IBM
...ds of thousands of items simultaneously, and to execute pricing and promotion strategies that meet goals for sales, profit and price image. Because the consumer demand management service is usage-based, with IBM providing the infrastructure to run DemandTec’s proven reliable, scalable and high-performance application, you pay only for what you use, when you need it – without the usual upfront infrastructure costs of managing a complex system of applications, networks and hardware. The DemandTec application consists of powerful modeling engines that sift through billions of pricing scenarios to weigh critical business factors with POS data for SKUs. The result is a clear understanding of consumer demand at price points in each store, enabling even the largest retailers to make more accurate decisions that maximize net profits and improve customer loyalty. • The Demand Engine and Forecast Engines works together to determine the relationship between price and volume for store SKUs so retailers can forecast volume for price points or price changes. • The Financial Engine calculates the relationship between price and profit for an accurate evaluation of how much a retailer earns – or loses – at each retail price point. • The Rules Engine enables retailers to specify product rules, competitive price image rules, private label gaps, size relationships, allowable last digits rules, and numerous other business rules that can be specified to govern price and promotion changes. The rules set the allowable boundaries, and the optimization will seek the best price and promotion combinations within the boundaries the retailer sets. Selling resources Selling is more than what you say or do with a customer to execute a sale. Selling also includes planning and management. To address all aspects of selling, IBM uses the Signature Selling Method (SSM). SSM is the way IBM plans and makes customer sales calls to identify, develop, and close opportunities. This sales enablement guide position IBM’s sales tools within the 7 Sated of the Signature Selling Method. This allows you to quickly understand where you are in the sales cycle, and what tools are available to assist you in moving the sale along. Build the relationship In this stage of the buying/selling cycle, the buyer evaluates their business environment and the factors that affect the company’s competitive position. The focus in this stage to: • learn more about the buyer's business environment, processes and issues by researching the customer's industry, competitors, and business direction • understand the customer's technology and financing preferences • create relationship and coverage strategies • develop thought-leadership strategies for your company's IBM solutions Explore the opportunity In this stage of the buying/selling cycle, the buyer refines a business strategy and identifies key business initiatives. Your focus in this stage is to help customers explore opportunities derived from relationship building interactions. To do this, you need to: • initiate dialogs to diagnose business needs, turning thought-leadership ideas into potential opportunities • develop a complete understanding of the customer's compelling reason to act • create an initial opportunity plan, or choose to disengage Describe capabilities In this stage of the buying/selling cycle, the buyer recognizes needs and/or an opportunity for improvement. The focus in this stage is to: • establish the business capability the customer needs and wants • bridge the customer's business initiatives to a conceptual solution • confirm customer-stated business need, business capability and agreement to support "Team IBM" access to the key decision leader Articulate IBM value In this stage of the buying/selling cycle, the buyer (presented with an array of choices) begins the process of determining the best option. The focus in this stage is to: • articulate the capabilities and value of both IBM and your company • qualify the opportunity by reviewing and influencing the customer’s buying and evaluation criteria • develop the initial solution and IBM unique value with the customer • discuss financing alternatives • evaluate the concerns of the Key Decision Support Plan, including customer expectations (Conditions of Satisfaction) Develop the solution In this stage of the buying/selling cycle, the buyer selects the solution option. The focus in this stage is to: • develop the chosen solution by refining the solution and adding technical detail as appropriate, to the Solution Framework • validate the competitive strategy and adjust the tactics as appropriate • assess mutual interests in moving forward Close the sale In this stage of the buying/selling cycle, the buyer must overcome any concerns, such as costs, contract terms or specific refinements to the selected solution. The focus in this stage is to: • close the sale by making all necessary refinements to the solution • resolve any open concerns blocking the customer's final approval • negotiate the final terms and conditions with Contracts and Negotiations and Legal Assistance, if required and • prepare the contracts and obtain the signature of both the customer and your company Meet customer expectations In this stage of the buying/selling cycle, the buyer implements the solution and monitors it against the project plan to validate the solution's success. The focus in this stage is to monitor the implementation of the solution and ensure that your customer's expectations are met by • working with the customer to track the solution benefits • managing the implementation activities to meet or exceed the customer's expectations • establishing checkpoints with the customer to ensure Conditions of Satisfaction are met or exceeded and look for ways to extend customer value and create new opportunities. IBM: a social commitment Over the last ten years, IBM has been one of the largest corporate contributors of cash, equipment, and people to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions across the U.S. and around the world. With these efforts, they people use information technology to improve the quality of life for themselves and others. IBM’s social commitment reflects in different aspects. They care about their customers, employee, and the local community. Employees: Through different “Grant Programs,” IBM provides their employees the ability to support their communities and the issues they care about. Customers: IBM thought very will about their valuable customers, and they created different social events that are under the “Grant program”. Local community: IBM’s vision lay on the education as top priority. They created several important programs to help the people to gain access to education. Moreover, they try to work one-on-one with educational institutions around the world. For instance, IBM has developed the first innovation center, which called SmartSquare, together with Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. One of their objectives is to raise the awareness about e-commerce and facilitating the use of effective information technology in the business sector of the UAE and other GCC states. In addition, IBM is hosting different social programs around the world, which IBM calls it “Grant Programs”. Grant Programs IBM uses it is own budget to make the most use of it is own resources and expertise through different programs. But their primarily focus is education. Moreover, their programs contain, in addition to the education, helping communities in need, employee giving, environment, and adult training and workforce development. Education IBM realizes the power and importance of education. Through major initiatives such as Reinventing Education, the IBM KidSmart Early Learning Program, and IBM Tryscience, IBM is working to raise student achievement as well as that of the teachers, as well as enhancing academic productivity to support thriving communities around the globe. KidSmart KidSmart is a guide from IBM for early learning and technology for the home and school users. IBM will give over 100 PCs with software to teachers and parents so that the kid will be able to work on them and create any creative project they can think about. Afterward, those teachers and parents will send these works to IBM and they will give prizes for the most creative works. Tryscience Contests for teachers, with the following objectives: 1. To encourage teachers to get out of the ordinary teaching method and use a more advanced and entertaining method in which a computer and the Internet can be used. This method will help teachers around the world to use whatever creative idea or projects and add them to the Tryscience web site. 2. Increase the awareness of the TryScience web site as a valued resource for teachers. MentorPlace In this volunteer program, IBM employees provide students from different schools and countries with academic assistance and career advising, letting them know that they care about them. This program is also supports IBM employee by providing a structured, meaningful and convenient way for them to contribute their time and skills to school. Reinventing Education A program by IBM, which forms the centerpiece of IBM’s global commitment to education and in which IBM works with schools around the world to develop and design creative technology solutions to help some of ducation’s toughest problems. Communities in need Wherever IBM does business, they try to he...