Last weekend I decided to go for a spin on my rollerblades. It will be fun, I thought.  I’ll take the dog and let my daughter follow along on her bike.  What could possibly go wrong?

I should probably preface this story with the fact that I haven’t been rollerblading in about 15 years and the Skates are just as old.  I failed to see the need for knee pads or elbow pads, so I left them in the car. Two sore wrists, a skinned knee, and one bruised elbow later saw me walking back to the car with broken skates.

The mistake I made was not taking the time to refresh my skills.  Instead of spending time on the basics, learning the route, and taking a few practice runs with a friend who’s done the route before, I put on the skates and hoped for the best.

Unfortunately, many customers make similar mistakes when implementing enterprise software.  Can you simply install the product and figure it out as you go?  Sure, but you’ll risk missing some key design components that could be the difference between seeing a quick ROI with the product and struggling with basic configuration issues.

I don’t know how many times I’ve been told “I don’t know what I don’t know” when it comes to working with our products.  Customers would purchase the software, read a few configuration whitepapers, and dive into the setup.  Once they solved their immediate business problem though, they wanted more information and they attended one of our Training classes.  Unfortunately, after the training they realized that their environment needed optimization and in some cases a redesign if they wanted to get the full value out of the products. While they were grateful for the classes, they were frustrated that so much time was wasted on an inadequate solution.

I made it my mission to design a package that allows customers to feel confident that they have a solid design, optimized configuration, and one that allows them to focus on learning the software and developing a roadmap for their implementation. I wanted to give them a resource they could use to talk through their challenges.  Someone who is focused on their environment and their success.

Since new customers are not experts on Landesk, they don’t always know what they need.  They know the problems they want to solve, but they are looking for a professional to help them sort through their options. This was the genesis of the LANDesk Accelerator programs.  Each Accelerator includes training, implementation services, and a technical advisor.  By offering the combined package, we can also include a discounted price that we wouldn’t normally be able to provide.

As standard practice, we recommend that customers attend the training in advance of service dates.  This ensures they have more detailed knowledge of how each component functions and you can make informed decisions about the design of the system.  A technical advisor is also involved during the design phase and provides one-on-one assistance with best practices, advice, and the implementation roadmap.

Since its launch, we have seen a lot of success with the Accelerator packages. Customers are achieving a much quicker ROI, they are adopting more components within the suite of products, and they are seeing immediate value from their LANDesk investment.  In fact, the deployments are going so smoothly that customers are purchasing TAM contracts because of the value their technical advisor is bringing to their organization.  From an expert focused on your environment, to an internal resource at LANDesk who can speak with support, engineering, and even sales on your behalf, it’s hard not to see their value.

As for me, I’ll continue creating packages that help customers become successful with our products.  My rollerblading skills are another story.  I’ve planned a shopping trip to replace the skates, set up a series of lessons and introductory outings with a friend, and have high hopes that I’ll be back on the lake trails in no time.  With any luck my future crashes will be much less spectacular.

The post Figuring It Out As You Go appeared first on GVS TechnoSoft.