations. These challenges are unique to the ICT ecosystem, demanding strategic approaches and a nuanced understanding of the market dynamics. In the face of these complexities, VARs must employ strategic approaches to navigate through the intricacies of quoting subscriptions and modified renewals. 

The process of managing MSDR poses significant challenges for VARs, often presenting a less profitable endeavor compared to standard transactions. While not inherently desirable, VARs are often required to offer this service to meet customer needs. However, the complexities involved make it a time-consuming task, requiring meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy while striving to minimize capital overhead. Here are some of the main challenges faced by VARs as they navigate the intricacies of MSDR as they try to maintain customer satisfaction and uphold their service standards.

Transforming Vendor and Distributor Quotes To a Customer-Facing Quote 

The process of managing MSDR begins with the VAR receiving a quote from the supplier or distributor. They must then meticulously craft this quote into a customer-facing document, ensuring it is not only readable and clear to the end customer but also free from errors in calculations that could result in margin losses for the VAR. Furthermore, VARs face the challenge of recalculating changes for end users while ensuring profitability margins remain intact. This involves factoring in new discounts, added and removing items, changes in subscription costs, historical data, understanding the new price structure to determine appropriate charges or reimbursements and the impact on the remaining term payment. Even when the quote is approved by the end customer, the VAR needs to review and approve the quote received from the vendor or distributor. This step is crucial to ensure that there are no discrepancies or gaps between the two quotes. Once approved, and the order is placed by the VAR, they must ensure accuracy and completeness to avoid any potential issues during the subscription modification process, from procurement through to delivery.

Billing Model Complexity

The billing model adds a layer of complexity to subscription modifications. Different customers and VARs alike may have varying billing preferences. 

• Quote Showing Net New Total Cost: Customers may prefer a detailed breakdown of the net new total cost for each line item, reflecting the changes for the remaining term of the subscription. This approach ensures transparency by clearly outlining the incremental cost associated with modifications.

• Detailed Quote Showing Previous Cost and New Cost: Alternatively, customers may opt for a quote that compares the previous cost of the subscription with the new cost for each line item, specifically for the remaining term. This format allows customers to easily identify and understand the specific changes made to their subscription and how they impact costs.

• Single Line Quote Showing Aggregated Total Amount: For a more simplified overview, customers may prefer a single line quote that aggregates the total amount to be invoiced or refunded for the remaining term. This concise format provides a high-level summary of the financial impact of subscription changes without delving into detailed line-item breakdowns.

Implementing these quoting approaches are necessary for VARs to cater to diverse customer preferences and streamline the quoting process, ensuring clarity and accuracy in reflecting subscription modifications.

Lack of Flexibility: 

Software subscriptions inherently entail dynamic and multifaceted processes, often involving the addition of features, services, users, or changes to the subscription period, which becomes more intricate when dealing with hierarchical subscriptions and optional components. Managing such complexities manually or with non-specialized systems for quoting leads to error-prone processes, lacking flexibility to meet customer requirements while ensuring VAR profitability. Moreover, the back-and-forth nature of the quoting process adds another layer of complexity, requiring meticulous tracking of modifications and accuracy. To address these challenges, VARs require dedicated systems offering flexible presentation of subscription details to end users, whether aggregated, per item, or per row, ensuring clarity and ease amidst the complexity.

In conclusion, the challenges faced by VARs in managing MSDR are multifaceted and require strategic navigation through complex processes. From transforming vendor quotes into customer-facing quotes to navigating billing model complexities and ensuring flexibility in subscription management systems, VARs encounter numerous hurdles. However, there are solutions available to overcome these challenges. Implementing dedicated systems for MSDR quoting, streamlining quoting processes, and embracing solutions that combine automation, customizability, and dedication to MSDR quoting enable profitability for the VAR with minimum overhead. This ensures that both the end user’s user experience and the VAR’s profitability are optimized, creating a win-win situation. By embracing innovation and adopting strategic approaches, VARs can navigate the evolving landscape of MSDR more effectively, ensuring customer satisfaction, maintaining profitability, and fostering long-term success in the ever-changing ICT ecosystem.