Conference 7.286::digital

1132.0. "What's to be done ?" by SHIRE::GOLDBLATT () Tue Jun 19 1990 06:40

    Although mainly a Marketing subject, the following note is,
    in my opinion, of sufficient general import to warrent posting
    here.  
    
    If the moderators think otherwise, I'll gladly discuss the issue.
    
    
    
             <<< NODEMO::$1$DJA3:[NOTES$LIBRARY]MARKETING.NOTE;1 >>>
                   -< Marketing - Digital Internal Use Only >-
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Note 1245.0                    What's to be done ?                    No replies
SHIRE::GOLDBLATT                                     42 lines  19-JUN-1990 06:32
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Often in this conference there have been discussions of problems arising
from the lack of Digital having for sale acceptable solutions to customers' 
needs.  The most recent example of this is note 1244 about the 
engineering market.

In general, at least for systems selling and up, Digital tries to find
the best total solution for the customer ie. the best hardware, systems
software and applications that all together give the best support to
the client.  

This corresponds to that which is done when business consultants:
  1)  analyze a client's business and produce a Business Architecture,
      also known as a business operations model
  2)  design the Systems Architecture or the overall plan of systems
      to support the business as described in step 1

and then technical consultants:
  3) define the best Technical Architecture ie. platforms, upon which
     the systems, from the preceding step can, best operate
  4) define the best Product Architecture ie. hardware and systems
     software that make up the platforms

which is generaly considered to be the best and most complete procedure 
to determine the information systems support for a particular business.  

Now, Digital Engineering produces mostly products and platforms, and also 
some applications that could fit in a particular client's systems architecture.
Marketing, Sales and EIS have the the knowledge of the business and systems 
architectures, at least for certain market and industry sectors and, when 
individual client analyses are done, for specific clients.  

It seems to me that the source of the problems mentioned in the first 
paragraph of this note is the lack of the necessary unity of efforts 
of Sales, Marketing, EIS and Engineering in defining and producing Digital 
products, platforms and applications that fit the current and projected
business needs of clients.  

If you agree with this last paragraph, what would you suggest as good ways
to achieve this necessary unity ?  Can Digital afford not to do this ?

David Goldblatt - Digital Europe I.M.

    The problem I see with selling a total solution, is providing what we
    have sold...
    
    Problem: computers can do anything, and the full set of our 'products'
    are no exception.  Excellent hardware, exceptional software, superior
    networking solutions....  so, whats the problem.  All that digital
    sells is of no use to our customers, UNLESS, a system can be built
    around that system of 'products'.  Who builds that system... digital?
    
    As a member of Professional Software Services (PSS, the software people),
    I'm not sure sales wants the exposure...  Easier to sell our hardware,
    and let some other company make sure the 'job'/purpose for the
    purchase, is performed using someone elses software, and PSS.  As we
    all know, selling hardware, and software products with spec sheets is
    one thing, but an intangible, looks like another matter to me.
    
    Soon (?) I'll be in Sales Support myself, to try and change things,
    I'll let you know whow things go.
            

    >Who builds that system...Digital?
    
    You bet !  If Digital is to stay in business, that's the way to go.
    People buy automobiles, not engines.