Grupo Choice about Marketing Services
Choice is a business group which has more than 20 years of experience in the sector and we always had the preoccupation to get in touch to our customers, have a good relationship with them and be close to them. This allows us to generate products and offers that connect to customers’ needs. Our relationship with QBS group allows us to improve our marketing strategy, optimise our sales and marketing and establish a formula of being close to our customer, basically via marketing. We couldn’t do that before, now we can and our customers appreciate it very much.
“Our alliance with QBS group has been very important in the development of our business strategy.”
In Sofkia we know that there are not two business equals and the technology should help us to give solutions to specific necessities, we know that as developers or ISV inside the channel and we think that is the way to go. What we appreciate most of the alliance with QBS is the vertical solutions, the “Expertise” which is moved to the channel, in this case the distribution and training offered. We think this has been very important in the development of our business strategy.
SOFKIA
VS Sistemas “QBS group helps us build our road to success.”
The strategy of VS Sistemas is to improve its services continuously. VS Sistemas is working with QBS group to generate a better collaboration within departments, monitor these improvements continuously and help build our road to success.
VS SISTEMAS
C2IT Business Solutions about QBS group
C2IT Business Solutions is a part of C2IT A/S. C2IT Business Solutions has 18 employees who only work with Microsoft Dynamics NAV. C2IT Business Solutions has special skills in integration, distribution and time/sales control.
“We have been partners with QBS group since 2014 and are very satisfied”, says Berith Skov, CEO of C2IT Business Solutions, a woman who knows what is going on in the business. “Before QBS group we had needs for assistance and information regarding licences and campaigns that were not met. Now as a partner with QBS group we get the support we need. Besides that, QBS group is a connection to Microsoft and we get great benefit of the collaboration with other partners who have needs similar to ours.”
A quick and efficient access to Microsoft
Berith Skov is very pleased with the fact that the services of QBS group are focused on the needs of the partners, and that it is possible to get help and support that makes the daily work with costumers easier: “We can lean on QBS group because they have a close relationship with Microsoft, which is a big and complex organization. Our experience is that we can use QBS group as a way in to Microsoft when it comes to licenses and complex questions.”
Good prices on good training
Berith has a good and close connection with QBS group when it comes to training. “Through QBS group we get good prices on training, which is important in a market where knowledge is crucial. When we hired new employees a while ago, it made sense to send them on a course through a QBS business partner where they became well equipped.”
It has boosted our traffic on Social Media
Before C2IT often felt that they were ill informed about campaigns. Now they have the knowledge that makes the daily work easier. “Besides the specific knowledge on campaigns we are very pleased to have sent one of our employees on a course about social media. She came back with an in depth and focused knowledge that was easily enforceable. So that particular course has boosted our activities and visibility on our social media channels.”
The best prices
C2IT sees QBS as a good and daily partner. “We are very satisfied with the services provided by and through QBS group. They are relevant for our business and QBS negotiate good prices, which benefits us”, Berith Skov concludes.
We are once again part of a NAV community
Herke ICT Group is a Dutch reseller of Microsoft Dynamics NAV and CRM. They are situated in the city of Alkmaar, The Netherlands and hold 50 employees. Besides being a reseller they have also developed their own solution for the construction business called BouwVision. They are not only a Microsoft Dynamics partner of Microsoft, but also an Office 365 partner. And they are a partner of Hewlett Packard for hardware.
“Before we joined we did have some doubts”, recalls Karin Buzing, when she talks about the decision of joining QBS group. She is a sales and marketing manager at Herke ICT Group and responsible for maintaining contact with QBS group. “It’s because we were afraid of losing the contacts we had at Microsoft. These contacts were good, because we are a large Microsoft partner since we also resell Office 365. But as far as NAV was concerned we weren’t big enough for becoming a managed partner of Microsoft. This means you have your own contact for support and questions.”
Becoming a QBS partner
It took a while until June 2015 before the organisation did decide to join. Karin Buzing: “It was quite a lengthy process. We first visited a couple of QBShare events and also made some financial considerations. What won us over, were the QBS services. QBSelect, the training courses, we could see the value in those. We were also drawn to the feeling of community. By joining QBS group we were part of the NAV community again and as far as we were concerned we had lost that feeling in recent years. For us, that played an important role in the decision to join QBS group eventually.”
Community
The feeling of community and the contacts Herke ICT Group has with other partners really pay off. Karin Buzing: “We already knew some other QBS group partners, but since we have joined ourselves the cooperation has intensified. We exchange leads with other partners. If we receive a lead which we can’t do much with, for example if it’s for a particular vertical, we pass it on to another partner who can. The same happens the other way around. ”
Cloud SureStep
Karin enrolled in the Cloud SureStep training which is offered by QBS group: “We have already come a long way with ‘the cloud’, we offer Office 365 products through the cloud and we are going to do the same with our BouwVision solution. Therefore the content of this training course was not entirely new to me, but it did confirm to me we are on the right track and it has provided me with some new insights which have accelerated the process.”
Pleasant contacts
Karin describes the contacts she has with QBS group as ‘pleasant’. Karin: “Once a month we have a meeting with our Partner Account Manager at QBS group. With her we discuss our business and business plan. The conversations we have with her are not just about the number of licenses we are planning to sell, she really helps us. It’s just great to have someone you can call, who calls you back and who sorts things out for you.”
The fact that we belong to a larger organisation gives our customers security.
Verito delivers Microsoft Dynamics NAV to charity organisations and commercial trainers. For these sectors, they have also developed additional modules for NAV. The organisation was founded 20 years ago, is located in Apeldoorn and has 10 employees.
Support was decisive
Verito was one of the first partners who joined QBS Group. That was in the summer of 2013. According to Owe Loonstra, sales and marketing manager at Verito, the concept of QBS group appealed very much to them. Owe Loonstra: “We are a small organisation and we noticed that we received less and less support from Microsoft. We expected that QBS group could support us better. We thought that, by joining a larger organisation like QBS group we would have more control over what happens at Microsoft. Especially in the area of software and platform development.”
A lot of time saved
Verito calls the support from Partner Care ‘pleasant’. Owe Loonstra: ‘They help us quickly if we have any questions. They also inform us about Partner Promotions, so we know much sooner than before. One particular thing, which saved us a lot of time, was that they assisted us in the certification (CfMD) Microsoft program.’
Contacts with Microsoft
According to their own saying, Verito ‘gratefully’ uses the knowledge and experience available at QBS Group. Owe Loonstra: ‘QBS group supports us in complex sales processes. For example recently, we secured a major customer and QBS group supported us in the negotiations with Microsoft for that customer. In that three-way discussion we have reached a solution which was most beneficial to all parties. ”
More security for end customers
QBS group helped Verito win a new customer. Owe Loonstra: “For a potential customer, we organised a meeting at QBS group in Leusden. During that meeting QBS group told about their services. This really helped convincing the client to choose our services. The fact that we belong to a larger organisation gives them security. This gives us a stronger position as a small organisation.”
Informed of new developments
Owe Loonstra: “We see that as a partner of QBS group we are well informed of developments at Microsoft. For example, when it comes to product development and new releases of NAV. QBS group is very close to the fire and wants to share her knowledge. As as a partner we benefit from that.”
Adfocom “Partner Care saved us a lot of time.”
Adfocom is an IT service provider based in Alphen aan de Rijn, The Netherlands. They provide not only Microsoft Dynamics NAV, but also other services such as telephony and infrastructure. Their customers are located in floriculture, trade and rental. For floriculture they offer a NAV add-on; Greenline.
According to Jeroen Kersten, Sales Manager at Adfocom, his organisation needed a better support than Microsoft could offer. Jeroen: “For questions we didn’t have a good entrance at Microsoft. Communication was difficult. Then we got the offer from QBS Group. All the conditions stayed the same, but they did offer us many advantages. So we joined them. It could only get better. ”
More information
Since then the information has improved. Jeroen Kersten: “We can now go to QBS group for questions, for example about licenses. We also receive newsletters, in which we are informed about issues that are important to us. And we can participate in events such as QBShare.”
Help with licenses
Jeroen is excited about Partner Care & Licensing, the support department of QBS Group. Jeroen: “It’s nice that you can contact someone who knows all the rules and any exceptions. And that you actually know what that person looks like. Partner Care has helped us with a licensing issue that we had. One of our customers had taken over a company that used Microsoft AX software and had their own AX licenses. Our client used Microsoft Dynamics NAV. That had to be one system and the two licensing structures had to be merged. It was quite a hassle, but QBS group helped us very well and it saved us a lot of time.”
Leads by Telebusiness
Adfocom also uses the Telebusiness service from QBS group. Jeroen: “It has already generated leads for us. We started using this service because we wanted to approach a new market. Besides using TeleBusiness have also updated our website and we are going to use Adwords.”
Targeted calls
Telebusiness is more than just calling. Jeroen: “When we started, we bought a mailing list. This mailing list is first ‘enriched’ by QBS group; appropriate contacts have been added to the directory. So, you can access more targeted customers. This mailing list will be called once a week and we will continue to do so.”
NavAzure: “We are a small company with a great organisational support base”
NavAzure is a newly established company, which currently one employee, Michael Francois Knudsen, who is the owner and CEO. NavAzure has only existed since April 2016 but is based on Michaels long experience with Microsoft Dynamics NAV. NavAzure is particularly skilled in municipal solutions.
“We have been partners with QBS since April 2016, and are very satisfied”, says Michael Francois Knudsen, who knew of QBS group from a previous job. “For a startup like NavAzure, the partnership with QBS group is ideal because we trough the partnership gain access to possibilities and knowledge that would otherwise require a large organization or great costs. Besides this, I find that with QBS group as organizational support, I have time to focus on business. Even though I have become part of a larger organization, I can still claim ownership of my business”, Michael enthusiastically explains.
Knowledge of licenses at your fingertips
Michael likes the fact that it so easy to gain knowledge on many areas such as licenses. “I needed to clarify some questions regarding licenses and was very pleased that I could through QBS group, swiftly and with ease could solve the issues. It was very satisfying to be able to give my customer a quick answer. It was great for me not having to spend time on tasks like this. If it had just been me, I would not have had the same pull and could not have found the information that quickly.”
I have become more skilled professionally
Even though Michael has comprehensive experience, he still finds a need for further development of his skills. “I have used my partnership with QBS group to educate myself through training. I definitely feel I have gained better experience and am more professionally skilled. Besides that, it is a great benefit that Quattros and gained bonus makes it easy and attractive to use training and other services”, says Michael. “Furthermore I can use QBS group to e.g. generate leads and to be visible online. That gives me time to focus on my skills with the customers.”
Part of a greater network
“It is important to me, that I through QBS become part of a greater network, where partners can meet each other and share experience, knowledge and assist one another with tasks. It is great getting together face to face, so we keep each other in mind if we come across tasks or knowledge that would be relevant to other partners”, says Michael.
“It also benefits the customers. In the network of partners and at QBS we can use the different skills and resources of each other so no task is too big. We gain a support system of skilled and experienced resources, which ensures the customer that when dealing with a QBS partner there is – with nearly 60 QBS partners in Denmark, always someone who can help with the customer’s solution. For me it is not important to own the resource the customer needs when I have a vast support team around me with some of the most skilled people in the field.”
Access to support
“To me it is important to know that I have access to support daily. In that case I know that no matter what challenge I encounter, I will be able to get help and do not have to spend time chasing information on a certain area like Dynamics NAV and Microsoft,” Michael Francois Knudsen concludes.
Do you want to become a QBS group partner?
Without the help from QBS group we wouldn’t have succeeded.
Blisss is a Dutch reseller of Microsoft Dynamics NAV. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. They have been working with Microsoft Dynamics NAV since 2008. Besides NAV they also build apps. Bliss is a fast growing company and employs a lot of young people.
An ‘in between’ party
Dirko Wijers, founder and owner of Blisss, decided to join QBS group soon after the establishment of QBS group in 2013. He explains why: “Microsoft is a very big company, and that makes the relationship with Microsoft very distant. Especially for small and medium sized partners. For them it’s often hard to cooperate with Microsoft and to find the right information and help. That’s why, as a small and medium sized business, you need an organization that’s in between. That supports you in all areas that are important for your business. Marketing, training, licensing, sharing knowledge with other partners, you can’t do it all by yourself. QBS group can support you with that, they are pragmatic and enterprising.”
Support by Partner Care
Dirko is very pleased with the support service of QBS group. Dirko: “I have good experience with Partner Care & Licensing. The lines are short, they help you quickly and they sort things out for you. The contact’s personal, you know their names. They have very good knowledge of licensing and they helped me very well with a licensing issue I had. That issue was that we were still using a former SPLA licensing model, because we have been working in the cloud for a long time. We needed to transfer to a newer model and with their help we managed to do it in three days. I’m convinced that without them we still wouldn’t have succeeded.”
Online traceability
Dirko regularly uses the services of QBS group: “We have participated in training courses and won clients through lead generation. Soon we will start with online marketing through QBS group. I find online traceability important. Because I think that a potential customer who approaches you himself, has more interest in your product than a customer gets approached by you, for example by cold calling. And the chances of you winning over this potential customer are much higher. That’s why I want to continue to improve our online visibility and QBS group can help us with that with their online marketing services. ”
Feeling of community
Dirko also would like to see Microsoft Dynamics partners work together: “You used to have a community of Microsoft Dynamics partners who worked together and shared knowledge. That is something I believe in. We are not competitors, but we pursue a common goal which is that Microsoft Dynamics NAV will be the most widely used ERP system in the Netherlands. I think QBS group brings back the old feeling of community. For example with an event like QBShare where partners can meet. But also by collectively buying services, which is cheaper than doing it by yourself. There is only one who does that and can and it’s QBS group. “