By: Karim Refas – Regional Channel Manager -Eaton Middle East
#1 – Staying focused
“One key challenge for channel partners in 2019 will be maintaining their focus on organisational goals without being distracted by major macro-economic trends or events, such as tariffs, political instability and oil prices. This is especially important as uncertainty and a lack of vision are quick routes to immobilising an organisation. In a year when many companies are hoping to do business early given a potentially tough second half to the year once the UK has left the EU, those paralysed by doubt will struggle.
“Organisational capabilities and supplier-customer relationships may be tested during the implementations of tariffs and fluctuation in oil prices, channel partners are required to manage tariff fluctuations as well as navigate around tighter borders. Yet not every vendor, distributor or reseller has a clear strategy for how success can be achieved. In today’s market landscape, remaining agile is key. Channel organisations must proactively prepare for these eventualities to avoid being paralysed by uncertainty in a year of major change.”
#2 – Remaining relevant in an increasingly global market
“Large companies are growing through acquisition and exploring new geographies as a result of globalisation. While the way in which they navigate this growth might change as global market borders shift in 2019, this trend will continue putting a squeeze on smaller partners. Companies struggling to keep up in this market will need to find different technologies and strategies to remain relevant.
“Resellers and distributors feeling the impact of this change will be forced to keep finding new, better and quicker ways of doing things in order to help customers do more with less – and in less time. They’ll also need to work with vendors to bring their technologies and solutions to life. Channel partners investing in relationships focused on personalised service and value add are seeing more success – and will continue to reap the rewards next year.”
#3 – Tapping into millennial talent in 2019
“Next year will see new challenges arise around recruitment in the channel. In an environment of political uncertainty and low unemployment levels, channel partners will need to continue striking the balance between hiring skilled yet affordable staff. Working out how to access the millennial workforce will be key, but tapping into this talent source can be difficult to navigate. Channel organisations will need to consider different incentives to attract millennials, from training and revenue generation rewards to implementing new technologies and clear processes that can be agile to change. With a key focus in the UAE and Saudi Arabia on Emiritisation and Saudization respectively, the channel needs to focus on providing training and knowledge to make sure they have an easy transition into the industry. In this way, they can make themselves more appealing to millennial talent and set themselves up for a successful 2019.”
#4 – Transforming power processes to boost energy efficiency
“The current ‘always on’, digital way of working means that power is a significant requirement for every company – not just technology firms. In fact, the electrification of society is rapidly changing power requirements more broadly. As a result, we have seen an increasing focus on how to store power and use it more efficiently. Next year, this trend will continue with more emphasis on moving away from generator-type solutions and taking advantage of the benefits of energy storage and producing innovative products for the region. This growing interest in energy sources and becoming more energy efficient provides a strong opportunity for channel partners to emphasise their position as a trusted partner. They can focus on how they can help businesses navigate this power transformation process so customers can make the most of their energy – reducing costs, cutting down on emissions and future-proofing the business.”
#5 – Adjusting to market demand for ‘as-a-service’ delivery models
“The ‘as-a-service’ trend will continue to be explored in the channel next year as it provides customers with different ways to finance projects and solutions to get maximum benefit. Many businesses are considering routes to cut costs on operating expenditure to release money while negating the need for so much capital expenditure. In addition to cost savings, this approach allows businesses to remain agile. Our new software offers Intelligent Power Manager that will give better choice to customers to choose between CAPEX and an OPEX investment model.
With technology evolving so quickly, many organisations are aware that buying a solution today to use for the next 5-10 years could put them behind their competition within a few years. Constant evolution is required and ‘as-a-service’ makes this possible – driving customer, and therefore channel, appetite for this delivery model into 2019.”
Eaton’s 2019 perspective
“Despite reports of doom and gloom about political uncertainty in 2019, we see plenty of opportunity in the channel next year – from increasing appetite to strengthen cybersecurity to companies growing their smart tech stable through AI-powered technology. The market may be relatively flat, but by combining deeper levels of engagement, further development of new customers aligned to a clear strategy and strong commitment levels, Eaton is looking forward to another year of growth. In addition to growing existing accounts, new starters on the team will be focused on increasing the range of products and solutions we sell as well as looking into new types of account. Having made significant growth in our market share in the channel over the last two years, we are laser focused on making significant progress.”