Syntech is giving its resellers access to even more information, services and options with its constantly updated web site.
In fact Syntech 2.0, as the newly-launched site is popularly known, has already been updated. “We went live with Syntech 2.1 just recently,” says Ryan Martyn, sales and marketing director at Syntech.
The site is designed to give resellers a rich and fulfilling experience, he adds. “The new site really is amazing, and our partners are loving it.
“Just three or four years ago we had a hard time trying to convince or vendors that we should spend money on the web site,” he confides. “They leant to the opinion that online portals were a consumer solution and were reluctant to let us spend their marketing budget on developing our site.
“But they are all pleasantly surprised at how well the exercise has turned out.”
The end result, he explains, goes way beyond what most B2B sites do. “It’s not just about ordering and checking stock: we have included so many business processes and self-service tools into the site.
“And our partners have voted with their fingers. The site helps them to save time, check stock, place orders, and check warranties, order statuses and proof of delivery.
“In short, it delivers exactly what they need. And, because we have integrated artificial intelligence (AI) into the site, it continues to deliver value.”
Once way Syntech ensures that the site is fit for purpose is by constantly updating it, adding services as partners request them, and tweaking processes as they spot room for improvement.
The proof of its value can be seen in the rapid adoption by partners: already a significant 10% of orders are being received through the site, and Martyn is convinced this will grow as partners realise the value and conduct more business online.
“Resellers are starting to see the value of live data, getting accurate pricing and stock levels, without having to wait or finding out after the order is placed if stock isn’t available.”
Martyn says explains why resellers can trust the information they get from the site because it is fully integrated into Syntech’s warehousing, ordering and dispatch systems.
“The XML stock feed is updated every 15 minutes, so the inventory levels are near-realtime. Resellers can confidently include this feed into their own systems and use it to pre-populate their own e-commerce stores.
“In terms of ordering, there is an absolutely live API (application programming interface) that talks to that system, with an accurate stock feed that is updated live.
“Throughout the process, the system checks and rechecks stock levels, with a final confirmation that stock is in the warehouse at check-out. We don’t want resellers ordering products that we can’t supply immediately.”
Saving you time …
The value that partners gain from the Syntech 2.0 site goes beyond the immediate benefits of browsing products, ordering and paying, says Craig Nowitz, MD of Syntech.
“The site allows partners to maximise the time they spend in front of the customer – and save the hours they spend doing administration.
“A big part of the salesman’s job is getting quotes, compiling information and putting together proposals for clients. And this either end up taking hours away from time spent with customers, or has to be done after hours, so this part of the job has a material knock-on effect on the service levels that customers are getting.
“Now, the salespeople can check stock while talking to the customers, compile information and almost instantly get a quotation to the client.
“This way they can provide a better service, and get more billable hours into the day.”
Preparing the quote itself can also be done on the system. Once the reseller has updated their logo, company details and margin information into their profile, they can automatically generate their own quotes from the Syntech system, which can be sent directly to the customer.
A further time saver is the fact that both sales and procurement teams have access to all the information on the portal.
“So the sales team can check the pricing, availability and margins on the fly,” Martyn says. “This means they can generate a quote quickly, and reduce the turnaround time between seeing the customer and closing the same.
“If we can help partners to shorten their sales cycles, and get to a yes or no quickly, that goes a long way to helping them use their time more effectively.”
Better partnering
For partners to be successful in the IT industry, they need access to great products and services, but they also need to be able to market these to their customer bases.
“We recognise the importance of giving our partners the tools they need to sell more effectively,” Martyn says. “We have a great marketing team, which has done a tremendous amount of work to ensure we have the content to help our partners sell our products effectively.
“The marketing resource dashboard in Syntech 2.0 includes brand information, videos and tutorials, as well as the tools needed for partners to run their own promotions.”
Customisation and build to order
A huge win for reseller partners is the fact that Syntech’s PC Builder tool is integrated into the Syntech 2.0 experience.
“This offers a live build to order experience that guides partners through the customisation process, ensuring that the best possible components are used, and there are no incompatibilities,” Martyn says.
“And there’s another win for our partners: because of the way we have structured our pricing, they can be really competitive in the customisation/build to order space,” he adds. “In face it often works out more cost-effective to do a custom build.”
New features
What Martyn fondly refers to as Syntech 2.1 is the additional to the Syntech 2.0 of a couple of features that partners requested and which could be easily added into the web site offering.
“We are committed to continually improving the performance based on our customers’ feedback.”
One of the latest updates is the additional of a more accurate stock ordering process. Resellers can see if products are in stock in Cape Town or Johannesburg and now they have the ability to either split their order so stock from the different warehouses is delivered separately; or consolidate it so they are delivered together.
The site now also offers open stock for sale at a discounted price.
About Syntech
Syntech works closely with key resellers to add value to the market by incorporating products, services and providing exceptional technical support. This methodology helps our partners to deliver more than just a product, it enables them to create solutions that match market demand.
It caters to several industries and operate in multiple vertical markets, with a particular focus placed on providing value-added service and support to: mass retail; niche retail; online retail; managed service providers; security and surveillance; and Apple resellers.
Learn more at www.syntech.co.za