Avnet Partner Solutions Unveils Innovative Customer Service Automation Tools to Enhance Solution Providers' Efficiency and Profitability

Business Wire, August 22, 2005

PHOENIX -- New tools improve ability to track rebates, manage contracts and develop audit bid certifications

Avnet Partner Solutions, Americas, a value-added distributor of enterprise servers, storage, software and services, today announced customer service automation tools and enhancements to help partners manage the increasingly complex demands of rebate tracking, contract management and bid certification. The tools launched include a world-class rebate management system, which provides partners with information on manufacturers' rebate and incentive programs and how the partners are tracking against targets, and a contract management system developed by Avnet, which includes information about how a supplier's service contract moves through the various stages of the sales cycle. In addition, Avnet Partner Solutions has leveraged the capabilities of its order management service, Request to Order, to provide audit trails and reporting for IBM bid certifications.

"Avnet Partner Solutions is committed to investing in information systems and services that will help our partners more efficiently and profitably grow their businesses," said Fred J. Cuen, president, Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas. "Contract, rebate and bid management all have a significant and direct impact on our partners' bottom lines. By providing our partners with timely and accurate information to measure their progress in these areas, they will be able to fuel more efficient, profitable growth by accessing data that is delivered on demand."

One of the most critical areas of a partner's business is managing and tracking rebates and incentives across multiple manufacturers. Avnet's rebate management system provides partners with an easy-to-use online tool to alert them to changes in rebate and incentive programs, and to track their attainment rates. Avnet Partner Solutions implemented an advanced business rules engine to ensure that the information is quickly updated, and offers a view of incentive and rebate details.

Avnet Partner Solutions has also enhanced its contract management system to allow partners to better manage each step in the contract lifecycle for IBM-based maintenance solutions. It is specifically designed to make the contract process more consistent across all customers and provides alerts for contract lifecycle activities, such as renewals. The contract management system also improves the efficiency and data integrity of the process by automating approximately 50-70 percent of the keystrokes typically involved in contract data entry. With the improved data integrity and improved accessibility of information, Avnet Partner Solutions' partners will be able to better manage the renewal process for contracts, improve internal productivity and have a comprehensive view of their client portfolio.

"As with any business, we are always looking for ways to improve the depth and quality of the information that affects our customer service," said Terry Johnson, chief operating officer, Sirius Computer Solutions. "Avnet Partner Solutions' new customer service automation tools can ultimately impact our business success because they directly touch and improve the process of two of the most critical aspects to our profitability -- rebates and contracts."

Both systems will initially provide visibility into IBM contracts and rebates, and will be extended across Avnet Partner Solutions' supplier base by the end of the year.

Additionally, Avnet Partner Solutions announced enhancements to its Request to Order system that will provide partners with information critical to developing IBM bid certification audit reports. The reports include time-stamped tracking details on requests and revisions for configurations; quotes and subsequent revisions to quotes; and leads. These reports will help partners expedite the completion of the IBM bid certification process, ensuring that deals are registered on a timely basis, and will also provide information on the conversion rate of quotes to orders.

"Avnet continues to pursue opportunities to help reduce costs and improve profitability for our partners," added Cuen. "These new systems join the suite of award-winning Channel Connection services that make it easier to do business with Avnet, and, ultimately, help our partners grow their businesses while delivering total solutions for their customers."

About Avnet Partner Solutions, Americas

Avnet Partner Solutions, Americas, is an industry-leading, value-added distributor and provider of enterprise servers, storage, software and services, with operations in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Avnet Partner Solutions provides solutions from industry-leading manufacturers including Computer Associates, EMC, HP, IBM, Microsoft, NEC Solutions America, Network Appliance, Oracle, StorageTek and VERITAS -- driving growth for partners and manufacturers. Avnet Partner Solutions is a division of the Avnet Technology Solutions operating group of Avnet Inc. For more information, visit www.aps.avnet.com.