Following its recent appointment of Mitsumi Distribution to roll-out secure power solutions in East Africa, Schneider Electric has announced another development in its channel management – the expansion of its global Alliance Partner Programme for industrial automation distributors (IADs) to SA.
IADs focus on supplying automation technologies such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), robots and sensors.
This strategic move aims to drive growth through the channel by enhancing coverage for industrial automation products, solutions and services across the country.
Schneider Electric says the Alliance Partner Programme will enhance its distribution network to ensure better product coverage and stock availability and help meet market demand more efficiently.
It also opens up new growth opportunities through advanced specialisations and skills enhancement for sales and technical experts within the distributor network, the company adds.
Oriel Soupen, channel marketing manager at Schneider Electric South Africa, says: “By continuously improving the programme, we consider our alliance distributors as an integral part of the Schneider Electric strategy. These distributors maintain a customer-centric approach, boosting customer confidence by enhancing their solution capabilities within the automation space.”
The programme enables alliance distributors to access to a broader range of industrial automation products and solutions.
Deeper customer intimacy
Schneider Electric wants these distributors to develop deeper customer intimacy, meaning doing more than just selling products. The company says it wants partners to develop a complete understanding of the underlying technologies and solutions while fostering relationships across the ecosystem.
Chris Neethling, channel sales manager at Schneider Electric, adds: “We want our alliance distributors to have the technical competency and capability to sell the full solution, not just individual products. They should be able to advise customers on complementary components and how different parts of the system work together.”
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