HP Innovation Journal Issue 04: Fall 2016 | Page 16

PARTNER CORNER

Eat change for breakfast , opportunity for lunch

HP Channel Partners transformation

by Jon Flaxman , Chief Operating Officer , HP ; Jos Brenkel , Global Head , Sales Strategy and Operations , HP ; Vincent Brissot , Global Head of Channel Marketing & Operations , HP

HP Channel Partners around the world are navigating change in their business . No industry is immune to disruption , and no business can risk standing still as global innovation radically transforms the landscape . The evolution of HP ’ s own channel program dramatically strengthens our ability to support partners in healthy growth , rapid decision-making , and deeper customer relationships .

And , as more and more business activity moves into the digital and social realm , the sales landscape is changing dramatically . A recent Forrester report projected that $ 1.1 trillion in business-to-business sales will be conducted online by 2020 . This is a massive shift , and the options available to businesses are clear : adapt or be prepared to lose valuable market share .
Customers today expect the companies they do business with to be more engaged , efficient , and consistent across every sales interaction . Business leaders are increasingly aware of the strategic importance of their technology infrastructure decisions . Technology providers are becoming trusted advisers , helping customers invest
16 Innovation Journal · Issue 4 · Fall 2016
wisely to compete in a shifting landscape .
Transactional sales may be the foundation of a partner ’ s business today , but opportunity for growth lies in deeper , more solutions-oriented customer relationships over time . This is essential to growing existing customers and attracting new ones .
$ 1.1 trillion in B2B online sales by 2020
( 2015 – 2020 U . S .)
$ 692
2014
$ 780
2015 F
$ 855
2016 F
$ 928

7.7 %

2017 F
$ 999
CAGR from 2015 to 2020
2018 F
$ 1066
2019 F
( in billions of dollars ; F = forecast ) Source : Forrester Research B2B eCommerce Forecast , 2015 – 2020 ( U . S .)
This transformation isn ’ t easy . HP channel partners are serving a new breed of customer — a customer that expects solutions and services tailored to their unique business model . A partner might be driving process and culture transformation within their own company , even as they help customers do the same .
HP Partner First : a name to live up to
Entering 2016 as a new company , HP strived to enable partner success by being first in driving growth and profitability , first in speed and agility , and first in simple and consistent operations . The HP Channel
$ 1132
2020 F leadership , took the opportunity as a new company , to implement program improvements aimed at making it easier for partners to align to the program that best suited their business needs — providing a clear path for growth , while at the same time retaining much of the solid , core compensation model and membership structure partners have come to know . We made a commitment to being first and best in the