I just returned from ScanSource’s Partner First Conference 2024, held in the company’s hometown of Greenville, SC. The one-day event was packed with education and news. I’ve attempted to distill some of the highlights below.
Acquisitions and Appointments
The biggest news coming out of the Partner First event was the recently completed acquisitions of Advantix and Resourcive by ScanSource and the related creation of its Integrated Solutions and Services (ISS) group.
Advantix, known as a managed connectivity experience provider (MCx), fits a unique niche where it comes to managing WAN devices, and provides a number of services VARs and MSPs will find valuable:
- Expense management
- Connectivity management
- Device management
- Asset management
- Inventory management
- Order management
With the acquisition of Resourcive, ScanSource is creating a new Channel Advisory business to be a platform for the channel model of the future.
The ISS group is focused on developing solutions and services that will provide hardware value-added resellers (VARs) the opportunity to wrap additional value around their hardware offerings. I had the opportunity to sit down with Ansley Hoke who was just named SVP of the Integrated Solutions and Services group to get a little more detail on this exciting announcement.
Hoke explained that the acquisitions and creation of the ISS group is all about addressing the desires of ScanSource partners to add more incremental recurring revenue. “This conference where we’re making this announcement is named ‘Partner First’ for a reason,” she explains. “We’ve been listening to our partners to understand their needs and then have made strategic decisions to address those needs.” One of those moves by ScanSource was to add an area of potential recurring revenue growth for partners.
“This vendor-agnostic solution will help our partners in many ways, including adding recurring revenue and creating stickier relationships with end customers thanks to all the connectivity value-adds possible through Advantix,” she says. “One of our goals is to make rollout as seamless as possible for customer, allowing them to open a box and have working devices ready to go.”
(Read the full Advantix and ISS press release here.)
Shifting the conversation slightly, Hoke discussed how one of the biggest challenges partners are facing today is with margin compression. “This is one of the reasons we’re so focused on helping our partners provide additive services,” she explains.
From an opportunity standpoint, Hoke says ScanSource has been seeing success in a few different verticals, such as healthcare, federal government, retail, quick service restaurants, and transportation and logistics.
With such a focus on partners, we discussed areas where partners are underutilizing ScanSource to improve their businesses.
One resource Hoke mentioned was ScanSource’s Marketing Research Center. Designed to be your go-to destination for comprehensive marketing insights, ScanSource’s Market Research Center features tailored resources for key sectors including healthcare, education, manufacturing, warehousing, transportation & logistics, mobility, and retail. Its standout offerings include an interactive ScanSource Vertical Market Solution Guide and the Pathways to Opportunity guide. These tools are crafted to help partners identify and seize new growth opportunities.
Additionally, Hoke says that many SMB reseller partners underestimate the value and power in leveraging ScanSource’s custom configuration center. “We can do everything from pre-load software on devices, insert SIM cards, and add custom messaging inside the boxes so when the end user receives the shipment, everything looks like it came from the reseller and it just works immediately out of the box,” she says. “Everything we do is to enable our partners and make it easier for them to succeed. Again, it’s the theme of this conference: partner’s first.”
Breakout Session Notes: Leadership Panel
ScanSource assembled an impressive lineup of panelists to share their insights into leadership. Following are some of my favorite quotes from the session:
What was the best thing a leader did for you to support your growth when you were on the path for leadership?
Juan Carlos Castillo, director, NA commercial channel, Epson: “When I look back, the best thing that anyone did for me is giving me the gift of time. What I’m talking about is taking the time to really see past your current abilities into your potential. Not only that, but taking the time to give you feedback. And then coach you as you’re learning and developing new skills.”
What would you do over as a leader? As you think back, what would you do over?
Georgia Lamb, VP and GM, US and Canada PSS, Honeywell: “Professionally or personally, I try to operate with a no regrets policy. But yeah, I do have some reflection on that question. I’ve suffered from imposter syndrome, which, unfortunately, is something that can hold you back. I’ve got three mentors, and they’re the legends of the industry. What surprised me is, when discussing this with them, they’d also experienced imposter syndrome. You would have no idea at all with their stage presence and their outward confidence. If you can identify it and come to accept it as a vulnerability, it can be an opportunity to grow.”
Peter Stewart, president NA, Ingenico: “I think of leadership as a journey, and especially as you’re moving into leadership roles, ultimately, your effectiveness is going to be tied to the effectiveness of your team. This is a pivot you need to make fairly quickly as you move into more and more senior roles, such that you’re really focused on how you can leverage the talents and skillsets of a diverse group of people from different functional areas, both within the company and in the ecosystem that many of our companies participate to maximize effectiveness.”
What’s a common blind spot that you see or have seen in leaders?
Jenny Krummenacher, director of channel sales for Zebra: “I would say transparency. There needs to be a trust between you as a leader and the employees. With trust and transparency, you can create opportunities, get new ideas from your team, and tackle the hard challenges.”
What is one thing you are most grateful for as a leader?
Craig Wisoe, CEO, Elo: The opportunity to what I do. Most of us, when we are just getting started with our careers, don’t know where we’ll end up. Being grateful, and keeping that in your mind every day, helps you with every aspect of leadership, especially as you interact with young potential leaders.
Notable Stats, Quotes Shared During Sessions
“Only about 16 percent of manufacturers have real time monitoring over their process.” Becky Gowan, Zebra Technologies
“Nurses spend up to 40 hours a month looking for stuff like wheelchairs, pumps, and meds.” Becky Gowan, Zebra Technologies, on the value of RFID in healthcare.
“We want to help you find new avenues for growth. What we’ve seen is partners who don’t stay in the lane grow about twice as much as those who do.” Casey Huffling, ScanSource
“70% of shoppers prefer to shop seamlessly between online and in-store.” Yogesh Kulkarni, Zebra Technologies on shopper preferences.
“Omnichannel purchases (e.g. BOPIS) are 3% – 8% less profitable compared to traditional in-store visits.” Yogesh Kulkarni, Zebra Technologies on retail complexity.
“We’re going to see a reimaging of AI as many early adopters are pulling back their initiatives and AI experiences the ‘trough of disillusionment.’”
Scott Drobner, Zebra Technologies on AI adoption trends.
“Logistics companies, struggling with rising costs, are adopting robotics and new workflows. Robots outnumber humans 15-1 in UPS’ newest warehouse.” Scott Drobner, Zebra Technologies on AI adoption trends.
