BTA Managed Services Workshop Scheduled for June 28-29

Workshop will detail the updated Managed Services Business Model v4.0

Kansas City, MO — Have you invested in the managed services market but have yet to see the results you thought you would? Are you looking for answers on how to execute instead of just hearing about what you should do? On June 28-29 at ECi Software Solutions headquarters in Forth Worth, Texas, the Business Technology Association (BTA; www.bta.org) will present the BTA Managed Services Workshop (www.bta.org/MS), which can help a dealer start, or improve, his or her managed services business.

The BTA Managed Services Workshop has been expanded to one-and-a-half days and now includes the data within the Managed Services Business Model v4.0. This model is the first of its kind, has been developed by workshop instructors Mitch Morgan and Chris Ryne of Growth Achievement Partners (GAP) and Continuum, and has been downloaded nearly 1,000 times. GAP has been assisting dealers in making this important transition to managed network services (MNS) since 2009. Continuum is the largest, most experienced provider of managed services operations to dealers and currently manages more than 600,000 endpoints. The companies’ combined knowledge in the managed services space will allow dealers to walk away with a “time-tested” business model and key metrics to guide success in this strategic growth area. The business model includes an action plan and covers such topics as:

• Revenue: The appropriate targets, mixes and types, and how should those change over time to include items like hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) and cloud services.
• Contracts & Account Expansion: Seats under management, revenue per seat and growth expectations via additional products and services over time.
• Activity & Pipeline: Sales cycle duration, pipeline metrics and activity targets to achieve business model revenue targets.
• Head Count: Productivity measures for sales and vCIO personnel, target head-count levels based on seats managed and customers under contract, and personnel mix between sales and operations.
• Compensation: Who to pay, how to pay and when to pay, as well as target compensation levels as they relate to gross profit and revenue.
• Profitability: Target contribution level and operational levels to enhance performance.
• Operational Metrics (Core NOC/Help Desk): Key drivers of managed services profitability and customer satisfaction, including productivity measures, availability metrics and response times.
In addition to the updated business model, participants will be trained on the Managed Services Sales Process. This three-phase sales process provides clarity to the important components in closing manages services opportunities. Continuum reports that this sales process has helped GAP clients:
• Achieve four-times higher sales results than non-GAP clients
• Increase their devices under management 297 percent over last 36 months
• Manage more than 15,000 global IT devices on the Continuum platform

As an additional bonus to attendees, Morgan and Ryne will be detailing the critical elements in developing and maximizing your vCIO resource. The effectiveness of this position is key to the overall success of your managed services program.
As a special addition to the June 28-29 workshop, Morgan and Mike Dudek of Zygoquest Group will also provide a 60-minute executive briefing on MSP acquisition trends, critical success factors and best practices, as well as outline the Z-GAP Strategic Alliance MSP Acquisition Program’s exclusive benefits.

Morgan, a partner at GAP, founded the Connectivity Dealer Program at NIA in 1991. After his business was acquired by IKON Office Solutions in 1996, he led its Technology Services division. In 2001, he formed the Professional Services division for IKON. Morgan has been consulting with CEOs on strategy, operations, organizational development and sales since 2005.
Ryne, a partner at GAP, brings significant experience in driving growth and profitability, possessing a comprehensive understanding of the industry that includes traditional and emerging markets from both a sales and operations perspective. His tenure includes 10 years with IKON, where he built and led a successful professional services business unit from startup to a well-integrated team.

BTA member tuition for the BTA Managed Services Workshop is $995. Non-member tuition is $1,425 and includes a one-year BTA dealer membership. BTA members may apply their $150 or $250 educational discount received with their membership toward this workshop.

For more information or to register for the workshop, visit www.bta.org/MS or call (800) 843-5059.

Founded in 1926, the Business Technology Association serves office technology dealerships, resellers, manufacturers, distributors and service companies. Its core members — office technology dealerships — consult, sell and service hardware, software and supplies with the goal of helping businesses maximize their investment in devices and technology. Through the association’s various educational programs, information, research, legal services, publications and guidance, BTA member dealerships are positioned to be the premier source of the office technology used by businesses throughout the United States every day. For more information on BTA, visit its website at www.bta.org or call (800) 505-2821. The fax number is (816) 941-4838. You may also write to: BTA, 12411 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145.