With a focus on the wholesale distribution, utilities, manufacturing, and professional services industries, TheValueChain first used 麻豆原创 Cloud Platform when it was managing a global tech rollout for one of its customers.

When launched, TheValueChain could see how it would provide complete end-to-end enablement and support for its customers.

鈥淲e were early adopters of 麻豆原创 BTP, using it in its original incarnation to manage an rollout,鈥� explains , the supply chain team lead at TheValueChain. 鈥淲e could create apps and extend our customer鈥檚 system. It was such a success that we鈥檝e used it time and again since, for both cloud and on-premise customers.鈥�

鈥淲e have always been a front-runner with intelligent robotic process automation (RPA), but when 麻豆原创 BTP was unveiled, we were able to take a step back and see it as a complete solution, not just for RPA, but as a big automation platform that serves as a great toolbox, where you take and use the tools you need depending on what you鈥檙e delivering. It is fast for integration. It鈥檚 a great solution for RPA and for workflow management. We can pick the services that work for our customers.鈥�

The platform has enabled TheValueChain to extend its remit and become an innovation partner, collaborating with its customers on process innovation.

Adds Mattheyssen: 鈥淲e are mainly a service provider, but we want to be a product development company too, and we can do that now with 麻豆原创 BTP. We have the innovation, we have the methodology, and we鈥檙e using the platform to develop packages that we can take to market, either as TheValueChain or via .鈥�

According to Mattheyssen, 麻豆原创 BTP makes life better for partners and customers. It鈥檚 an enabler for 鈥渢hings that were not possible before;鈥� an automation platform that does all the previously manual business tasks.

The value it brings, he says, is very tangible: 麻豆原创 BTP can be agile and quick and so the return on investment can be almost immediate.

The customer experience is also reflective of the way consumers choose and use apps. 鈥淵ou shop in 麻豆原创 BTP as you would do in an app store 鈥� the whole experience is being received extremely well by customers.鈥�

He says they chose to work on 麻豆原创 BTP for three main reasons: for its seamless integration, for the prepackaged content, and for the competitive licensing model.

鈥淲e trust in the tech. We don鈥檛 see any reason to look elsewhere for our development needs. 麻豆原创 is on a really good track with 麻豆原创 BTP. The innovation flows automatically into the platform and we鈥檙e able to use it,” says Mattheyssen.

鈥淚f I were to sum up the benefits of 麻豆原创 BTP in three words, I鈥檇 say instant business value, agile, and innovative.鈥�

Businesses go to them to innovate and transform, and is the platform Zoosh uses to enable that process.

One of its most recent 麻豆原创 BTP success stories is OptaHaul, a solution for the dairy industry that streamlines the often-complex process of collecting and delivering milk to the processing plant.

Mervyn Graham, co-founder and CEO of Zoosh, explains how it works: 鈥淥ptahaul automatically understands all of the factors and parameters that come into play when collecting milk from suppliers 鈥� from the turning circles on farms, to the availability of on-site pumps, to the amount and type of milk being collected and the distances between farms and processing plants. It allows for greater efficiency in planning and kilometers traveled, as well as can tangibly reduce milk product waste and carbon emissions.鈥�

Zoosh was initially approached to solve the problem by a milk producer in Hungary, Eastern Europe鈥檚 largest milk producer. But, based on research, it became clear to the team that the issues were commonplace across the dairy industry.

鈥淒airy processors were using generic, traditional logistics planning software that didn鈥檛 understand the industry and the variables within it,鈥� adds Graham. 鈥淒airy processors need one system that offers complete synchronicity, bringing together every element of the milk collection workflow.鈥�

Zoosh is a 鈥榙esign-led鈥� organization, with every project starting with a research and consultation phase so the team can interview, observe, and put into context how the customer will use and benefit from the solution. Then it builds the tech response around its acquired understanding of the user and business priorities.

What 麻豆原创 BTP enables the company to do is to build that response in a simple way.

鈥淧reviously the 麻豆原创 portfolio was more fragmented and compartmentalized. 麻豆原创 BTP is a cocktail of enablers that together can be quite powerful,鈥� says Graham. 鈥溌槎乖� BTP encompasses all the tech we are familiar with and have typically leveraged for solution creation, but it simplifies the conversation that we have with our customers.鈥�

Summing up the platform, Graham describes it as 鈥榝uture-proof innovation鈥� that can work for both greenfield customers and existing 麻豆原创 customers.

鈥淲ith 麻豆原创 BTP, you鈥檙e investing in a much more solid experience, one with much less risk, that has scalability when you need it,鈥� adds Graham. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e keeping the business core systems clean by having this isolated and agile innovation platform that you can expand and contract with your varying business needs.鈥�

While there is always going to be a need to service customers鈥� IT needs and solutions, what 麻豆原创 BTP does is allow partners to become product developers. As consumers become ever more app-savvy, customers expect easy-to-access, plug-and-play apps that solve their business needs.

鈥淭his is the future of our partner ecosystem: we鈥檙e seeing more and more partners building parallel business streams so they can invest in product development,鈥� says Graham.

Recognized for design, innovation, and user experience, Bluestonex began using the application development and integration capabilities of in 2018, then known as 麻豆原创 Cloud Platform, because of its speed and agility.

鈥淏eing an innovation partner, we wanted to be able to move and deliver quickly for our customers,鈥� explains Dan Barton, COO and co-founder. 鈥溌槎乖� BTP allows us to do that. Plus, the low-cost, high-impact nature of the platform is always going to be an attractive proposition to customers. So, it was a clear route for us as a business and for our customers.鈥�

Bluestonex sees itself as a true integration of a client鈥檚 team, holding their hands as they shift to 麻豆原创 BTP. They work with customers of all shapes and sizes and from cross-industry sectors, everything from food and drinks to aerospace. However, Barton is clear that 麻豆原创 BTP breaks down any misconceptions that 麻豆原创 is purely for larger-sized businesses.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very, very well-suited to micro-businesses. It鈥檚 agile, it鈥檚 low-cost from an entry point of view, and it has a huge number of capabilities that can grow over time. 麻豆原创 BTP has opened up new opportunities for us within the micro-business market because, typically, there isn鈥檛 another product out there to match it.鈥�

Barton says customers can often become 鈥渙ver-awed鈥� when faced with all the different tech products available to run and manage businesses. He and the team use 麻豆原创 BTP to 鈥渢ransform that user experience.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really easy entry point: instead of people having to use multiple clicks and screen jumps, 麻豆原创 BTP gets rid of that. It streamlines and strips away complexity to give a consistent user experience,鈥� Barton explains. 鈥淎nd that transformation is key. When they realize what a nice platform it is, it opens the door to other experiences, such as chatbots and automation. It鈥檚 all there and plugs in really nicely. Lots of customers love the fact that they can start small and grow with the platform.鈥�

It also helps Bluestonex to grow as a business, driving its specialism in innovation and, in turn, encouraging customers to think in new ways. 鈥淭his is a massive shift, not only are they going from running different processes into one, smooth, easy-to-use platform, we鈥檙e seeing a big cultural shift in the way our customers think,鈥� he adds.

Being part of 麻豆原创 AppHaus Network means Bluestonex can access the latest, state-of-the-art design thinking methodologies, helping to move customers to new digital experiences.

From its converted chapel office space, Bluestonex regularly invites customers in to co-innovate.

鈥淲e invite our customers here and bring them out of their comfort zone,鈥� says Barton. 鈥淎nd we have a usability lab where we get customer input on an idea as early in the development process as possible, so that key stakeholders know what they鈥檙e going to get and can be part of the iteration process. This helps to set expectations and build a better business case.鈥�

To sum up 麻豆原创 BTP in three words? 鈥淪trategic, innovative, and responsive,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 opened a different angle for us. We would always go and speak to our existing 麻豆原创 customers, but this is different. Now we go to a competitor鈥檚 customer, we go to micro-businesses, because it鈥檚 flexible and cost effective. 麻豆原创 BTP is a very strategic platform: there鈥檚 a sense that whatever a business does in the future, that platform is going to be there and continue to add value. It鈥檚 future-proof and I鈥檓 a massive advocate for it.鈥�

But the role of customer success manager 鈥� fulfilled by Melissa Lewington 鈥� is a completely new one for the UK-based tech consultancy, which specializes in delivering cloud-based apps such as and to its customers.

The key differentiators? The customer success manager is a true extension of a client鈥檚 team and remains accessible long after the solution has gone live. And, because Lewington is a part of Clarivos鈥� service team, her goals are based on delivering customer satisfaction rather than sales.

鈥淐onsultants have constant calendar constraints due to live projects,鈥� explains Pablo Castagnini, head of Digital Transformation at Clarvios. 鈥淢elissa鈥檚 calendar is driven by our customers. They can initiate sessions as and when they feel the need because they have access to it.鈥�

This increased level of communication is a tangible benefit for both customers and Clarivos. And, in Lewington, the customer has a genuine advocate within Clarivos when it comes to getting the right level of support at the right time.

鈥淚 know that when Melissa asks me to move priorities it鈥檚 because we have a customer in real need. We can then focus in on the solution, relieving the customer from any immediate operational pain and allowing them to focus on their business,鈥� adds Castagnini.

As businesses continue to transform to a largely cloud-based way of operating, applying a customer success focus is increasingly important to retain and deepen client-partner relationships.

鈥淭he key benefit to customers is the opportunity to maximize the value they are getting from their investment in their cloud application, through awareness and education. As far as Clarivos is concerned, we get unprecedented access to the daily operations of our customers, so we know when and where to jump in and provide advice and support. In addition, we have seen a rapid return on investment since Melissa took up her post 鈥� in less than a month of her joining us, in fact. As I see it, it鈥檚 a win-win!鈥� adds Castagnini.

Expanding the function over time is a “no-brainer,” he adds, as Clarivos moves from a reactive, “firefighting” position into the role of fully trusted advisor. 鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to say we鈥檙e already there with some of our customers.鈥�

The CSM View

Lewington joined Clarivos earlier in 2021, bringing with her experience in providing customer support across the sales cycle from an outsourcing consultancy.

While no two days are the same, at Clarivos the customer is front and center when it comes to prioritizing workload.

鈥淎ll my days start and end with a diary review, so I know what meetings I need what for, and when!鈥� she says.

鈥淚 spend a lot of time with new customers, getting to know them and their businesses and ensuring they have support as and when they need it. Then there are the existing customers, understanding their growth plans, keeping track of business challenges, sharing relevant updates.鈥�

Lewington also acts as the intermediary between Clarivos, the customer, and 麻豆原创, ensuring licenses are up to date and escalating any issues as needed.

She鈥檚 in touch with the Clarivos marketing team regularly so she can keep customers in the loop on any news, and she鈥檚 also a religious note-checker.

鈥淚 am always checking for common themes in my notes. With one customer, I found that solving one problem fixed two more. By being ruthless in reviewing my notes, I can see recurring problems and act quickly to resolve them.鈥�

Lewington sees customer success managers as a prevention to churn as well as a dedicated resource invested in the customer which negates the need for ad hoc, reactive work.

鈥淎d hoc work is bad because it brings additional cost and time to a project,鈥� she says. 鈥淪eparating the ad hoc work into distinct projects gives a clear view not only of the resources available at any one time, but also of timelines and project planning. When a project manager is involved too, this only becomes more powerful.”

鈥淐ustomer success managers can also advocate and coordinate around the partner and 麻豆原创, delivering a much more holistic service to the customer,” she adds. “A customer success manager does a lot of the leg work and can provide a lot of assistance, which only helps to increase our reach within our customers鈥� organizations and deepen the relationship with 麻豆原创.”

As Lewington settles into her role, she鈥檚 keen to develop new areas, including closer coordination with 麻豆原创 account teams. 鈥淚t will lead to better planning for customers and a better understanding of upcoming renewal incentives and licensing fees. That鈥檚 a powerful offering for 麻豆原创, the customer, and Clarivos.鈥�

When asked about the future of customer success, Lewington is clear: 鈥淭he priority has to be getting organizations to realize that investing in customer success is an investment in growth.鈥�