ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY
in many areas and, if there are any gaps in
the relationship, that we understand what’s
causing these gaps to ensure that any such
gaps are eliminated.
Another area which is also important
is the constant training and development
of people in the channel or of our partner
companies. We need them to be a true
extension of us in the market and that’s
why we invest a lot of money and effort in
continuously training and developing people.
This ensures that the brand values and our
Our customers are
our inspiration.
products and services are cascaded to clients
in a very consistent manner, no matter
where they are in the world.
Can you talk about how you work
with partners in the Middle East
and Africa?
Xerox MEA is one of the pioneers, or leaders,
within the Xerox world in terms of the
business model operating through channels
and distributors. In the Middle East, most
of our distributors are model branded or
exclusive distributors. They represent Xerox
in a specific territory and usually they’re the
only ones representing Xerox in that territory
and they don’t represent any other brands.
We’ve had distributors in the Middle
East since the mid-80s. We cover almost the
entirety of the Middle East and Africa.
We go through proper due diligence to
ensure that any distributor or vendor has the
right infrastructure to represent us.
Luckily most of our distributors here have
been representing the brand without any
interruption for more than 20 years.
Some of the general managers of
distributors in the Middle East have been
20
with Xerox for more than 20 years. So even
though they are not direct Xerox employees,
to them, Xerox represents a major part of
their lives due to the fact they’ve spent much
of it working with the brand.
We have a sense of togetherness
within the channels and this prospers the
business in the region, especially if there are
exchanges of best practices, etc.
Can you elaborate on how partners
can truly optimise the benefits of a
partner programme?
One example is we run a lot of accreditations
within Xerox to ensure everyone is up to
standard in a specific line of business or in a
specific area.
The accreditation goes first to an
assessment stage where we assess the
status quo and then we compare it to the
benchmark which we aim to elevate the
operation of the distributor or partner to.
Usually there are specific gaps in certain
areas which we then, through our regional
business managers, help the partners bridge.
So the benefit they get out of having
such a solid accreditation programme as
part of the partner programme is constantly
reviewing the figures of their business.
If there are any gaps we review them
together and then we create an action plan
to ensure this gap is bridged in a specific
period of time.
Usually there are several stakeholders,
so it’s not just the partner responsible
for bridging the gap, it’s also the regional
managers or business development
managers within Xerox who run these
territories who are also the next part of the
evaluation and the ongoing development
within the company.
From a more general perspective,
how would you assess the current
state of the channel?
I think it’s very important to really qualify
the right people to represent any specific
brand and at the moment if you compare the