Technology Reseller v38

01732 759725 20 VIEW FROM THE CHANNEL ...continued I have seen distribution’s influence diminish over the last few years. It’s not by chance that we’ve chosen to work with distributors that genuinely bring value – be it marketing support, extended credit or technical assistance. I value distribution hugely and am concerned about some vendors’ strategies and where they see distribution fitting in. TR: Are customers becoming more demanding, and if so, in what ways? PC: Clients have always been demanding as we are the custodians of their IT, on which their LOB apps run. So there’s always a degree of expectation that we must adhere to. That’s nothing unusual, though; it’s been the case for the 22 years that I’ve worked in IT. Customers pay good money for top quality support and they expect quick resolutions to issues and also ongoing advice and assistance in shaping their IT strategy. I think customers are no more demanding today than they were five years ago. TR: If you could change one aspect of your job, what would it be and why? PC: I genuinely love my job. I am lucky to be part of a board of directors who respect one another and I think that’s hugely important. All my fellow Directors are as passionate and driven as I am, which makes a big difference. We also have some unbelievably talented staff who I am blessed to work with and who make the journey so much more enjoyable. And I get to manage a few accounts still, which helps me keep close to the real world and aware of the pain points that clients have. I guess if I could change one thing at the moment, it would be to get out and network as I used to. Being the Commercial Director, it’s important for me to get out and about and build relationships with vendors, distributors, prospects and customers alike. Ambassador role for Comtec The Department for Work and Pensions has appointed Comtec Enterprises as its first ambassador for the Kickstart Scheme, a government initiative launched in late 2020 to encourage employers to hire 16-24 year-olds. Comtec was the first organisation to embrace the scheme, hiring 30 new staff in December. It has subsequently taken on 15 more young people and appointed a full- time wellbeing officer to ensure Kickstart hires receive the support they need. Nick Claxson, CEO and Founder of Comtec Enterprises, said: “What’s great about the Kickstart Scheme is that it’s geared towards 16-24 year-olds, young people who can be trained to fill the skills gap that’s hurting the UK technology industry. Not only are we hiring people who can be trained to our specific business needs, but we’re arming them with transferable skills that they can take with them as and when they move on to new roles.” To this end, Comtec has introduced a five-stage training program, the Comtec Training Academy, through which Comtec’s own engineers train up new and existing employees in three-to-six months. Trainees receive a personalised training plan including video training, one-to-one mentoring and test practice to ensure they are well prepared for certification exams. Claxson added: “This is a great initiative for the whole business and not just the kickstarters. Coming out of the academy, trainees of all ages and experience will have industry-recognised qualifications, deep product and vendor knowledge and, most importantly, a wide-open career path ahead of them. For our customers, this means all Comtec employees, whether they joined one month ago or ten years ago, have a base level understanding of core technology and vendor fundamentals and can provide a consistent service to our clients.” The DWP is now working with Nick Claxson to encourage other IT businesses to create job placements for 16 to 24 year-olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment. don’t care about the infrastructure, only the LOB apps – hence why they outsource. They don’t want to have a conversation with a vendor, as that vendor only forms part of the solution. Quality IT professionals are in demand, which is another challenge, although good quality human resource has always been a challenge, no matter what industry you work in. One thing the pandemic has shown is that you can employ an individual pretty much anywhere and they can do their job, so you no longer need to limit your searches regionally. TR: Could vendors and distributors do more to help overcome the challenges you face? And if so, what? PC: We’ve actually had some of our staff poached by vendors in the past, so it would be a big help if they stopped doing that! Whilst we would never want to hold back an employee’s career, we do find it slightly irritating when a vendor makes an approach to them, albeit flattering in a backhanded way that they value our staff enough to want to employ them…. I think Distribution has it tough at the moment. With the direct strategy of vendors changing, as I have mentioned, Nick Claxson

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