The efficiency of IT service channel partners is generally measured by the time taken to deliver spare parts to customers. One of the main features of efficient service is letting customers know at the earliest when exactly their problems can be tackled and solved. While the former is called �response time�, the latter is called �resolution time� in technical parlance.p____p The channel partners of Compaq India, which has a very large customer base in the country, used to take up to five days to give this crucial information to its end-users. They found it extremely difficult to cope with the hordes of complaints and orders for spares coming by e-mail. That is why the launch of CSN in India came as a great boon to both channel partners and Compaq customers.p____p __b Redefining Channel Strategy
The network offers enhanced business capabilities in the form of technical information and warranty diagnostic tools. It allows virtual dispatching of online spare parts orders and facilitates tracking of spares and inventory management. In addition, it can also be used for online quoting and ordering of Compaq services and allows access to a portfolio of Compaq�s branded offerings for sale or delivery. In a nutshell, CSN is a web-based management system for helping channel partners complete various transactions efficiently through the Internet.p____p __b The Convenience Factorb__p__ __img rajesh.gif align=leftimg__Compaq claims that CSN helps its channel partners attain greater economies of scale and to reduce operational costs. According to corporate manager-channel support, Compaq India, Rajesh Prabhakaran, CSN also offers other measurable benefits to channel partners such as increased revenue and ease of doing business.p____p He elaborates, “Having lead referrals, the ability to sell and/or deliver a comprehensive portfolio of our branded service offerings, enhanced sales and marketing support and attractive incentives have a direct positive impact on our partners� bottom line. Moreover, CSN�s online tools pertaining to performance-related data, spares ordering, technical support, sales and technical training, delivery and marketing materials, warranty verification, etc, makes it very easy for them to do business with us.”p____p Both CMS Computers and SK International, two of the leading authorized service channel partners of Compaq India, endorse Prabhakaran�s views Says manager-operations, CMS, Goutam Bhattacharya, “Thanks to CSN, our response to complaints and orders have become almost real-time. Besides, customers can directly log on to CSN and get their technical support queries answered without depending on us.”p____p According to director, SK International, Vasudev Rao, the network allows channel partners to plan their customer support activities better. He explains, “As almost all customer queries can be sorted out online, we have substantially reduced telephonic interactions and e-mails.”p____p CSN takes care of Compaq�s warranty obligations with its freely downloadable warranty diagnostic tools (see box). Bhattacharya feels that these tools help channel partners in having a comprehensive database of each and every products sold by them, including serial and model numbers and warranty details and also, keeping track of them.p____p __b Benefiting Small Traders
Based on feedbacks from its channel partners, Compaq is planning to add some more features into CSN shortly. They include an online chat forum and a significant increase in technical database. Also planned is a monthly report card feature through which channel partners can view and measure their performance vis-�-vis customer satisfaction, details on remuneration earned, spares transactions, among other things.p____p p__ p__ p__ __b CSN�s downloadable warranty diagnostic toolsb__p__ p__ p__ __b SmartStart: b__A set of server integration utilities that optimizes platform configuration and simplifies server set-ups.p__ p__ p__ __b Insight Manager: b__Delivers intelligent monitoring and alerting, remote maintenance and visual control of Compaq clients and servers in a network.p__ p__ p__ __b Server Diagnostics: b__Programs that test and inspect server products.p__ p__ p__ __b Array Diagnostic Utility: b__Helps in collecting all possible information about array controllers in the system and generate a list of detected problems.p__ p__ p__ __b Drive Protection System: b__An advanced tool designed to identify physical hard drive defects.p__ p__ p__ __b Server Utility: b__An online information gathering agent that collects critical hardware and software information and thereby, allowing problem resolution without taking the server offline.p__ p__ p__ __b Restore CD: b__Restores the latest version of Compaq applications, drivers and utilities that were originally pre-installed.p__ p__ p____p __img point.gif align=leftimg__p____p __b b__p__ p__