Digital Partner Portal (PRM)
Digital Partner Portals (PRMs) are web-based extranets exclusive to channel partners.
In today's digital age, PRMs are very interesting elements of partner programs.
They help companies to effectively manage partner relationships on a larger scale, streamline onboarding, training, partner support, communication - on a international scale, through a centralised digital platform.
From a partner perspective, this is a single platform to engage with a vendor, that put all the tools and resources available in a single point of engagement.
Partner Program (channel partnerships)
A partner program is a strategic business methodology focusing on customer acquisition, retention & development, designed to foster mutual beneficial relationships with external organizations. Programs are commonly used in the technology industries by vendors to encourage channel partners to sell the vendor's products or services more effectively.
From a vendor perspective, the goal of a partner program is to develop the channel partners, so that they can become more self-sufficient, more competent, more loyal, and more committed to work with the vendors.
The slide above introduce the main differences between the B2C loyalty and the B2B partner programs, which can be both part "incentive programs".
From a benchmark, to co-designing a key company global partner program (EcoXpert)
In 2012, I developed a significant benchmarking of the top partner programs in the technology industry (Google, Cisco, IBM, etc.) versus the ones in the electrical industry (Gira, Schneider, etc.). This research and comparative analysis has been presented to executive company members, and has influenced significant investments in this Partner Relationship Management.
This benchmark was also the subject of my Master's thesis, which has been awarded. Building up on this, in 2013 I relocated to the United Kingdom to co-design and define the main attributes of the "EcoXpert" partner program of Schneider Electric.
By collaborating with regional / local teams, we deployed this new program across 23 countries and onboarded hundreds of System Integrators specialized in the Smart Home & Building Automation (KNX, C-Bus, DALI, etc.), Building Management Systems (BMS) and Power Monitoring."
As of today, and according to external company financial reports, 4 000 partners globally are part of this partner program, which has been awarded as a top industry partner program by CRN organisation several times.
Learn more about EcoXpert program >
