On this episode we welcome back Jeff Bacon and Elliot Fishman of Catapult ERP. Elliot recently published a two part piece on MSDW that explains how his firm will adapt its business model to serve clients in a SaaS era that no longer aligns with older time and materials or fixed price models for services delivery. Cloud adoption, a preference for subscription pricing, and a trend away from customization in favor of packaged add-on solutions all lead Fishman and Bacon to the conclusion that services firms that want to survive in this era must rethink their engagement model from the ground up.

Show notes:

• 2:00 - The changing tendencies of the customer engagement model – from upfront investment to consumption
• 5:45 – Software deployment as a risky enterprise for customers (historically)
• 10:00 – Where's the risk today?
• 12:45 – Are Dynamics 365/CRM and NAV customers trending toward standard ISV solutions?
• 17:30 – How digital engagement is driving decisions.
• 22:15 – The challenge of creating meaningful career paths with the right skills but accessible to more people.
• 25:40 - How does a partner help clients understand the difference between older and newer engagement models.
• 27:45 – What a SaaS model ought to mean for a reallocation of resources
• 32:00 – Highlights of the eight point plan – the executive level
• 36:00 – Can a new model empower customers and service providers?