Effective business case strategy drives client budget increase
ISSUE
The virtual instructor-led training (VILT) team for a global software company was faced with management requirements to create an always-on strategy for the following fiscal year. The entire company was facing across-the-board budget cuts and management was strongly considering the cancellation of the program in order to divert more resources to other training programs within the group.
ACTION
A seasoned consultant at MarketScape partnered with the client to develop a business case, which detailed a ‘by-the-numbers’ historical success of the program, demonstrated its cost efficacy against similar classroom trainings, and revealed that there was a recognized broader shift in the industry toward an increase in virtual training. Three strategic options were presented to management for consideration, with supporting data that contained the benefits, challenges, strategic company alignment, and estimated cost of each option. In addition, a complex cost allocation model was developed, including a sensitivity analysis of all cost categories, which allowed the group’s leadership team to understand firsthand the value and scalability of the program. In addition, since the program was based on an online training program, further strategies were developed to increase virtual training modalities (such as professional skills trainings) within the program, as well as “next generation” training concepts to leverage the platform / training environment.
RESULT
The client realized a 50% budget increase for the following fiscal year to roll-out increased training deliveries, and the program is currently serving as a best practices model for similar trainings within the company.
Impactful analytics & reporting helps launch a global marketing & sales program
ISSUE
A Fortune 100 IT company was facing a cloud service adoption challenge. The company had no visibility to the mid-market segment sales channel, lead times, conversion & retention rates, and most importantly, key sales blockers. Before the company was able to put together resources to launch a global marketing and sales plan, they need to better understand its target customers’ behaviors and provide proactive guidance to its field sales force.
ACTION
The client partnered with MarketScape to help define program KPIs, operational metrics, and establish & execute a reporting rhythm. Once defined, program objectives and field sales processes were reviewed to identify pilot subsidiary data capture practices in order to ensure data collection, as well as process consistencies. Data sources were then analyzed from multiple data warehouses to rationalize quality, set up extraction requirements, and report out rhythm. Finally, data was compiled to create a baseline and pilot program deltas, forecast, and trending. The reports were continuously modified with pipeline adjustments and quantitative data to provide additional contextual insights. These analytics were then continually leveraged to adjust budget, focus efforts across specific sales cycle deliverables, communicate with executive teams, and create best practices for a global launch.
RESULT
Through the pilot program, the client realized an impact of +190% in seats, 97% in revenue growth, and 56% in accounts over the baseline. Due to its success, the client received incremental funding and received commitments from the segment teams to launch a global marketing and sales program in the next fiscal year.
Readiness marketing BOM drives awareness and adoption of company portal
ISSUE
A premier IT company had planned to launch an internal portal to encourage the use of Windows 8, Windows Surface, and Windows Phone 8 for business scenarios. In order to drive awareness and adoption, the plan was to deploy engaging line of business applications and encourage ‘bring your own device’ scenarios. To achieve these objectives, the client needed to drive awareness on a company scale, proactively manage user readiness, deliver communications across various channels to generate excitement, and create / land compelling usage scenarios to help drive the adoption process.
ACTION
MarketScape worked with the client to develop a roadmap of marketing activities to help drive the investment. Due to limitations of timeline, budget, and scope, the roadmap was split into 3 phases, including: awareness and enrollment, application, and community, and a scaled rollout. For the initial phase, MarketScape created an integrated marketing strategy, including: internal readiness, channel identification, editorial calendars, social media, and internal events. MarketScape was also charged to create the readiness marketing BOM, which included posters, flyers, event handouts, sticker, among other collateral. Since the value proposition was centered not on the portal, but rather on the line of business applications and the flexibility to bring and connect personal devices, a creative brief was written to highlight and target these benefits. This brief was socialized and ultimately approved for production.
RESULTS
The readiness and marketing BOM generated excitement, awareness and broadened scale traction, especially at company events. In order to maintain the momentum, additional work is currently underway to execute grass roots events around the corporate campus.