How HP Amplify is helping partners win and remain relevant in the next normal

Looking back over what has been a year of unprecedented disruption and turbulence, I’m reminded that small silver linings can crop up in places where you least expect them.

For me, one of those turned out to be shopping for many things online. When the pandemic struck and lockdowns took effect, one of the things I missed most was trips to physical stores – not least for the interest of observing what and how other people buy. But when I headed online to stock up on my daily needs and impulse buy, I was quickly won over by the speed, convenience and sheer effortlessness of it all. It’s not a habit I’ll be rushing to break.

New research from Google, Bain & Company and Temasek shows I’m hardly alone in shifting gears this way. Across Southeast Asia, new online shoppers generated more than one-third of 2020’s e-commerce, and eight in ten of them intend to continue buying online. As a result, the gross merchandise value of the region’s internet economy is now estimated at US$100 billion, a sum the report’s authors expect to triple by 2025.

So where does all this leave our valued HP channel partners – especially those that typically sell our products and services through physical retail stores?

Responding to a fast-evolving retail landscape

I believe these changes in shopping behavior are radically speeding up our digital future, with many more consumers making their first digital purchases and existing consumer spending more time online. At the same time, convenience is fast becoming the new currency. A recent Bain survey found that two out of three urban consumers in ASEAN now rank convenience as one of their top three criteria for purchase.

In response, companies need to reimagine the retail experience to ensure they can meet customers’ changing expectations.

That doesn’t just involve adopting more digital tools and solutions, but also developing a new omnichannel approach that can take into account the recent, rapid shifts in consumer buying patterns. Take the role of brick-and-mortar stores, for example. Much more than mere sales outlets, these stores have traditionally functioned as customer support hubs for many partners, offering shoppers technical help and advice on products and pricing plans.

Today, while the enormous leap in online buying has certainly taken its toll on offline channels, business leaders are telling me that many customers still want the option of visiting to see products in person before committing to a purchase. They also want to be able to start the shopping journey online, then make the final purchase in-store – or vice versa.

Innovating with HP Amplify

Winning in this environment means companies must evolve the customer experience so shoppers can move seamlessly between this more complex blend of digital and physical channels.

That’s where HP Amplify can help. We’ve developed this new program to help us build a future-ready channel ecosystem that supports the rapid transformation we see happening in the channel and the market every day. We’ve also designed it in consultation with partners, every step of the way, so we can be sure we’re addressing new market realities, together.

The program includes a new partner rewards system, incentives for key capabilities such as services, and a greater emphasis on partners having a digital presence.

For example, we can give partners access to the digital skills that can help them quote and order more efficiently, or serve customers more seamlessly through automated inventory updates and product returns. The more capabilities partners can develop in such areas, the better their access and other benefits will be.

Harnessing the power of data

Data collection and sharing is also a program hallmark. We’re asking partners to opt in to share information that goes beyond sales volumes to include customer purchasing behavior, online sales mixes, inventory levels, and more.

Through HP Amplify, we mesh that customer data with our own telemetric data about our products, creating deeper insights that can inspire new strategies and steer innovation. By integrating data capture and analysis in this way, we can support channel partners with the information they need to provide a more consistent customer experience across multiple channels.

Analyzing large datasets also allows us to grasp emerging trends more clearly – insights we can pass on to partners so they can get a first-mover advantage. That might include valuable research on what our partners in Europe’s healthcare sector are selling in to government agencies, for example, and the particular mix of solutions they are using to succeed. Armed with that intelligence, partners in Asia can anticipate and enable more positive customer outcomes.

Managing change

Our HP Amplify vision is bold and purposeful. Adopting it requires channel partners to overcome legacy habits and embrace new, digital-first business models. We believe partners who invest in improving their capabilities in these ways can become more competitive, more relevant, and ultimately, more profitable.

We also know that adopting a data-driven approach will be new to many enterprises. But we’re basing HP Amplify on the longstanding bonds between HP and our partners, and our deep loyalty to the channel. Partners can trust us to create a cohesive, secure, and transparent framework for managing data to create value.

At the same time, we recognize the challenges. Generating the data to create personal connections across multiple channels at scale can be tough for businesses. That’s why we’re also providing the training, resources, and skill sets partners need to get them started on this shift from a retail-first strategy to an online approach with retail support.

Building a future-ready partner ecosystem

The pandemic has highlighted just how outmoded many of the old, face-to-face ways of doing business had become. Today, more companies than ever are realizing the value of building compelling digital-first experiences and putting the customer at the center of everything they do.

We believe there is real opportunity for innovation in the channel with HP Amplify – not least when it comes to helping us treat every customer as a segment of one.

Collaboration between HP and its partners is critical to our shared success. With data flowing both ways, we’ll all be better able to anticipate, personalize, and jointly meet our customers’ diverse needs.

• If you would like more details on HP Amplify, click here.