Undisclosed Client Case Study
A global provider of intelligence and investigation software for national security, defence, law enforcement and private sector organisations. After an initial year-long project to implement Salesforce.com had failed to deliver a deployable system, Titanium Fire was brought on-board to undertake a complete review of the programme’s strategy, technical approach, and to assist in the formation of a new internal business systems team.
The Challenge
The Client had three major offices in the UK and US which utilised separate technologies for marketing and sales, while sharing a global order management solution. Prior to our engagement, the initial Salesforce.com implementation had focused on a direct replacement of the existing on-premise solution which had faced the following challenges:
- The focus on a direct replacement had driven a design which was increasing costs and risks and ultimately proving impossible to deploy.
- The proposed solution did not offer the business the increased flexibility in bundling, pricing, and configuration the market demanded.
- The changes in market demand and company strategy also necessitated a review of the business processes which in turn impacted the scope and proposed design.
Design
There were a number of mandatory requirements the new design had to deliver:
- Improved flexibility in software product pricing, bundling and wider support for multi-currencies.
- Accurate product configuration (based on a complex set of technical requirements).
- A future-proof software licensing model that maintained backwards compatibility with legacy software products.
- Management of software license subscriptions.
- Accurate deferred revenue calculations.
- Global help-desk functionality for the global customer base.
- Accessibility and management for Channel sales teams.
How
An initial rapid assessment phase concluded with agreement by the senior stake-holders the programme approach needed to change. Critically, the most complex requirements were to be delivered with a Configuration, Pricing and Quoting (CPQ) engine which significantly reduced the risks associated with a complex bespoke application development. Re-engaged business champions played an active part in the CPQ vendor selection process and a fresh set of global workshops reinvigorated a programme that had reached an impasse. A completely new internal business systems team was recruited and trained and the programme handed-over to internal resources for go-live.
