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Pastel refines channel strategy to counter economic downturn

By Headlines
Johannesburg, 10 Dec 2008

At its annual channel partner award evening held at Summer Place, Sandton, on Thursday, 26 November 2008, Softline Pastel indicated that it is refining its go-to-market strategy in order to help business partners remain profitable in spite of current global economic turmoil.

“As an organisation, we have made a deliberate decision not to be stampeded into a recessionary mindset,” said Softline Pastel sales director, Daryl Blundell. “During the 20 years we've been in business we've grown consistently and significantly through a number of economic downturns.

“So we know that there are opportunities in all economic environments. You've just got to look for them and then be adaptable enough to take full advantage of them.

“And that's why we have begun to bundle our products in different ways, including them in support and service options wrapped around new hardware - so as to be able to offer the market what it needs in whatever way it needs it, at this time.

“We are also building and extending strategic alliances with a number of third-party software developers and vendors. Extended communities like these are vital to providing customers with turnkey solutions in new market verticals.”

In addition, as the economic downturn triggers unemployment, Pastel will focus, with its strategic partners, on providing 'business in a box' solutions for people wanting to start their own businesses.

“New business people are going to have to hit the ground running - administratively and also in terms of understanding their market through customer relationship management and business intelligence solutions,” Blundell says. “So we're providing them with a basic accounting or enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution with optional add-on modules from which they can choose the quickest route to become relevant, mobile, and dynamic.

“At the same time, we'll work very closely with our business partners to give them business-related training and insight that will enable them to accurately and quickly assess the Pastel solutions that will best meet the needs of the business and then implement them quickly, affordably, and in the least disruptive way.

“We'll also be helping partners align themselves with industry verticals without sacrificing their ability to offer a complete value proposition.”

Blundell believes that Softline Pastel is better positioned than most of its competitors to offer small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ERP-type solutions “because our definition of SME is different. We have served the SME market from the outset. We understand the ways in which it is different from large enterprises. And our products have been designed from the ground up with the SME user in mind. We're also already based on Microsoft Excel and other SME standards, whereas our competitors are having to restructure their existing offerings to achieve that.”

Softline Pastel will also be helping its business partners find ways to sell additional products and services to its more than 180 000 existing customers. “We have made significant investments - through, for instance, our support and registration contact centre as well as developing a suite of products to cover the full spectrum of customer needs - to ensure that we retain customers and are able to upsell them with their very willing consent.

“We'd like our partners to imbibe that approach without distracting themselves from bringing new customers on board.

“By the same token, we are well aware that we can't be all things to all people. So we focus on developing the functionality that 80% of our customers want and then work with independent software vendors to develop the remaining 20% in forms that can be used as add-ons.

“We'd like our partners to think in terms of that sort of collaboration, too.”

Softline Pastel named 16 winners at its awards evening.

Pastel Accounting Channel Partner of the Year 2008:
Gauteng - About IT
KwaZulu-Natal - Debbie Payne & Associates
Western Cape - Preferred Solutions
Outlying areas - HH Accounting Services

Pastel Accounting Forum Member of the Year 2008:
Gauteng - Creative Solution Providers
KwaZulu-Natal - WF Venter & Co
Western Cape - EUSA Computer Accounting
Outlying Areas - Wayne Hooper

Pastel Accounting Special Awards:
Most Growth Channel Partner - San Tech
Highest Growth of an Accountants Forum Member - WF Venter & Co
Best New Channel Partner - Debbie Payne & Associates, Gauteng branch

Pastel Evolution Business Partner of the Year 2008:
Gauteng - Trew Solutions
KwaZulu-Natal - Debbie Payne & Associates
Western Cape - EBM Technologies

Pastel Evolution Special Awards:
Highest Growth - GID IT Solutions
Beyond Accounting - Synchro Data Solutions

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Softline Pastel

Softline Pastel, a member of the Softline Group, is South Africa's leader in accounting, payroll and business software for the SME market. Founded in 1989, Pastel has been a trusted name in accounting software for over 18 years and is recommended by nine out of 10 accountants that serve the SME market. While Pastel is South African-born, it is used by 180 000 businesses worldwide and is currently sold in over 52 countries through a network of more than 3 500 channel and business partners. The Pastel support contact centre, a critical component of the business, has received both local and international accolades, and was voted best customer service contact centre in South Africa by its customers in the BPeSA 2007 National BPO Awards.

For more information please visit the Softline Pastel Web site on www.pastel.co.za

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