There has never been more technology available to help generate revenue, yet businesses can’t realize the full return on their investment without optimizing the distribution of information. Typically, marketing has access to marketing systems and sales has access to sales systems, increasing the silos their leadership is working hard to break down.
The Arizona Technology Council’s July 2020 MarTech Series event will empower you to think like the quarterback of your revenue technologies. Featuring Televerde Marketing Transformation Consultant Amanda Ovenden, attendees learned firsthand how to go about reevaluating their technology stack, develop the game plan to align your teams around shared information, and gain a better understanding how a tech stack needs to be flexible enough to be able to pivot marketing strategies as they change in challenging times. Integration can be a daunting word, but this event explored the path to success in bite-size chunks that you can readily tackle.
Attendees learned how to:
» Evaluate strengths and weaknesses within your tech stack
» Capture stakeholder requirements with crawl–walk–run in mind
» Define end-to-end, data-flow architecture
» Create a project plan that is actually achievable
» Develop KPIs to measure success of your tech stack
Passionate about operational efficiency, Ovenden has working with Phoenix-based Televerde for the past 18 months to oversee implementation of more than 20 tech stacks with multiple integrations each. In this virtual event, she shared the big challenges of data silos.
“For every niche, there is a software or technology for it,” Ovenden said. “Every business should evaluate, purchase and configure software specifically for its needs across departments and divisions. Companies need to transition the ownership and responsibility from IT to its functional business units to see a greater ROI and integration. Everyone benefits from integration.”
And while that sounds simple enough, it’s critical to understand the importance of your company’s pain points before even purchasing software.
“If your company is working in silos, you are essentially lacking that quarterback or company champion who can coordinate the integration of technology across the organization,” Ovenden added. “Just because we have more information, doesn’t mean we are making the most of it.”
Unfortunately, many companies don’t think that tech-stack integration is all that important.
“Organizations, from small start-ups to tech giants, need to think about the end-to-end process and customer experience,” Ovenden explained. “You want a well oiled machine…without the shared data and central system of record, various people will understand it how they choose to.”
While it sounds daunting, Ovenden laid out an effective tech audit and project plan to help companies get started.
“Quantifying the issues is easy to overlook,” added MarTech Co-Chair Susanne Lake, CEO of Slake Consulting. “Bottlenecks and working in silos can be costly to companies and impede success. Time delays and manual processes also can be detrimental to the overall business. If there’s not a strong confidence in the process or data, then the future vision of your company is at stake.”
“It takes executive leadership to decide the direction and plan of the company and then work backward to determine the platforms,” noted KEO Marketing CEO Sheila Kloefkorn. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen very often.”
Agreeing with Kloefkorn, Ovenden added, “Exactly…organizational leaders need to step back and analyze the gaps in the company and really determine if their business has the data to successfully operate. Architectural diagramming of technology can be challenging. But it’s crucial to have an understanding how the data should flow back and forth, as well as understand the strengths and weaknesses in your tech stack.”
Ovenden concluded, “Considering how many businesses have gone virtual this year, there’s never a better time to embark on endeavors to integrate your company’s tech stack.”
Moderated by MarTech Series Co-Chair Sheila Klefkorn, CEO of KEO Marketing, it was a fantastic discussion and well worth a listen.
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About the presenter:
As a management consultant, Amanda Ovenden has strategically led dozens of technology and business process projects to drive better revenue outcomes including implementations, migrations and optimizations. Her functional experience leading marketing and demand generation, SDR/BDR and customer-success teams uniquely qualifies her to uncover objectives, translate into operational plans and execute successfully.
Working with Phoenix-based Televerde for the past 18 months has provided the opportunity to oversee implementation of more than 20 tech stacks with multiple integrations each and the added complexity of meeting the highly restrictive security requirements of Department of Corrections, where many of the company’s end users reside (Televerde’s core value is providing second chances to incarcerated women through sales and business training and direct job experience).
Sponsored by KEO Marketing
KEO Marketing Inc. is a leading B2B, inbound and outbound marketing agency that develops marketing strategies and plans to help clients succeed. Some of the world’s largest brands have depended on KEO Marketing for marketing programs that deliver tangible and substantial results. Led by business growth and B2B marketing expert, Sheila Kloefkorn, KEO Marketing Inc. specializes in innovative inbound and outbound marketing strategies and programs that deliver results. Some of these marketing services include lead generation and nurturing, account based marketing, integrated marketing, marketing automation, website design and development, content marketing, search engine optimization, search marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, creative, video marketing, online and traditional advertising, local and mobile marketing, and much more. Visit https://keomarketing.com to learn more.