Dell plans to standardize its channel program tools, such as Salesforce.com for deal registration, across all geographies. Plus, Dell reveals a channel executive lineup that puts former EqualLogic channel chief Bob Skelley in charge of certification globally.Dell's corporate reorganization around customer segments
will standardize channel organization tools and infrastructure for Dell globally,
looking to pull from best practices in each of the company's regions.
For example, Dell's North American direct sales and channel deal registration
have been operated on the Salesforce.com platform, but the European operations
have used a tool that was not automated, according to Greg Davis, vice president
and general manager of Global Commercial Channels for Dell. So while U.S.
channel partners have enjoyed an average deal registration approval time of
less than 36 hours recently, European partners have typically had to wait
longer.
All that will change for the better when the channel organization standardizes
on the Salesforce.com platform for deal registration globally, Davis
tells Channel Insider. Another initiative on the agenda is to standardize Dell's
channel partner portal globally.
It's all part of his directive to simplify systems, streamline, eliminate cost
and listen to channel partners, Davis
says.
"I can leverage best practices for channel partners around the world,"
he says. "That creates a tremendous opportunity for us with our channel
and how we can meet the needs of customers."
To serve that end, Bob Skelley, formerly the global channel chief of EqualLogic
before that company was acquired by Dell, is expanding his role. Skelley has
been responsible for Dell's enterprise architecture certification program for
channel partners in North America, and now he will
perform that same role on a global basis.
Other personnel changes include the appointment of Jim De Foe as vice president
of Americas Channels and Paul Shaffer as director of Global Channel Marketing
and North America Programs and Operations. In addition, Sean Phelan will take
charge of Dell's specialty sales practice, helping channel partners with sales
of technologies such as storage.
In EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa),
Emmanuel Mouquet will serve as channel sales director and Kathy Schneider will
serve as channel programs manager.
Josh Claman, who had served as EMEA channel chief, will now run the Public
customer segment business in EMA.
In Asia Pacific, where Dell is still ramping up operations, Iqbal Marican will
serve as director for Dell's Channel/VAR
Programs and Strategy. Paul-Henri Ferrand, who previously served as channel
chief in Asia Pacific, will be heading up the global marketing efforts for the small
and midsize business unit
Dell's
reorganization, announced in late December 2008, moved the company from
operating with three geographically focused business units to one organized
around three global customer segments: enterprise, public and SMB. Consumer
business already operated on a global basis.
Davis says the channel organization will be "hosted by"
or report in to the SMB segment but will serve customers in all segments. But
serving partners will remain central.
"One of key tenets of our value proposition is to be easy to do [business]
with and listen to our partners," Davis says. "We are trying really hard to look at
every single process—make it easy, streamline it, eliminate costs and then pass
that along to our partners."
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