Already have your own spreadsheet based sales tools?

As your sales and marketing approach evolves, along with your products, services and solutions - do your current spreadsheet-based tools still work?

• Typically too much time is spent by subject matter experts making the spreadsheets usable ( developing and maintaining macros and VB code), and maintaining the calculations, metrics and functionality

• Spreadsheets are often too complex for most sales professionals, customers and partners to use and understand

• Developed internally, spreadsheets lack the third-party research, industry and international metrics, validation and credibility that frugal customers demand.

• Individual spreadsheet contain non-standardized calculations and differing user workflow from one project to the next -  causing usability and training issues, as well as reduced credibility

• Spreadsheet-based sales tools often calculate results, but fall short on delivering compelling and turnkey Word and PowerPoint reports

• Once distributed to the field, it is difficult to maintain spreadsheet version control and monitor / limit access

• Analyses results are not collected centrally for improving insight and value / ROI knowledge

• Usage is not tracked to assure adoption and track derived value, as well as limit access by the competition

• Collaboration on spreadsheet based tools with internal teams, customers and partners is often difficult

• Internationalization support in spreadsheets for currency, metrics and languages is difficult to support and maintain

The Alinean EnterpriseROI™ platform enables current spreadsheet tools to be ported into a true enterprise sales tool environment, eliminating all of the issues with current spreadsheet-based sales tools:

1. Easy to port existing spreadsheets into a platform that turns the spreadsheets automatically it into a powerful web based on-demand sales tool application (and optional desktop version) - in three easy steps,

2. Fast time to market, being able to port and turn existing spreadsheet, or develop new spreadsheet driven models in weeks versus months with no custom coding of any software needed (completely scalable, fast time to market sales tool solutions).

3. Provides the power of an easy to use and scalable enterprise sales tool platform for improving worldwide sales effectiveness:

   • Support for any type of sales tool including ROI / TCO Calculators, ROI/TCO Analysis Tools, Business Value Analysis Tools, Assessment and Survey Tools, Benchmarking Tools, Dynamic Competitive Comparison Matrices and Configurator / Pricing Tools,

   • Support for porting existing or easily creating any new spreadsheet driven sales tool into an online web and off-line desktop application,

   • An easy to use and standardized interface,

   • Collect assessment and opportunity metrics from user

   • Calculates assessment and business value analysis results in attractive tables and graphs / charts

   • Support drill down into details to review and change metrics

   • Provides industry, location and size based defaults and research metrics to simplify data collection and get to results quickly

   • Save and retrieve any analysis,

   • Adds peer comparisons to prior respondents to any analysis,

   • Powerful Word and PPT reporting (XML template based for easy development, support and maintenance) ,

   • Export to Excel,

   • Analysis roll-up / aggregation application and reports to automate compiling of multiple analyses for different client groups,

   • Centralized database of all analysis templates and analysis results,

   • Team based application to support sharing and collaboration (permission based and secure, including auditing and change management),

   • Automated monthly usage reports to track activities and success,

   • Version and access management, including administration console to publish new model and report template versions, manage authentication and user content permissions.

4. Internationalization and world-wide support including built in application language support for Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese (can be extended on a custom basis), international research and metrics, and currency support for over 120 countries and currencies,

5. Creates an online Internet application version (zero-footprint), and a sophisticated (optional) off-line desktop version with complete data synchronization,

6. Provides 3rd party research, metrics, credibility, services, support and training/Value Expert™ certification,

7. Experience in developing over 600 different analysis and assessment sales tool models for over 100 leading IT solution providers,

8. Endorsed as a best practice tool by many leading IT vendors including Microsoft, HP, IBM, EMC, Intel and Unisys, as well as innovative leaders such as VMware, BlueCoat and Citrix,

9. Created by ex-Gartner ROI / TCO research and analysis tools experts and IT content experts from Major IT Vendor and Solution Providers,

10. Endorsed by leading analysts and consultancies including IDC and WiPro,

11. Availability for worldwide deal support via ROI Deal Desk certified partners including IDC and WiPro,

12. An open authoring environment allows your team or third-party analyst firms to easily create and publish new models, maintain and support changes as needed (or you can turn to Alinean for full 360 degree support and maintenance - the option is yours).

The Issue	The Reason	The Alinean Advantage
Spreadsheets are developed internally, and often lack credibility with vendor wary prospects	In a recent Ernst & Young survey, although over 70% of prospects needed solution providers to perform business case analysis and value assessments for them, and require it as a distinguishing factor, Less than 3% believe vendor analysis is credible. However, when developed by a credible third party, over 50% would trust the provider analysis.	Third-party credibility is delivered via Alinean's independent research, model development and standard framework / toolset for business value and cost-benefit analysis. The credibility is enhanced through exclusive IDC ROI research partnership and WiPro TCO research partnership, the only business value sales tool company partnered with major analyst and consulting firms, Industry thought leadership is extended via Alinean's ROI expert contributions with ComputerWorld, and SearchCIO.
Most customers, salespeople and channel partners are not particularly good at using spreadsheets	Spreadsheets can be complex and intimidating, and as such, often have low adoption rates amongst customers, sales professionals and channel partners. Often, the spreadsheets are only used by a select group of consultants instead of having customer self-assessment capability or the entire sales force /channel partner community effectively armed with business value sales tools. Internal subject matter experts spend too much time making spreadsheet based tools easier to use and maintained..	The Alinean EnterpriseROI-based sales tools are easy to use, wizard driven and standardized for all analyses. Analysis can be tuned specifically for the user, empowering self assessment through consulting team use. For example, with the Alinean EnterpriseROI platform, a single sales tool can be used on the corporate web site for lead generation self-assessment based use, a quick mode for sales professionals, and a complete, multi-project sales tool for consultants.
Customers do not like spreadsheet reports or output	With spreadsheet based reports and often limited output ability, the user is often forced to add analysis graphs, background and text to the report in order to make it compelling.	Professional Word and PowerPoint reports are automatically generated including compelling text, graphs and charts such as a customized Executive Summary, Top Benefits, Benefits by Goal or Stakeholder, and Breakeven charts. Reports are designed using a scalable XML framework, making it easy for subject matter experts to help create, edit, update, maintain and customize reports on an on-going basis.
Spreadsheets are difficult to maintain		The Alinean business value sales tools uniquely leverages a central library database repository of IDC | Alinean sales tool templates, report templates and metrics which is maintained and managed to optimize distribution and ensure validity of all tool content. Since the application is Internet based, and the off-line desktop option has synchronization integrated, updates are immediately available to all users as updates are published into the centrally managed library. Regular updates to key metrics are performed to keep the customized models current and relevant. The central database allows for dynamic peer comparison to participant results, and advanced tracking of usage and success rates to prove and improve the value of sales tool investments.
Spreadsheets are not standardized	Any company with multiple products has faced the issue of various sales tools and ROI / TCO spreadsheets having completely different interfaces, calculations methodologies, considerations and reports.	The Alinean software interface is centralized and standardized for all sales tool and ROI / TCO content. All model and report content is stored in a central database library of customized sales tool and report templates defining the detailed and customized content for your specific projects and prospects, while the tool standardizes the usability, business logic, and reporting for all users and uses in the sales process, from web site / direct marketing lead generation, to a quick use tool by sales professionals in the engagement / positioning process, through consulting analysis tools through proposal and close.

The Bottom Line - Alinean's EnterpriseROI platform automates web and desktop sales tool development, covering all types of spreadsheet driven models (ROI/ TCO, Business Value Calculators and Analysis Tools, Assessments, Surveys, Product Finder / Comparison and Selection Tools, Pricing Tools and Configurators), and usage throughout the sales cycle from demand generation through post-deployment. Versus current spreadsheet based sales tools, the Alinean EnterpriseROI platform and Business Value Sales Tools provide a much more effective, easy to use, scalable, lower cost of ownership sales tool solution.