Parlez Français ?
2014-02-19 23:10 GMT+01:00 Peter Langenberg <peter.langenb...@bubbles-it.be> : > Marc, > > This is a mailing listing, please unsubscribe. > > https://launchpad.net/~openerp-community > > Peter > > > > > 2014-02-19 23:08 GMT+01:00 Marc Pierlot <mpier...@gmail.com>: > >> I dont like you. >> >> >> 2014-02-19 21:08 GMT+01:00 Wouter Tebbens <wou...@freeknowledge.eu>: >> >> some brief thoughts from my part: >>> >>> * keep the name "OpenERP" >>> * explain both the Apps and the ERP (if it stays in the name, so you >>> wouldn't drop it, right?) >>> * emphasise the importance of open source and software freedom (no >>> lock-in, free/open license, competitive market place, community, dynamic >>> innovation through open development, standing on shoulders of giants >>> (PostgresQL, Python, ...)) >>> >>> As Nhomar said, open source IS a very important customer value. And even >>> if some people don't understand much of it, I think it is very important >>> to explain the enormous differences between free software/open source vs >>> proprietary/closed software. It's the end of monopolies.... and >>> customers generally do appreciate the strategic value of freedom. >>> >>> best, >>> Wouter >>> >>> On 02/17/2014 12:11 AM, Carlos Vásquez wrote: >>> > Hi Fabien, >>> > >>> > I do like your thoughts about the marketing strategy in general. I >>> agree >>> > with the communication techniques you propose. >>> > >>> > >>> > *ERP vs. Apps* >>> > >>> > As our fellow partners stated, the main discussion point is which image >>> > we do want to market to our customers. Speaking about the ERP vs. Apps >>> > approach, I kind of agree with both you and the other partners. We do >>> > not spend one cent in marketing, we only follow-up sales of people that >>> > contact us. For now it has been enough to keep us busy and running. >>> > Those people who contact us are almost always looking for an ERP. We >>> > usually have to sell an implementation project where other ERP >>> solutions >>> > are also participating, sometimes there are big ERP solutions (SAP, >>> > Dynamics, Oracle, etc), and usually there are local ERP solutions. I >>> > think dropping the ERP solution as a marketing point, would affect us >>> in >>> > this market. >>> > >>> > But, we have more and more calls from people looking for a cheaper and >>> > faster solution for their problems. An ERP implementation is not >>> > affordable nor suitable for their business. We are getting ready to >>> > offer OpenERP in a way very similar to your SaaS offer. This offer will >>> > be ready very soon and we already have several customers waiting to >>> test >>> > it. Also, we started doing fast, out-of-the-box implementations about 3 >>> > months ago to gain experience for our new "SaaS" offer. It has proven >>> to >>> > be very successful. These customers are more prone to identify >>> > themselves with a solution marketed as business apps running together. >>> > Here I do understand your point and it will help to bring more >>> customers >>> > for this line of service. >>> > >>> > >>> > *Open Source* >>> > >>> > Also, the first kind of customers are usually more interested in an >>> Open >>> > Source solution and they often understand its benefits and it can be an >>> > important sale point for them. The later kind of customers, usually do >>> > not know about Open Source, and they do not care. They need a good, >>> > affordable and reliable solution for their needs. Open or closed is the >>> > same for them. So again, we do have here 2 ways of marketing this >>> > because there is in fact (as Ana said) 2 targets. >>> > >>> > The one thing that help us in the sale process is that our customers >>> can >>> > easily find us in the partners directory. The new partners page with >>> > automatic country filter is doing a great job with this. Also the way >>> > you redirect all kind of leads to us. >>> > >>> > >>> > Maybe it is a good idea to separate the ERP/OpenSource and the >>> > Apps/Product approach. Is it really necessary to choose only one way? I >>> > always like simplicity, but in this case, focusing only one target may >>> > be wrong, it is worth the discussion. >>> > >>> > >>> > *Pull strategy* >>> > >>> > There is one more thing I think I can give some valuable feedback. The >>> > services you offer to partners are somewhat rigid in some cases. I >>> would >>> > love to sell an Enterprise contract with every OpenERP implementation. >>> > But this is not possible. The OPW is not made for end-users, us >>> partners >>> > we have to take part in the process. We have worked out several bugs >>> > with the support team. Our experience has been varied. Sometimes the >>> > person assigned to the bug can solve the problem in a reasonable time >>> > frame, other times we have ended up fixing it ourselves. In all cases >>> we >>> > have to spend at least a couple of hours in total of our time. If our >>> > customer reports a bug, we have to test to know where is the problem. >>> If >>> > there is something wrong with some official code and there is an OPW >>> > contract we can send it to your team. In most cases, your team needs >>> > several replies from us. They usually do not do a very good job finding >>> > the problem, we have to do some heavy testing for them as they keep >>> > rejecting the issue of proposing some simplistic workaround. For >>> > important bugs, we end up spending more than 2 hours answering mails >>> and >>> > doing remote desktop demo sessions. At the end we have to integrate and >>> > deploy the solution. I explain all of this because we have to charge >>> > several hours to our customers on top of an Enterprise contract. And we >>> > also need to support the localization and customizations. The total >>> cost >>> > of support gets expensive. Of course your contract also includes >>> > migration. But if we want to use this service, we also need to charge >>> > some extra fee to migrate the localization and customizations. This is >>> > the main reason we do not sell Enterprise contracts very often, and the >>> > ones we have sold, are not renewing. >>> > >>> > For partners which do develop and do heavy customization, I find the >>> > Enterprise service and its pricing method very rigid. I am worried >>> > because we could work much better with your team and get you to earn >>> > more money, which is good for all of us. And for our new "SaaS" offer, >>> I >>> > contacted you guys to work out something to include support from your >>> > team in our cost structure, but the only thing you have to offer is the >>> > regular Enterprise support with the usual "per user" pricing method. >>> > This will at least duplicate our cost for each user. This is not >>> > acceptable, nor is reflecting the reality. You know that in this kind >>> of >>> > service, the amount of support is deluded because everyone is using the >>> > same exact code base. So we decided to go on our own, without your >>> > support. We ran some numbers, and we think it will be cheaper to >>> support >>> > the platform ourselves, even with the migration process. >>> > >>> > So as of now, I do not think you have good service offer for us. The >>> > pricing structure do not work outside Europe of North America. I know >>> > and appreciate you are making efforts to adapt your prices. It has been >>> > a very good first step. But it is not enough. You have to differentiate >>> > configuration only partners, from development ones. We are more than >>> > open and willing to work with you. So, even if you make a great >>> > marketing strategy, the pull strategy you propose will not work very >>> > well in our particular case. I think it is the best way to go, we need >>> > to improve who does generating partners revenue will create revenue for >>> > OpenERP S.A. >>> > >>> > >>> > *Recap* >>> > >>> > All of this said. I do appreciate your efforts to involve the >>> community, >>> > and do think that there are great things we (the partners) can do with >>> > you (OpenERP S.A.). A marketing investment in marketing will benefit >>> us. >>> > And I do trust your judgment to integrate internal ideas with community >>> > suggestions into an excellent marketing strategy. >>> > >>> > Regards, >>> > -- >>> > Carlos Vásquez >>> > CTO · Director de Ingeniería >>> > CLEARCORP S.A. >>> > >>> > carlos.vasq...@clearcorp.co.cr <mailto:carlos.vasq...@clearcorp.co.cr> >>> > Cel: +(506) 8351 4484 >>> > CR: +(506) 4000 CORP (4000 2677) >>> > US: +1 (786) 472-4267 >>> > skype: crvasquez >>> > twitter: cvclearcorp >>> > >>> > 300 m. Este de la Escuela >>> > Calle de Platanares >>> > 11402 San Jerónimo, Moravia >>> > San José, Costa Rica >>> > (GoogleMaps: http://goo.gl/8YqM4S) >>> > >>> > http://www.clearcorp.co.cr >>> > >>> > >>> > _______________________________________________ >>> > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~openerp-community >>> > Post to : openerp-community@lists.launchpad.net >>> > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~openerp-community >>> > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >>> > >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~openerp-community >>> Post to : openerp-community@lists.launchpad.net >>> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~openerp-community >>> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~openerp-community >> Post to : openerp-community@lists.launchpad.net >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~openerp-community >> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> >> >
_______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~openerp-community Post to : openerp-community@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~openerp-community More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp