Meet Socius - AASG and learn why they feel they've made the right choice with Socius as a Master VAR.

1. MICROSOFT PARTNER SOLUTION
Accounting and Association Software Group (AASG)
Partner Solution Case Study
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PARTNER JOINS WITH MASTER VAR TO EXPAND BUSINESS—AND
MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY
PARTNER PROFILE
Located near Sacramento, CA,
nine-person AASG provides
sales, installation, training and
support for Microsoft Dynamics
Situation
As a thriving nine-person team, Accounting and Association Software Group (AASG)
of northern California focuses on Microsoft Dynamics GP for associations and other
membership-based organizations. But keeping up with demand for the related Microsoft
technologies and solutions and investing in the necessary certifications and readiness was
GP, focusing primarily on the
membership-based organization
vertical.
proving to be a significant financial and personal investment for AASG’s president, Pilar
Archer.
BUSINESS SITUATION
Seeing an increase in
opportunities outside its core
vertical focus, AASG wanted
to expand its practice but
was concerned the time and
investment required would
spread the firm—and its owner—
too thin.
“We want to stay focused on our areas of expertise,” said Archer, “but there are a number of
other related solutions that are appropriate for our customers, such as CRM and retail, and
industry-specific solutions.”
In August of 2013, Archer looked into the Microsoft Dynamics Master VAR program to find
out if it made sense for her organization to join forces with a national, full-service partner that
could provide additional consulting resources on an as-needed basis.
“My primary interest in the Master VAR program is that it would allow us to expand our
offering without spreading ourselves too thin,” said Archer.
SOLUTION
AASG evaluated the Microsoft
Dynamics Master VAR program
and decided to affiliate with
Socius in October 2012, enabling
AASG to continue growing
without a large up-front
investment.
Solution
Archer spent months researching and interviewing each of the Microsoft Dynamics Master
VAR partners. In addition to the core competencies of enabling AASG to achieve higher sales
and expand the range of customer needs they could meet, Archer also insisted on finding a
Master VAR that shared her business philosophy.
BENEFITS
• Immediate reduction in
personal workload
• Expanded solution offering
• Additional resources as
needed
In October 2012, AASG officially joined Socius as a Master VAR Sales Affiliate. Archer says she
was impressed by Socius’ commitment to growing its Master VAR practice, its focus on adding
the right partners, and adding to their already impressive set of core capabilities.
“We wanted that true, on-going, long-standing partnership,” said Archer. “It was important to
me to find a partner I could really trust with my business.”
“I can’t say enough about Socius. They hold themselves to the highest levels of
professionalism and integrity. The team at Socius is highly professional and it’s been a
pleasure working with them.”
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The P
Benefits
More “me” time: As the principal and lead partner, Archer has played the “always on” role in her organization for many years. Every
aspect of the business, from customer support to sales operations to budgeting and planning, comes across Archer’s desk at one time
or another. Affiliating with Socius has given Archer the chance to let others manage certain aspects of the business while she and her
team focus on interacting with prospects and existing clients. “I’ve seen an immediate reduction in my personal workload,” said Archer.
“It’s nice to go home at the end of the day and know that there are others who are looking after certain aspects of the business.”
Coordinated Marketing Efforts: AASG has historically relied on references for new business, but is looking forward to getting
new leads as partner of the Master VAR marketing program. Archer’s summary of the core value of the Master VAR program
is straightforward: “Marketing, marketing, marketing! Honestly, that is a whole person addition, and we don’t have that in our
organization.”
Greater selling opportunities: Archer says that becoming a Master VAR affiliate has allowed her and her team to spend less time
worrying about the broad range of business issues they normally had to face in running a standalone VAR practice, which ultimately
gives them more time to focus on customers and making new sales. “It’s still early, but the results are positive so far. We’ve closed one
new sale and sold several new add-ons.”
Working with a network of partners: In addition to being able to tap into the selling and consulting resources at Socius, Archer
says she is looking forward to working with the other Socius affiliates, each of whom brings a different set of specializations to the
organization. Archer calls Socius’ other sales affiliates “the cream of the crop” and looks forward to sharing information and leads within
the network.
Centralized operational procedures: By working with the dedicated sales and support staff at Socius, Archer says she gets much faster
turnaround on her sales and procedural questions. Socius also manages the enhancement plan renewal process, allowing Archer to
simply add a personal message before sending the request to her customers.
Key Takeaways
Archer says her initial fear in joining a Master VAR relationship “was that we would be losing our sense of being, our sense of worth,
that we’re not necessarily going to be known as the primary partner in the client’s eyes.”
But after carefully researching her choices and joining with a partner organization that she feels truly has her best interests at heart,
Archer feels she has made the right decision for her business.
“This was a huge decision on our behalf,” said Archer. “I think we found the perfect fit. The Master VAR program allows us to focus on
what we do best, and leverage the Socius resources and expertise where we need them.”
Archer says she has already been asked by two other partners about her experiences with Socius and the Master VAR program, and
both partners asked her the same question: what would she have done differently? “And my answer is, I wished I had done it sooner!”
Though initially skeptical about the Master VAR program, Archer feels Socius was not only a great cultural fit, but offered significant
opportunities for her business. “Once you get your head around that, it’s a no brainer, really.”
For more information about Socius’ MasterVAR program, call 800.589.6614 x2500 or visit our website at www.usmastervar.com
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The Power of Partnership