1ClickFactory and QBS Group Merge to Form Companial, an International Network of Microsoft Dynamics Partners

/in /by

1ClickFactory and QBS Group merge to provide additional service offerings to customers as it becomes Companial, the largest and fastest-growing international network of Microsoft Dynamics Partners.

Leusden, The Netherlands, Vilinus, Lithuania, Feb. 2, 2022 –  1ClickFactory, based in Vilnius, Lithuania and QBS Group, headquartered in Leusden, the Netherlands, announced today, February 2nd, 2022, that the companies are merging to form a new company named Companial.

1ClickFacory and QBS Group are well known in the Microsoft Business Application area, providing services and licenses to Microsoft Dynamics Partners. When 1ClickFactory and QBS Group began its strategic partnership in 2017, it quickly became obvious that both companies’ offerings around technical services, enablement, license operation, support for Independent software vendors (ISV), marketing services and Dynamics Partner engagement were very complementary, all focused on Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform. Companial comes to market with a clear vision to become the preferred community for every Dynamics professional.

1ClickFactory is a Microsoft ISV Development Center and Gold Certified in Enterprise Resource Planning, Application Development and Cloud Platform. As a global business, it delivers services to 300+ Dynamics Partners in 40+ countries. 1ClickFactory’s high-quality Microsoft Dynamics 365 upgrade, development, and training services, together with its leading Microsoft Azure managed hosting service, help Microsoft Partners offer better business value to customers, delivering solutions on-premises and/or in the cloud.

“I am very excited to join forces and offer a One-Stop-Shop for every Dynamics Professional with Companial. Our clear mission is to exceed expectations by putting our Microsoft Partners at the center of all our efforts, offering outstanding services, developing and supporting Dynamics Partners on their (cloud) journey, and empowering them in all aspects of their business. The central word in our vision is “community”. We do everything to make the community work and to inspire those in it.

Companial promises that it’s easy to do business with us, that we offer a high-quality portfolio of services supporting all Dynamics workloads, and that we provide our Dynamics Partners with appealing offers!

We are dedicated to the success of our Dynamics Partners, and above all we prioritize personal relationships and a personal touch for the good of our community,”
Louis Rustenhoven, Chief Executive Officer, Companial.

QBS Group is the largest Dynamics ecosystem, second only to Microsoft itself. Situated in over 25 countries worldwide, with over 800 Partners that manage more than 40,000 customers, QBS Group was one of the only Dynamics-focused indirect Cloud Solution Providers. With its expertise and personal contact, QBS Group has helped Dynamics Partners transition to the cloud and supported them in driving the digital transformation. Microsoft has recently recognized QBS Group with the Inner Circle Award for Microsoft Business Applications 2021/22, the 8th year in a row QBS Group has received this honor.

“Seeing Dynamics Partners in our ecosystem scale is the number one thing for growth. We recognize that our Microsoft Partners are the wakeboard, and we want Microsoft Partners to be as efficient, capable, and notable as possible. We have had such great experiences with QBS and 1ClickFactory in the past and we are confident that this combination is really going to enable Companial to bring on more customers, do a better job, have a higher level of customer satisfaction, and have a great relationship with Microsoft. A win-win-win situation for everyone!”
Mike Morton, General Manager Business Central, Microsoft.

While the launch of Companial will have no impact on existing relationships and contracts that Dynamics Partners have with 1ClickFactory or QBS Group, Dynamics Partners can expect additional services and offerings that will help them to either establish a Microsoft Dynamics practice or evolve an existing business to enable digital transformation and better satisfy customers. One example is the newly announced partnership with Plataan, one of the leading training providers for Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform. This partnership will result in a full set of trainings and enablement tools that will be offered under the Companial brand to Dynamics Partners worldwide.

“I am happy to share my thoughts about the integration that is now happening between QBS and 1ClickFactory. We are excited and we think it’s a great move. Collectively, as a community, we have an enormous amount of work to do to take Dynamics customers forward to a bright Dynamics 365 cloud future. And only collectively do we have the resources to make that happen in any kind of sensitive timeframe. We are already enjoying working with your team to move our customers forward and we hope to do much more of that in the future and having a single throat to choke. We look forward to working with you”
Paul White, Chief Executive Officer at The NAV | 365 People

About Companial

Companial is the largest and fastest-growing international network of Microsoft Dynamics

Partners. Companial supports its Dynamics Partners – Resellers, System Integrators, Service Providers, and ISVs – with business and technical services aimed at growing revenue, lowering costs, and improving customer satisfaction. Companial is an official SMB ERP Distributor; Indirect CSP Provider for Microsoft; a Microsoft ISV Development Center; and Gold Certified in Enterprise Resource Planning, Application Development and Cloud Platform. Companial’s high-quality Microsoft Dynamics 365 upgrade, development, and migration services, together with its leading Microsoft Azure managed hosting service, helps Microsoft Partners offer better business value to their customers when delivering solutions on-premises and/or in the cloud. Companial is currently delivering and supporting over 1000 Dynamics Partners in more than 40 countries worldwide.

For more information reach out to: Ursula Koller, ukoller@qbsgroup.com

Visit our website: www.companial.com

Strategic Partnership QBS Group and 1Clickfactory with Plataan

/in /by

Plataan, based in Hasselt, Belgium and QBS Group, headquartered in Leusden, The Netherlands announced today that they will join forces moving forward. As of January 2022, QBS Group has acquired a shareholder majority of Plataan.

This transaction is an important step in the strategy of QBS Group to enhance the portfolio of partner growth services delivered to the worldwide Dynamics partner channel. It perfectly fits in the vision of the group to be the most preferred community and center of expertise for every Dynamics professional in the world.

In 2021 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC) SaaS growth figures showed that it is now imperative that Dynamics partners become proficient in the relevant Dynamics 365 Business Central competencies, skills and knowledge. The tremendous growth of Business Central SaaS is also reflected in the accelerated intake and number of certifications of new Business Central professionals in the “Business Central Booster” Training Program delivered by Plataan. This program is a virtual online program designed to learn through practical, hands-on exercises whilst being guided by an experienced certified trainer. Apart from the Booster programs for Dynamics Business Central, Plataan is offering training courses for Microsoft’s Power Platform, Office 365 and the Customer Engagement workloads.

With this important strategic announcement, QBS Group and Plataan move into a league of their own when it comes to training capabilities, capacity and coverage to serve the Dynamics partner channel:

We consider Plataan as a leading strategic training partner for our community of current and future Dynamics partners. The ambition of Plataan to build all-inclusive online competency programs for Dynamics partners perfectly fits with our unique set of technical services covering Business Central, F&O, PowerApps and Customer Engagement and our expertise in Traditional and CSP (Cloud) licensing. We’re all looking forward to a great collaboration with multiple benefits for our partner community!
 Louis Rustenhoven, CEO QBS Group & 1ClickFactory

 

Both companies are true partner focused organisations. Both have a ‘Microsoft Dynamics only’ strategy. No other Value-Added Distributor in the worldwide Microsoft channel can claim this. Our (digital) training offerings and capabilities combined with the sales & marketing and deep technical skills of QBS Group & 1ClickFactory together plus their wide international distribution network create a great fit! The Dynamics partner community can expect from us more attractive training offerings, including offerings around the domain of D365 Finance & Supply Chain and Power Platform.
Vincent Bellefroid, Partner Plataan

 

Directions EMEA in Milan and we as QBS Group will be there!

/in , , /by

It was a tough year without meeting each other in person, having the network possibilities at events and not seeing each other in the conference of Directions. But the focus at this event will be on the fall release of Dynamics 365 Business Central, efficient use of the new development environment, cloud infrastructure and Power Platform.
Gain first-hand knowledge about Dynamics 365 Business Central and the Power Platform.

Innovate your business to successfully deal with technological requirements, and new pricing and sales policies. Offer customers outstanding extensions, innovative solutions, and apps in AppSource using Business Central, Azure Services, Microsoft Power Platform, AI and Machine Learning Collaborate with Microsoft and other Dynamics partners worldwide to enhance your offerings and SMB market presence.

Join Directions EMEA 2021 in Milan on October 27-29, 2021 and get inspired by the QBS presentations during our expertise sessions.

See you in Milan!

 

How to rapidly sell Business Central as a 100% fit, and let your customers recognize the value immediately.

William van Voorthuijsen
William van Voorthuijsen

Target audience: Sales & Marketing, Leadership, Consulting

In this session, you will learn the tips and tricks on how to sell Business Central SaaS to customers in the lower end of the SMB space. We all know that those customers don’t expect high implementation costs. They would rather love to recognize the value of Business Central immediately at low costs and as a great fit with their business. Learn how to complete standard Business Central with some great AppSource offerings and rapid implementations making use of wizards so that your end customers are up and running very quickly as well as recognizing the value of using Business Central in their business.

Session Info – Thursday, October 28, 2021 – 11.00 a.m. – Room Amber 5+6

There is a solution for almost every business challenge, but where can you find it?

Herman van Leeuwen QBS group
Herman van Leeuwen

Target audience: Sales & Marketing

The cloud transformation offers the opportunity to use a dedicated ISV solution rather than developing customizations. Today there are over 1,500 Business Central solutions published on AppSource. Herman will explain how you can find the right solution.

Session Info – Wednesday, October 27, 2021 – 11.00 a.m. – Room Amber 5+6

Go to Market with Power Platform

Chris Parkes
Chris Parkes

Target audience: Sales & Marketing, Leadership

Power Platform is just that, a Platform. It’s difficult to go to market with a platform proposition to your customers so how can you start to make money from Power Platform and associated technologies?  If you would like to think about how you can go from Dynamics 365 or Business Central to broader Business Applications, you need to think outside of the product box and broadly consider what can be delivered.  Attend this session to learn about how you can begin to commercialise power platforms, what scenarios may fit the market, what has worked well for partners already and what you will need to consider to get ready to start a successful Power Platform practice.

Session Info – Wednesday, October 27, 2021 – 11.00 a.m. – Room Coral 3

Have a look at the sessions of 1Click Factory at Directions

Pass by at our booth S09 – a nice surprise is waiting for you!

We are looking forward to seeing you at Directions EMEA in Milan.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us!

“QBS group is announced by Microsoft for Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications 2020/21.”

/in /by

QBS Group has achieved the prestigious 2020/2021 Inner Circle status for Microsoft Business Applications for the 7th time in a row. Since starting up, QBS Group has received this outstanding honourable award every year. Inner Circle members have performed to a high standard of excellence by delivering valuable solutions that help organizations achieve increased success.

 

“I am happy to inform you of earned membership in the 2020/2021 Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications. Your outstanding performance has placed you in an elite group of our most strategic Microsoft Business Applications partners from across the globe. I want to thank you for your deep commitment and devotion to your customers, as well as your commitment to business excellence. We are extremely excited to have you a part of this group!”

Cecilia Flombaum, Sr Director Ecosystem Lead for Microsoft Business Applications

This recognition of Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications came during virtual Microsoft Inspire, the annual premier partner event, which took place July 21-23.

Michael Hartmann, CEO of QBS Group says: “We are proud that QBS was again able to be nominated for this exclusive Inner Circle members club in 2020/21. QBS has achieved this award for the seventh time in a row. As in previous years, we will make optimal use of this membership to work for the QBS partner community. Our deep dedication to the Microsoft Dynamics world and our position in such a great partner community gives us a unique position that I know Microsoft appreciates and our partners can benefit from.”

The top 3 reasons why existing Dynamics customers are not happy with their Current Microsoft Provider!

/in , , /by

So you look at your monthly customer report, you are 2-3 customers down on last month, but they hadn’t said anything about switching system, and last you heard, they still wanted to use Dynamics. You do some investigating, and guess what? They still use Dynamics but went to a different provider. You’ve lost a customer out of the blue, and you thought everything was fine! So what happened? In this blog, we’ll discuss 3 reasons why End-Customers are leaving their current provider, and 3 ways in which you can help avoid this happening to your business, from someone who talks to End-Customers on a daily basis!

The first reason starts at the very beginning, as they become a customer of Microsoft Dynamics, the implementation step. It might surprise Providers that they lose customers at this very first stage when they have barely even gotten out of the starting gate. This happens due to a couple of different things, mainly to do with the relationship between end-customer and partner. The initial trust-building is super important for not only implementation but for the whole relationship, from first meeting to support post-implementation. The main things that end-customers tell us happens are that the Provider doesn’t tell them all the upfront costs, suddenly springing costs on them when they are already in the project, tells them the project won’t cost a lot and then adds “extras”, each of which costs and does not always inform them of changes/difficulties in the project. This can lead to a breakdown in communication between the End-Customer and the Provider, and as such, they will go and use our service at www.Dynamics365Providers.co.uk to find a new provider that can help them, be honest and upfront with them, and also make sure they are looked after.

So how do we fix this problem? It’s relatively simple, it is all about being open and honest with the End-Customer. Your job as a Provider is to help them get a new IT system for their business and provide the best service that you can, while also explaining the risks/issues/problems about the system they want, and manage that trust they have in you. In the end, Providers are only in business because End-Customers need new IT systems, want to have it implemented and need the support to help them keep their business growing and growing.

This leads onto the second reason, the support that happens post-implementation, or in the cases we see, the lack of support and interaction. So, you’ve completed the implementation and gotten the End-Customer up and running on their brand new Dynamics system. So what is the next step? Training and Support! Having a new system is fantastic, but it is only as good as it’s Users, and that’s where the Provider comes in as a vital cog in the machine. Too many times we have End-Customers come to us with issues regarding both training and support, and the fact they haven’t received any, or that has it has been lacklustre. The biggest frustration with this is that the End-Customer has paid the Provider for this service! So they feel doubly hurt, they’ve paid for a service they haven’t received, AND now they need to find (and pay) a new Provider to actually do a proper job. This doesn’t sit well with them at all and leads to a lot of unhappiness and distrust with both the Provider and Microsoft Dynamics overall. End-Customer even tell us they have paid for a year of support with a Provider, and not heard a single word from them, even after multiple contact attempts! No wonder they want to switch!

 

So how does a Provider go about fixing this issue? By regularly checking in with their End-Customers, keeping the dialogue open and not promising more than they can deliver. Here at Dynamics365Providers, we look after every size of Provider, from 2/3 people, right up to huge multinationals, and each presents their own specific set of challenges. As a small Provider, you want to assist your customer base as much as possible, but you only have a limited amount of people. You know all your customers personally and have probably personally visited all of them. So how do you provide support/training for all these customers? You need to be honest and open with them, discuss what it is they are looking for and help set the bar about what you be able to help them with, and how quickly you can help them in times of crisis. Trust us when we say, End-Customers don’t always mind if it takes a bit longer when they get personalised service and it’s been set out beforehand how it happens. But say you’re a multinational Provider, how can you make sure companies don’t become a number, as you have plenty of support people to help out all of them? You need to set times as the owner of the End-Customer accounts to check in with your customers and see if they need help/how everything is going with them. It is all about care, and people want that human interaction and to see that even though you’re a massive company, you still care about them all individually. Whether it’s once a week, a fortnight, or once a month, having that call with them will help you keep on top of the relationship (and fix the things that aren’t working!)

Both of the previous two reasons help us look at the third reason, setting the correct expectations! Nothing is worse for an End-Customer than being kept in the dark, and there is nothing that destroys trust quicker than either setting the wrong expectations or not even setting expectations at all. So many times, End-Customers have no idea what to expect from their Provider as that boundary has never been put in place, or it has been broken multiple times and now the End-Customer is hurt/lost/confused about what to do with their system and needs help to get back on track, or risk moving to a totally different Provider/system altogether!

Fixing this is the simplest of the three reasons, it’s all about setting expectations, but most importantly, actually meeting the expectation you’ve set! If you say you are going to do something, whether it’s around implementation, support, or even setting up that first meeting, make sure you, as a Provider, actually go and do it. It is the easiest way to build trust with your End-Customers, and as they are the lifeblood of your business, the easiest way to keep their (and your) business moving forward and growing year on year. Don’t get us wrong, sometimes things will change, and you’ll no longer be able to meet those expectations, and that is fine, but it has to be an open dialogue with the End-Customer and tell them what has happened and discuss with them what the next steps are, this is perfectly acceptable, and will actually help build trust as you were open and honest. However, if this constantly happens, we suggest making sure the original expectations next time are shifted, so you live and you learn, and you grow as a business and most importantly, you keep your End-Customers!

So in this blog post, we discussed how the 3 reasons for Implementation, Support and Expectations can be the deciding factors as to why End-Customers leave their current Providers. As a Provider, there are simple but effective steps you can take to make sure you don’t lose your End-Customers to the competition and look after your base. It focuses around open and honest communication with the End-Customer and if you are a Salesperson, having those initial conversations will help build trust in you and the product, and help in the long run. If you are an Account Manager (and you’re not already), make time every week, fortnight, or month to check in with your End-Customers and make sure everything is going in the right direction!

Follow these simple steps and not only will your End-Customers stay with you and their business grow, but also your business will grow as a result and everyone will be happy!

eOne Solutions takes a major step in their European expansion by partnering with QBS group

/in /by

eOne Solutions takes a major step in their European expansion by partnering with QBS group (Quattro Business Solutions) with their head office based in Leusden, Netherlands. eOne will offer world-class ISV data management solutions to QBS group’s Dynamics Partner Community for migration, integration and management of customer data.  This relationship began in March 2019 with the UK territory and is now expanding into Benelux and the Nordics.  To learn more join our informational webinar on 21 August 2019 https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4437976775935280397

 

eOne Solutions is a leading author of innovative solutions for Microsoft Dynamics 365, CRM, NAV and Business Central including SmartConnect and Popdock.  Other eOne products include:  SmartView, Extender and Extender Enterprise, SmartList Builder, Flexicoder, Node Builder and SmartPost. eOne maintains partnerships with over 500 Dynamics resellers and have more than 20,000 companies globally using their products.  www.eonesolutions.com.

 

Quattro Business Solutions or QBS group is the largest Dynamics ecosystem second only to Microsoft itself. Situated in over 20 countries worldwide, with over 500 partners managing more than 30,000 customers; QBS group is the #1 service provider for the Dynamics community. https://www.qbsgroup.com/

QBS group Achieves the 2019/2020 Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications

/in , , , /by

QBS group is honoured by Microsoft for achieving outstanding sales achievement and innovation. QBS group has achieved the prestigious 2019/2020 Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications. Membership in this elite group is based on sales achievements that rank QBS group in the top echelon of the Microsoft’s Business Applications global network of partners. Inner Circle members have performed to a high standard of excellence by delivering valuable solutions that help organizations achieve increased success.

2019/2020 Inner Circle members are invited to the Inner Circle Summit, taking place October 1-4, 2019, where they will have a unique opportunity to share strategy and network with Microsoft senior leaders and fellow partners.

This recognition of Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications came during Microsoft Inspire, the annual premier partner event, which took place July 16-18, 2019, in Las Vegas, NV. Microsoft Inspire provides the Microsoft partner community with the opportunity to learn about the company’s road map for the upcoming year, establish connections, share best practices, experience the latest product innovations and learn new skills.

“Each year we recognize Microsoft Business Applications partners from around the world for delivering innovation and driving unsurpassed customer success,” said Cecilia Flombaum, Microsoft Business Applications Lead. “Our Inner Circle members are chosen based on their business performance as well as capabilities as an organization, whether that’s creating IP, developing solutions, or having an industry-leading focus on digital transformation. Microsoft is honoured to recognize QBS group for their achievements this past year, their dedication to our customers, and their innovation around the Microsoft Cloud.”

QBS group is the largest and fastest-growing, international network of Microsoft Dynamics partners. QBS group supports partners – Resellers and ISV’s – with services aimed at growing revenue, lowering costs and improving profitability and currently support over 500 partners in 24 countries.

Hot News from Microsoft Inspire 2019

/in /by

At QBS group we feel it is necessary to participate in all of the main Microsoft events: Microsoft Inspire, eXtreme and Directions, to ensure we can pass the relevant information on to you our partners, and also that we are the forefront of hot news! We participate not only as QBS people – but also as representatives of the entire QBS partner community. Speaking our case – and bringing back the news and information that we all need to keep on the forefront with our business.

Hot News From Inspire 2019
Watch the webinar Hot News from Inspire 2019 (video 30:00)

In this vlog we will present in 30 minutes the most important updates from Microsoft Inspire 2019.

  • Microsoft mission and innovations
  • PowerApps
  • Microsoft Field FY20 Priorities
  • Dynamics 365 Business Central Updates
  • Channel Incentives  and Channel Program
  • ISV and Marketplace

QBS goup YouTube channel

Watch our vlogs in our special Microsoft Inspire 2019 Playlist on our QBS group Youtube channel

Demo highlights at Microsoft Inspire 2019:

Demo: Empowering citizen developers with AI Builder at Microsoft Inspire 2019
Demo: Minecraft Earth at Microsoft Inspire 2019

PowerPoint

QBS group partners can download the presentation slides in the: QBS group partner portal.

QBS group in Microsoft InnerCircle

/in /by

Inner Circle Microsoft
For the 6th year in a row QBS group is awarded with the prestigious membership of the Microsoft InnerCircle – for Business Applications. This is the external sign of proof of all the work that QBS group and her partners do throughout the year to promote and create new business for the Microsoft Business Applications stack: Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Michael Hartmann, CEO of QBS group says: “We are extremely proud to once again claim our seat in this exclusive club and will make the most of this membership to advocate for the SMB partners of Microsoft Dynamics. Our deep roots in the Dynamics world and our representation of such a large partner community as we have, gives us a unique knowledge that I know Microsoft values very much”.

Interview on QBS group getting shareholder majority in 1ClickFactory

/in , /by

QBS GROUP TAKES THE MAJORITY OF 1CLICKFACTORY SHARES

Microsoft Value Added Distributor and Indirect CSP QBS group (www.qbsgroup.com) has recently acquired the majority of the shares in her strategic partner 1ClickFactory (www.1clickfactory.com). A good reason to set up an interview with Soren Fink Jensen, CEO of 1ClickFactory, and Michael Hartmann, the CEO of QBS group. This article will dive into the prospering relationship and this intensified collaboration, along with the radical changes in today’s markets for business applications including ideas on how partners should react.

Exactly what has happened with this recent collaboration?

Soren: Until recent, 1ClickFactory was owned by three major shareholders, being a private investor from Lithuania, the management of 1ClickFactory and QBS group. QBS group entered into our company as a shareholder back in 2017 up until present with a minority share. With this collaboration, QBS group has acquired the shares of the private investor and combined with their initial share, the company now is the major shareholder in 1ClickFactory.

As management of 1ClickFactory, we’re of course very happy that the share of the private investor is bought by QBS group, as they are supporting our business, and not by a random third party. We will continue and intensify our strategic co-operation with QBS group in a simplified setting with just two shareholders.

So our collaboration now moves from a ‘strategic alliance’ to a ‘strategic partnership enforced by ownership’.

 

What is the motivation of QBS group to make this move and where does this fit into the strategy?

Michael: We’d like to see QBS group as the backbone for Microsoft Dynamics 365 partners. Over the last few years we have clearly moved away from the traditional model at the very beginning of the company, which was taking care of the transaction part. Over time we have extended our portfolio to also support our partners in non-core activities like marketing, pre-sales and training. Today, the whole Microsoft Dynamics partner channel is in a huge transformation phase. One in which technical and functional capabilities and capacities are more important than ever before!

Think about the transition of partner add on solutions to extensions. But also, the experience, methodologies, tooling and capacity you need to migrate the huge worldwide Dynamics NAV customer base to Dynamics 365 Business Central. We consider 1ClickFactory as the perfect strategic technology partner for our company! But also for our current and future partners – both VAR’s and ISV’s.

Now that QBS group owns the majority of the shares, the financial results of 1ClickFactory will be consolidated into the results of The IT Channel Company, the holding company of QBS group.

 

What is it that 1ClickFactory and QBS group match so well?      

Soren: Both companies are true partner focused organisations. Both have a ‘Microsoft only’ strategy. And both companies are laser focused on Microsoft Dynamics only. No other Value-Added Distributor in the worldwide Microsoft channel can claim this. Our deep functional and technical qualities and capabilities combined with the sales and marketing skills of QBS group plus their wide international distribution network create a great fit!

Michael: Our combined strengths, talent and capabilities create a true ‘one stop shop’ for Microsoft Dynamics partners who want to thrive in the new cloud era.

 

Soren, for those who don’t know your company yet – can you update us on what 1ClickFactory does and where the company is today?

1ClickFactory is a Dynamics 365 software ‘factory’. Our high-quality Microsoft Dynamics 365 upgrade, development and training services together with our leading Microsoft Azure managed hosting service, help Microsoft Dynamics partners offer better business value to their customers delivering solutions on-premises and/or in the cloud. Unlike the traditional ERP service providers who offer this type of service through 1:1 sourcing of people, we take responsibility for the projects and use automation tools.

We have performed 500+ Dynamics NAV and Dynamics AX upgrades, 300+ development projects and we also serve 5,000+ NAV users on Azure. 1ClickFactory is a Microsoft ISV Development Center that is Gold Certified in Enterprise Resource Planning, Application Development and Cloud Platform. We are a global business currently delivering our services to 300+ partners in 40+ countries.

In the last 18 months of working together strategically, QBS group has helped increase the number of partners using 1ClickFactory services by 13 percent. By working even closer together we will be able to provide even more value to partners. There are three areas where we have seen increased demand during 2018:

  1.  The move of IP to extensions where the QBS group and 1ClickFactory concept of Ready to Go and the value it provides to partners has played a big role
  2. Knowledge around how to implement and customise Dynamics 365 Business Central
  3. How to migrate customers toward Dynamics 365 Business Central in the Cloud and On-premise.

Together we have many of the answers on how partners can do this the most affordable way with the least risk, given the newness of the Dynamics 365 platform.

 

Well Michael, maybe you can give our readers a quick update on QBS group as well? 

QBS group drives the largest community of Microsoft Dynamics partners worldwide. Today we’re active in 22 countries where we support over 600 Microsoft Dynamics partners to improve their businesses.

The services of 1ClickFactory have already been a cornerstone of the value that QBS group delivers to its partners. The further integration of the 1ClickFactory services into the partner engagement, will strengthen the unique position that QBS group has as an indirect CSP.

While QBS partners are migrating their IP and their existing customers to Dynamics 365, they are facing challenges in their capacity and capability to do that on time and in quality. 1ClickFactory is helping many QBS partners already to provide the additional skills and capacity to exceed customer expectation via our Upgrade Service.

Since SaaS is not always the optimal solution for customers to bring their business applications to cloud, QBS partners take advantage of the 1ClickFactory hosting services to provide business applications through private cloud environment.

So while QBS group continues to onboard new partners into the QBS community, 1ClickFactory is the technical service backbone that will help partners to provide a superior cloud offering.

 

How does this more intensive co-operation work out geographically?

Michael: There are some overlaps in markets that we both serve. Here we will align our salesforces, intensify the knowledge transfer and build joint Go-to-Market programs, like the ‘Ready to Go’ program. An interesting observation is that neither of us can build and execute these kinds of programs alone. But together we can do it.

Then there are also markets where only one of us is active today. Last year, QBS group made a start in several markets in Middle-East & Africa (MEA). However, our focus is still mainly in Europe. 1ClickFactory is also active in Europe. On top of that, the company has activities in the US and in Asia and has plans to do additional investments in these regions shortly. Potentially we can use this situation to introduce each other’s services in new countries and regions going forward.

How did Microsoft react on this change?

Michael: The Microsoft Corp people are very positive about this move! They see the combination as a great asset for their worldwide partner channels: two partner-focused specialists that combine their strengths to facilitate the ongoing growth of Microsoft Dynamics 365!

Soren: Here I would like to add that the 1ClickFactory specialists work closely together with the engineering departments at Microsoft Corp.

 

In your opinion, what should the partner channel do to protect the 160,000+ Dynamics NAV customers worldwide and guide them to Dynamics 365 Business Central?

Michael: We see that this huge customer base consists of several sub groups. There are customers looking for private hosting and other customers will prefer a re-implementation based on a full-blown SaaS offering. And surely, there will also be Dynamics NAV customers who are forced to continue their On-premise solutions for some more time due to legal or infrastructural matters. We believe that the Dynamics partner channel needs partners that can both consult and help them based on a ‘one stop shop’ offering.

Soren: I believe that we must pay attention to bringing value to the older part of that customer base, and especially those customers without maintenance contracts. These customers will wonder what the price of a cloud migration is. For sure they would like to receive fixed price offerings, and after that they will want to know what the cost is of staying current. At 1ClickFactory, we’ve developed intelligent tooling and processes to help these end-users and their partners out. We offer an Upgrade Analyzer  that helps partners create fixed price and fixed date offerings.

On top of that we are building an Extension Maintenance Service that helps customers to stay current with their customizations – also based on fixed price. We strongly believe that these services are both unique and valuable and they will also support our partners to make them even more successful, also when they need to migrate to the Cloud!

Finally, what can the Microsoft Dynamics partner channel expect from the two companies in their new setting?  

Soren: The Microsoft Dynamics partner channel can expect a continuation of the existing strategies. With the same familiar faces on both sides of the companies, so that will stay the same. What will change is an even more tightly knit collaboration in the execution of the strategies. The partner communities can expect stronger and more attractive offerings, including offerings around the domain of PowerApps.

Michael: To make these words tangible: we have scheduled a first meeting with the leadership teams from both companies shortly to discuss and create a three year joint business plan. We’re all looking forward to a great collaboration with multiple benefits for our partner communities!

 

Press release: QBS group becomes majority shareholder of 1ClickFactory

/in , , /by

Leusden, The Netherlands, April 2019

 

QBS group and 1ClickFactory join forces

As of March 2019, QBS group has acquired shareholder majority of 1ClickFactory. This is a further strengthening of the already established collaboration and is an important step in the strategy of QBS group and 1ClickFactory to enhance their offerings to the Dynamics partner channel.

Michael Hartmann, CEO, QBS group:
“We consider 1ClickFactory as a perfect strategic technology partner for both our companies, but also for our current and future partners. We’re all looking forward to a great collaboration with multiple benefits for our partner communities!”

The collaboration between QBS group and 1ClickFactory have intensified during the last 18 months. A milestone was reached when QBS became Territory Representative for 1ClickFactory in the DACH region – and subsequently also in Benelux January 1, 2019 – and now this is taken to the next level.

With Dynamics NAV no longer available for new customer sales (as per March 31, 2019) there’s no two ways about whether partners need to get fluent in Dynamics 365 Business Central. Whether this is about moving existing solutions, acquiring skills and knowledge on Dynamics 365 BC or whether it’s concrete technical assistance with migrating existing customers – the tightening of the relationship between QBS group and 1ClickFactory will be a huge benefit for partners in this transformation journey.

Soren Fink-Jensen, CEO, 1ClickFactory:
“Both companies are true partner focused organisations. Both have a ‘Microsoft only’ strategy. And both companies are laser focused on Microsoft Dynamics only. No other Value-Added Distributor in the worldwide Microsoft channel can claim this. Our deep functional and technical qualities and capabilities combined with the sales and marketing skills of QBS group plus their wide international distribution network create a great fit! The partner communities can expect stronger and more attractive offerings, including offerings around the domain of PowerApps.”

The need for professional and specialized assistance from an Indirect CSP provider, knowing the ins and outs of Dynamics, is evident. Technical assistance and advice have always been and will always be needed. With this important strategic announcement, QBS group and 1ClickFactory move into a league of their own when it comes to capacity and coverage to serve the Dynamics partner channel.

 

 

For more information, please reach out to:

Anne Jakobsen, Global Communications @ QBS group or

Soren Fink-Jensen, CEO, 1ClickFactory

 

About QBS group:
QBS group is the largest and fastest growing, international network of Microsoft Dynamics partners. We support our partners – Resellers and ISV’s – with services aimed at growing revenue, lowering costs and improving profitability. We are an official Value Add SMB Distributor for Microsoft Dynamics. We currently support over 600 partners in 22 countries.

About 1ClickFactory:
1ClickFactory is a Microsoft ISV Development Center Gold Certified in Enterprise Resource Planning, Application Development and Cloud Platform. We are a global business currently delivering our services to 300+ partners in 40+ countries. Our high-quality Microsoft Dynamics 365 upgrade, development and training services, together with our leading Microsoft Azure managed hosting service, help Microsoft Partners offer better business value to their customers delivering solutions on-premises and/or in the cloud.

White Paper – Microsoft Dynamics 365 the perfect platform for digital transformation in the mid-market

/in , /by

At QBS group we’re all about Dynamics partners – to the extent that we call ourselves “Dynamics partner fanatics”. We constantly look for new innovative ways in which we can assist our partner community with ways to grow their business – no matter what their Dynamics strategy is. There’s no doubt in our minds that Dynamics 365 offers a lot of advantages both to new partners but especially to the existing Dynamics partner community – which the most recent white paper from us focuses on. Enjoy the reading!

Abstract of white paper:

“We are approaching one of the great infliction points in time where information technology-based solutions  have matured to a level where they can deliver new and compelling value to meet recognized needs of mid-market companies.

The steadily falling prices on computer capacity, the accumulated investments in standard software products and the introduction of the cloud-based as-a-service delivery format have made advanced information technology available to the mid-market. Under the headline digital transformation these advanced technologies have the potential to dramatically increase the productivity of mid-market enterprises, while the steady expansion of the world wide web (51.5 per cent of the global population or 3.2 billion people) has enabled them to expand and grow beyond their domestic territories.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 The Perfect Platform For Digital Transformation In The Mid Market

Despite the increased availability of advanced software tools, the declining prices and the improved user-friendliness, digital transformation remains an ongoing activity that requires support from specialists that the typical mid-market enterprise cannot attract and justify on her payroll.  This whitepaper explains that exactly this intersection of technology and needs represents a yet untapped business potential for entrepreneurs that can translate software technologies into a tangible business advantage and that Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the perfect platform for executing such an ambition.”

You can download the full white paper here:
Microsoft Dynamics 365 – The perfect platform for digital transformation in the mid-market

Or if you would like to attend one of our upcoming QBShare events to learn more about how QBS can assist you in your future journey with Dynamics, find a local event here and register.

More from the same author.

Directions EMEA 2018 Business Report

/in , , , , , , /by

At QBS group, we understand that well-informing our Dynamics partners is crucial for making the right strategic decisions. That’s why we strive every single day to make “QBS Partners the best-informed Microsoft partners.”

We have been writing business reports on the international Microsoft events since 2004. So we know what we’re doing. This report is part of our ‘around the year’ reporting service that spans all the major events for Dynamics partners: Inspire, eXtreme 365 and DIRECTIONS. This unique report features a broad but insightful and independent business reporting on the happenings at DIRECTIONS EMEA 2018. The report, which consists of 46 pages of need-to-know information, is bought and used by leading Dynamics partners from all over the world.

These partners use the report among others to:

  • Inform all their colleagues who did not visit the event
  • Improve their marketing and sales pitches
  • Update the content on their websites

Directions EMEA 2018 Business Report QBS Group

The average satisfaction score for this report over the last 5 years was 8,6 on a 1 to 10 scale.

Taster first? To get a good idea of what you can expect from our DIRECTIONS EMEA 2017 Business Report, you can order the 2017 Business Report as a free download version here.

Order your copy now!

Partners of QBS group receive this report at no additional cost, as it is part of their QBS membership. For non-QBS Microsoft partners, the report is available for only Euro 400 exclusive of VAT per partner company.

The evolution of Dynamics 365 opens the door for new opportunities

/in , /by

The 2018 edition of eXtreme365 EMEA is expected to be an interesting edition.
 Today, the world of a Dynamics CRM partner is changing faster than ever before. Being a Dynamics CRM partner today is like dancing on a volcano – far from boring! And the recent announcements around the Dynamics 365 solution makes this effect even stronger!

The EMEA edition picked Dubrovnik, Croatia as their 2018 location. It will be organized from March 19th till 21st for the partner event and on March 21st and 22nd for end-users. This last part is organised for the second time and anticipates to fill the gap that has emerged after Microsoft stopped with Convergence.

Due to the release of Dynamics 365 last year, the eXtreme organization decided to change the name of the event from ‘eXtreme CRM’ into ‘eXtreme365’

Attending partners
The expectation is that around 600-800 people from Dynamics 365 partners will attend eXtreme365 EMEA in Dubrovnik. If you’re a visitor yourself, an interesting question is how you will bring all these messages back home. Because it’s crucial that all your team members understand what’s going on. And more important – what that all means to them!

Read as well the blogs from Christly Spokely why NAV partners and CRM Partners attending eXtreme365 Dubrovnik

Business Report of eXtreme 365 EMEA
Here’s where QBS group can help you out. We will write a business report on eXtreme 365. With 3 authors we will cover more sessions than a single partner normally can do. The sessions that we will cover go ‘cross content’. This means that we will not only cover the keynotes, but also various technical and functional sessions and of course also the business sessions.

On top of that we will publish exclusive interviews that we will have in Dubrovnik with Microsoft executives.

The report will be published in the English language and will be available mid April 2018.

“QBS partners are the best informed Microsoft partners”

At QBS group we’ve been writing business reports for Microsoft Dynamics partners on Microsoft’s WPC and DIRECTIONS since 2004. Later this year we’ll be writing Business Reports about Inspire 2018 and Directions EMEA 2018.

QBS group partners
QBS group partners will receive this report for free as part of their membership. Partners who sign up as a QBS group partner before April 1st, 2018 will get a FREE copy as their welcome present. Non-QBS partners pay only € 350,- exclusive VAT to receive a copy.

This unique and valuable report is bought by leading Dynamics partners from all over the world.

Can you afford to miss on this important business report? Reserve your copy now!

DIRECTIONS EMEA 2017 business report is available now!

/in , , , , , , /by

Never before it was so important for Dynamics partners to understand the directions that Microsoft takes with her Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365 business applications in today’s fast changing cloud world!

At DIRECTIONS US in Florida and the EMEA edition in Madrid, Microsoft unfolded some bold ideas to disrupt the market and grow faster. QBS group was in Madrid with a 23 people to hear these plans from first-hand. After the event, we have once again written our unique and well known DIRECTIONS EMEA 2017 business report with a team of 8 authors.

At QBS group, we understand that informing Dynamics partners well is crucial for making the right strategic decisions. That’s why we strive every single day to make “QBS Partners the best-informed Microsoft partners.”

We have been writing business reports on the international Microsoft events since 2004. So we know what we’re doing. This report is part of our ‘around the year’ reporting service that spans all the major events for Dynamics partners: Inspire/WPC, eXtreme 365 and DIRECTIONS.

What you can expect?

This unique report features broad, insightful and independent business reporting on the happenings at DIRECTIONS EMEA 2017. The report, which consists of 51 pages of need-to-know information, is bought and used by leading Dynamics partners from all over the world.

These partners use the report among others to:

  • Inform all their colleagues who did not visit the event
  • Improve their marketing and sales pitches
  • Update the content on their websites

 

What do Dynamics partners say about these reports?

This is what some of your colleague partners say about our reports:

  • “We are a loyal purchaser of these business reports. Where in the world can you find a solid, structured and well-informed second opinion for so little money? We always discuss the report in our board meeting. QBS helps us to stay alert!”
  • “This is a great report service! It contains lots of background information that helps us better understand how to translate Microsoft’s strategies to our daily business.”
  • “I’ve only recently started in the Dynamics channel. Thanks to the QBS reports I was up to date in no time of the various Microsoft strategies, her product policies and the trends in the Dynamics partner channel”

The average satisfaction score for this report over the last 5 years was 8,6 on a 1 to 10 scale.

Taste first?
To get a good idea of what you can expect from our DIRECTIONS EMEA 2017 Business Report, you can now download the 2016 edition for free.

Order your copy now!

Partners of QBS group receive this report at no additional cost, as it is part of their QBS membership. For non-QBS Microsoft partners, the report is available for only Euro 400 exclusive of VAT per partner company.

Do you want to know all about Microsoft’s plans with Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365 ‘Tenerife’ and the opportunities these solutions create for your business? Then order your copy today!

As a Microsoft Dynamics professional, can you afford to miss on this important information?

Slimstock and QBS group join forces to strengthen QBS partner capabilities

/in /by

Leusden, 21th of September 2017

Slimstock: market leader in inventory optimisation in Europe, announced a partnership with QBS to drive more business opportunities within the QBS partner base. With the complete software package Slim4, Slimstock helps customers to get the right inventory to the right place at the right time. Slimstock offers assistance to help reduce your inventory while at the same time increasing the service level. So turnover increases, while costs decrease and they offer a guarantee on these results. QBS will work with their partner community to explore opportunities for and with Slimstock which should result in service projects for the QBS partners.

The long-term strategic relationship will focus on enabling clients to implement the complete solution for the structural optimisation of their inventory with Slim4 and give our partners an upsell possibility at their customers and create more value add in the value chain of the customer.

Eric van Dijk, CEO, Slimstock: “Working with QBS will help us sharing our knowledge with more partners and customers. Thereby helping customers to take advantage of the new innovation in Dynamics NAV more efficiently.”

Michael Hartmann, CEO, QBS: “We are glad to offer another solution that helps partners adding more value add software on top of the existing NAV base”

For more information, visit www.slimstock.com

 

/in /by

Leusden, 21th of September 2017

Slimstock: market leader in inventory optimisation in Europe, announced a partnership with QBS to drive more business opportunities within the QBS partner base. With the complete software package Slim4, Slimstock helps customers to get the right inventory to the right place at the right time. Slimstock offers assistance to help reduce your inventory while at the same time increasing the service level. So turnover increases, while costs decrease and they offer a guarantee on these results. QBS will work with their partner community to explore opportunities for and with Slimstock which should result in service projects for the QBS partners.

The long-term strategic relationship will focus on enabling clients to implement the complete solution for the structural optimisation of their inventory with Slim4 and give our partners an upsell possibility at their customers and create more value add in the value chain of the customer.

Eric van Dijk, CEO, Slimstock: “Working with QBS will help us sharing our knowledge with more partners and customers. Thereby helping customers to take advantage of the new innovation in Dynamics NAV more efficiently.”

Michael Hartmann, CEO, QBS: “We are glad to offer another solution that helps partners adding more value add software on top of the existing NAV base”

For more information, visit www.slimstock.com and https://www.qbsgroup.com/gl/partners/slimstock-isv.aspx

Important news from Directions US 2017

/in /by

QBS Partners are the best informed partners. As this is the mantra we live by, we are sharing the latest news on Dynamics NAV via this article. This week the first of the two Directions conferences is taking place in Florida. Some important news was shared which is crucial for your business planning for 2018. Although most of this news is very fresh, not fully detailed and will be repeated at Directions EMEA in Madrid, we would like to share what we know right now.

Dynamics  365 “TENERIFE” will offer full NAV functionality

The current versions of D365 Finance and Operations BE, avaliable in UK, US and CA offers limited functionality. This product was scheduled to become avaliable in other countries in Q4 2017. At Directions US it was announced that the new product, code name “TENERIFE” will have full functionality, giving customers the ultimate decision power to go for any configuration (OnPremise, Hybrid, SaaS or Multi Tenant hosting). For customers requiring less functionality, Office 365 Business Center will be the place to start. With this news it looks like the rigid division between Business Edition and Enterprise Edition is a blast from the past. This news proofs the full and continued focus of Microsoft on offering a great cloud product for the SMB with the same code base and functionality provided by Dynamics NAV. It is expexted that this product will launch in the spring of 2018

 

Extensions will be be optional

This new product “TENERIFE” will offer more possibilities to enhance the solution without the eminent need of extension. Although extensions will be by far the BEST option (in terms of upgradebilty, scalability and technical support), there will be options to leverage on the investment done in the current verticals build on older techniques

Although many more news was shared, these are the most important messages for now.  During the coming QBS Share Events we will share with you more details and indepth insights on these subjects. The connections we have with Microsoft via Inner Circle (amongs others) will be used to keep you updated and gives you early on the possibility to adapt to this news.

If you have any questions regarding this news or want to know more about our services around cloud readiness, please contact your PAM.

 

Start selling Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales now via special SMB SKU

/in /by

QBS group guarantees “future proof selling” to Dynamics 365 Sales when it becomes available

You want to get started selling D365 Sales but don’t want to wait to Dynamics 365 Sales to become available in your country…. We got you covered!

In combination with the Jumpstart add-on we can sell you D365 today and guarantee you the upgrade to future products.

The basis for this offering are the 2 promotional SKU’s from Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales or Dynamics 365 for Sales and Customer Service (for more information visit our Partner Portal).

These promotional SKUs basically allows you to sell the D365 Sales Enterprise Edition to with a “SMB” price, which means that you can start selling to customers and don’t have to tell them to wait.

More info on Jumpstart via: http://www.jumpstart365.com/ 

If you want to know more or order this solution, please contact QBS group via the Partner Service Desk.

Promotion of Anne D. Jakobsen to VP of Marketing for QBS group

/in /by

Customer lifetime value and customer adds have become the new currency in the business application space. So at QBS group we want to strengthen our ability to offer world class marketing to our partners in order to keep them competitive. Promoting our Global Marketing Lead to VP of Marketing, Anne D. Jakobsen, is a natural step in this direction.

Anne has been with QBS group since November 2015, when she joined as the OneBizz Marketing Lead in the Nordics. Before that, Anne had a 15+ year history with Microsoft/Navision, so she’s a long time veteran in the world of Dynamics. She brings in a wealth of marketing experience on numerous disciplines and experience on cross-European activities, latest from her role as Marketing Manager with Microsoft Western Europe team. We are sure that strengthening our marketing organization like this will benefit all partners in the QBS group community.

In her own words: “I’ve spent most of my adult life doing marketing on the Dynamics portfolio – and over the years it has become more and more evident that creating modern marketing activities is what can make or break a company in this industry. So the services of the QBS group marketing teams are vital to the success of the partners in our community”.

Partners with QBS group benefits from marketing services such as strategic consultancy, lead generation, online marketing and marketing automation. Want to know how to join the QBS community? Read here.