We live in a world where it’s no longer just the quality of the product or service that matters. The speed at which anything (physical or digital) can be delivered now reflects on the overall quality of the product/service itself.

The emergence of ecommerce, which makes speed of delivery a core value of good customer service, is one of the biggest modern influencers on the expectation of immediate fulfillment. Add the arrival of digital products and streaming services, where fulfillment IS immediate, and this expectation is further reinforced.

While the consumer side of this trend is often given most of the attention, it is also prevalent in the B2B world.

An Integrated Experience

Meeting or exceeding expectations on fulfillment times can enhance the overall impression of the product and its supplier. Yes, quality of the actual product has to live up to expectations, but how quickly an order will arrive is very much part of the buying decision – and the selling process for that matter.

The Implication for Cloud Providers

A cloud service provider’s product catalog is largely digital, and though the process of order fulfillment for cloud services is usually more complex than simply downloading software or granting access to a service, the speed at which cloud services are delivered is becoming a measure of overall quality. Infrastructure, support, and catalog of offerings are still of utmost importance, but if it takes days for order provisioning it can reflect negatively on the provider.

Cloud providers understand the need to meet changing customer expectations, however the challenge is finding a way to do so without putting a strain on operational resources. To fulfill orders more quickly requires either a streamlined process or the addition of staff to meet the demand. Since the latter is neither cost-effective nor scalable, it makes sense to find efficiencies in the order fulfillment process.

Deliver ASAP with HyAlto

HyAlto not only helps providers deliver more quickly for their customers, it offers additional benefits that can be realized across the business.

To address the desire for immediacy, the platform features fully automated provisioning of IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and XaaS products and services. So regardless of how an order is placed (sales, channel partners, customer self-serve) the order is provisioned, configured and online within minutes. This allows the provider to deliver quickly without taxing current staff or changing an existing process. In fact involvement from the provider becomes minimal – a huge time saver!

Not only will customers be happier with the speed of fulfillment, automation reduces the MSP’s cost of sale, and they can bill for new services more quickly than with manual provisioning. Margins are increased on every order.

Another way that HyAlto meets the desire for immediacy is through its self-serve capabilities. The marketplace allows providers to set up a catalog of offerings that customers can access online any time. Orders can be placed 24/7 so customers no longer have to wait for business hours to address the need for additional cloud services.

Win-Win

Hyalto allows for the entire ordering and fulfillment process to shift to an on-demand model. Even for customers who prefer to place orders through a sales team, automated provisioning still delivers new services within minutes of the order being placed. So not only does the provider deliver more quickly without having to add resources, the level of customer service rises as a result of using the platform.

Raise the Bar

We know our service provider partners pride themselves on their customer service, and we also know that HyAlto can help set the bar even higher. HyAlto can become a competitive and a business advantage, and not just by delivering on the immediacy expectation. Contact us today to discuss your cloud business and to see a demo of HyAlto. We look forward to hearing from you.