Microsoft Partner Network partners Wise and Dynateam both operate in the Dynamics NAV space—usually more of a recipe for competition than cooperation. However, the combination works well for this particular pairing, since they each offer complementary pieces of a great solution. Like with any great partnership, both partners benefited with extended reach and a better offering for their mutual customer.
ISV + VAR partners = saved time, extended reach, and reduced risk
Snæbjørn Jacobsen, CEO of Faroe-Island based Dynateam, recognized the advantages of the cloud for an island-based technology company early on—namely the ease of providing software and services to customers without the need for extensive travel. When the Value Added Reseller (VAR) partner formed in 2011, it was focused on Dynamics NAV on the Office 365 platform. Dynateam focuses on horizontal, country-specific add-ons, so it often relies on partners to provide industry specific solutions.
So when Dynateam had a customer looking for a customized Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution that would help it manage its fishery business supply stream, Dynateam knew better than to reinvent the wheel. The solution was likely already out there, they just had to find the MPN partner who had built it and wanted a market for it. Dynateam found the solution in a neighboring country: Independent Solutions Provider (ISV) partner Wise and their solution, WiseFish.
Formed in 1995 in Iceland, a country where more than 40 percent of the exports is fish, it’s perhaps not surprising that Wise’s ERP systems were primarily built for the seafood industry. But the company’s reach far extends the borders of Iceland, thanks to global partnerships.
No business needs to be an island—even those that are headquartered on one! By combining Wise’s industry specific IP with Dynateam’s existing customer relationship and Dynamics NAV expertise, the partners were able to provide a solution that met the customer’s needs quickly and at a competitive cost.
Advantages for VAR partners
Because Dynateam’s offerings are broad and cross many industries, customizing solutions for each customer would be timely and expensive. Reaching out to partners not only allows Dynateam to expand those offerings, but to target solutions to the customer’s specific industry and challenges in a cost-efficient way. Additionally, the solutions that come from partnering have already been tried and tested, making them low-risk to implement. Customers also enjoy the opportunity to see the product demonstrated before they purchase.
“Customers tend to focus very much on risk in recent years,” says Snæbjørn. “Now solutions should be fast, they should be easy, they should be as low-risk as possible. WiseFish helps us offer that.”
Advantages for ISV partners
Islands by nature tend to be somewhat remote and isolated, making in-person sales and onboarding costly. By selling to and through partners, Wise gets access to customers in countries where they otherwise have no reach. Instead of traveling to sell and implement, they spend time developing and improving software solutions. For example, WiseFish was created in 1995, but in 2008, thanks to profitable partnerships, Wise was able to invest 20,000 hours to move the WiseFish solution to the cloud. As a result, subscriptions increased 81.3% and software sales have grown 18% YOY.
Advantages for customers
Partnerships such as the one between Wise and Dynateam bring considerable advantages to the customer. Customers get to work with a trusted partner (Dynateam), they get a tried and tested solution (WiseFish), and the solution is built on a familiar platform (Office 365 and Dynamics NAV)—all of which eliminate risk. Because both partners involved are NAV experts, the integration into their existing Dynamics NAV is smooth and quick. In this case, the solution was up and working for the customer within a few days.
Less time spent, reduced costs, and lower risks—all through partnership. Now no customer has to be “the one that got away” because partnering allows you to build and supply more comprehensive solutions to meet customer needs.
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