Outmaneuvering the Competition
Posted by Eileen Riordan on Sun, Dec 14, 2008
"To say we have increased our staff productivity is an understatement. We have seen an exponential increase in productivity where speed and accuracy are of the essence."|
Robert Snook
President, CEO, Principal Consultant
Phalanx Internetworking
OVERVIEW
DesignXpertTM by Netformx® delivers competitive advantages that enable Phalanx Internetworking to routinely outmaneuver its competition by quickly assembling impressive, deal-winning proposals. Replacing a disconnected array of conventional tools - including online configurators, spreadsheet tools, word processing templates and proposal generators - with an integrated solution, DesignXpert increases the productivity of sales and engineering personnel and dramatically shortens the design, sales and fulfillment cycles.
CHALLENGES
- Clients Demanding Superior Performance Early in the Sales Cycle
- Must be Able to Rapidly Integrate All Aspects of Network Discovery, Design and Proposal
- Marketplace is Requiring and Rewarding Increased Speed, Agility and Quality
- Must Be Able to Easily Collaborate and Develop Network Designs and Redesigns "On-the-Fly"
- Voice and Data Networks are Growing in Complexity
- Custom Coding and Custom Business Solutions are No Longer the Exception ... But the Rule
BUSINESS RESULTS
- 50% Reduction in Time Required to Create Network Designs
- 80% to 90% Reduction in Time Required to Rework Designs
- Engineering, Sales and Operations Staff Speak With One Voice
- Integrated Solution for Network Discovery, Design and Proposal Outperforms Competition
- Fast Response and Superior Design Documents Deliver "Wow" Factor
- Sales Cycle Dramatically Accelerated, Productivity Exponentially Increased
Increased Speed, Quality and Customer Satisfaction
Recognizing the competitive advantages DesignXpert had delivered since he first began using it in 1999, Robert Snook decided he could build a successful company around the Netformx streamlined process and toolset. Since launching Phalanx Internetworking in April 2005, DesignXpert became the centerpiece of their operations and as a result, Phalanx has continued to deliver outstanding results that other providers simply cannot match in terms of speed, quality, customer satisfaction and ultimately, profitability.
"Cisco is the core of our business, it is the foundation of what we do, and DesignXpert is the core of how we do it," explained Snook. "All of our business, network-design and sales processes are built around DesignXpert - it is that valuable." Phalanx serves the Cisco Partner community and their clients, including small and medium-sized business (SMB), commercial, and enterprise with verticals including education, healthcare and government. Helping Cisco Partners deliver the right solution to meet their clients' needs is an increasingly important aspect of Phalanx's success in today's network-dependent business environment.
Voice and data networks have become more complex with the addition of sophisticated features, increased traffic levels and a greater number of network devices. As a result, customers are increasingly making purchase decisions based on a solution provider's expertise and attention to detail during every aspect of the sales cycle. Phalanx uses DesignXpert to ensure these key competitive differentiators are an integral part of its meetings with new-business prospects as well as with current clients.
With DesignXpert, Phalanx is able to easily collaborate with clients on network-design options and quickly demonstrate, in a tangible way, how a proposed solution best fits a company's specific objectives. Businesses that engage Phalanx clearly realize they are working with a knowledgeable and trusted business partner that understands their business needs as well as their technology requirements.
DesignXpert Combines All Needed Functionality in a Single Solution
"Because of DesignXpert, the engineering staff, the salespeople and the operations personnel that Phalanx brings to the table are able to speak with one voice," said Snook. "Except for DesignXpert, there is no single platform available in the marketplace that combines all of the features we need to quickly present a clear, compelling picture of how we plan to address a client's needs. For example, the Cisco online configuration tool can do the configurations, Microsoft Visio can do all the drawings, and custom Excel tools can calculate the labor factors, but only DesignXpert can perform all these functions and more - and perform them extremely well - in one integrated tool."
Phalanx has realized important business benefits as a result of its relationship with Netformx, using DesignXpert to outmaneuver its competitors by rapidly designing effective network solutions and assembling deal-winning customer quotes. Drawing upon the industry's most extensive and up-to-date KnowledgeBaseTM of networking equipment specifications, including information related to pricing, configuration, installation and support, DesignXpert instantly provides Phalanx with the knowledge it needs to rapidly close sales and inspire confidence in its clients.
"Our sales and service model is built around supporting Cisco Partners," stated Snook, "and having everyone in the sales and solution lifecycle using DesignXpert makes everything flow in a well-orchestrated fashion. We get quick and easy validation from the Cisco engineers and we deliver precise proposals and professional-looking design documents to our clients. The fast design and re-design capabilities of DesignXpert coupled with the professionally rendered drawings deliver a great ‘wow' factor that impresses everyone involved."
Automated Processes Create Exponential Productivity
Explaining the impact of DesignXpert on Phalanx and its staff, Snook stated, "To say we have increased our productivity is an understatement. We have seen an exponential increase in productivity where speed and accuracy are of the essence. One engineer can start a task, another can easily finish, with no recreating the wheel. We do a lot of custom coding and custom business solutions, and they are all perfectly integrated into DesignXpert."
Discussing the clear-cut metrics behind these productivity improvements, Snook continued, "Without DesignXpert, a design that would require five hours to create would typically take about four hours to rework. With DesignXpert, that five-hour design is not only done in half the time, but includes all of the physical link topologies, Visio-type drawings, IP addressing, hostnames, VLAN information, et cetera. When necessary, rework is completed in about 10 percent to 20 percent of the time required by someone not using DesignXpert."
Customers today increasingly demand that their solution providers exhibit not only all of the technology skills needed to implement quality solutions, but also the business skills to understand how their solution addresses the company's needs. Using DesignXpert, Phalanx meets both of those requirements and bridges the crucial communication gap that often exists between solution providers and their clients.
With DesignXpert, Snook approaches every business opportunity with a comfort level that often eludes his competitors, knowing he has extraordinary advantages in terms of speed, precision, quality and customer service. "What we can deliver is what sells our company," he emphasized.
Snook is a long-term Netformx customer who places a high value on DesignXpert and what it has enabled Phalanx to achieve. He also admires Netformx for its commitment to technology and business excellence. When asked to comment about how he would evaluate Netformx from the perspective of customer service and product support, Mr. Snook had a one-word reply. "Unprecedented."
phalanxcase_v3.pdf