Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Martijn Boermans

“If you do what you’ve always done, you get the same thing you’ve always gotten”

Bitsing runs to a large extent on information, data. By feeding the models with data you get the answers to what you have to do to achieve your goal. But what exactly is data?
We all know the buzzword "Big data". That suggests that as an organization you have to have a lot of data. But what if that amount of data really becomes "big"? From many different sources and so much that you no longer know what to do with it and what to use it for?

Size quantity of data
We are going to visit one of the world’s largest IT companies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), which has the most data from large-scale customers in the world. How's she dealing with that? How does she manage to select the right one in that huge knit of information and use it in such a way that HPE grows with it? I sit at the table at Martijn Boermans, Sales Program Manager EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa). Martijn initiates data-driven sales programs and is responsible to roll them out internationally.

Martijn is a big Bising fan and from that point of view I start our conversation with the question:
"HPE is not only the largest IT company in the world, but also the company that has immense amounts of data that is hidden in all kinds of corners of the organization. How will you structure that data and use it effectively and efficiently for your organization?"
Martijn: "It’s not an easy task to discover what’s useful, what you need, how to make choices, set priorities and know what focus you need to put on? These are questions that everyone recognizes. Also the question of how to calculate your turnover potential and how do you find out what resources you can use to get the most out of that?. The Bitsing method with its models has helped me a lot. I will try to explain how I got that with my international team.”

A fully integrated Bitsing model
Martijn continues: "I started working with Bitsing. After I received your book from a business relationship. I was tricked to pursue an in-depth master’s degree at Nyenrode University. I was given the backgrounds of the Bitsing method and could use hands-on all my real data. These were very inspiring days.”

A special start with special insights
I actually saw from the beginning that the model, as well as the methodology of information management, yielded so many data points that I could use that scientific Bitsing method. From all our big data I have converted the data relevant for Bitsing into one integrated overview. For regions, countries, markets, customers, product lifecycle and related sales activities, you name it.
There were three essential insights:

1. Focus and clear priority statements. We could suddenly see which programs we needed in the coming year and which priority and planning were involved. That focus has provided a lot of clarity. We now know from the big data analytics and information flows we have here at HPE, combined with our own Bitsing overview that we have developed, selecting the right product-market combinations and ensuring a visualization of our strategic focus, tactical product and operational marketing programs and, actually most importantly, a continuous revenue stream from those programs. The second insight we got was about:

2. Results, Conversion ratios and regional relations. What I loved is the insight we gained in the development of the conversion rates on the Bitser-steps during the roll-out of the various parts of our sales program, the marketing, sales enablement, sales cycle management and after sales programs. We had a wonderful view of the scores by region and country. From prospect to lead and from lead to opportunity, the scores on the B, I and the T. And the scores of the different "sales internships" in the pipeline and finally the insight into the results from pipeline to won opportunities, the scores on the S, the E and the R.’ The conversion ratios turned out to be correct, and with it the results predictions I made.

3. The third thing the model has brought is of course a good picture of what we have to do on each of the six Bitser steps. As a result, it has also significantly improved the "alignment" with marketing processes within HPE.

In this way, I have been able to ensure that the results we want to achieve has become a continuous process of program development. The programs ensure continuity and maximize the results.

Measuring!
"You really made it your own derivative model", I say with admiration to Martijn. "Yes, it is still your specific method, but in principle I have made systems for it that are workable within HPE. Because, that’s how the KPIs are in a dashboard with the recaps how the current results are. You can immediately see where you are behind, where you are ahead, whether the focus of your organization is still the right one. You actually immediately see a visible result of your efforts and how you stand, and what you are doing.

The dashboard, which we made, that is literally on red, yellow or green. This is automatically done through a “live” link with our sales information system, based on the sales activities on the programs and the state of affairs. And that creates a dashboard that is also interesting for management to look at. Based on the information flows, for example, you can see that a country or a region on certain programs ‘underperformed’, then we go there to help. That’s Bitsing, isn’t it,” says Martijn, laughing.

Whatever you take into account in your control, and especially with regard to the management of your programs, it is clear whether there is no more data in it. So you also see where holes are.

Take the Bitser steps. On each step there must be enough people to be able to extend them to the next steps, in order to achieve your goal. In my Bitsing dashboard you can see what red flags are forming. For example, whether you have simply deployed too few actions at the bottom of the BITSER staircase, so there are too few target group persons in my BITSER pipeline as a result. So if you have set the targets that you have set, if you want to achieve them guaranteed, then you – as you have already indicated in that master study French – just have to add more people to the bottom of the Bitser-trap. That gap analysis, you show the hole that has arisen over time, and that is perfectly measurable and visible with your method. You know how much you have to add on a BITSER step and you will then initiate your BITSER programs for that, based on the ‘strongest pencils’. You know what needs to be done. Otherwise, you won't make it. You're almost automatically filling those holes.

"What do you find the most special thing that you have experienced, with the application of the Bitsing method and that you want to share with us here?"
Martijn: "The inspiration you gain, especially in the master’s program, and then get started with it. I did an MBA, and what you saw there was that the people went to look at the theory they were given during the study in a different way, and therefore gained inspiration to build something new based on a method, which I experienced with the Bitsing method as well. You shouldn’t take over everything indiscriminately, if everyone else does, then you’ll all do the same thing in the end. I started working on your Bitsing method and came up with my own applications for that and I really loved that. And if you see after that hard work that it also works, yes, you have the crown on your work."

"In a concrete sense, what has it been worth to you?“
Martijn: "Of course, there have been more factors than just the Bitsing method that influence our goal. But the year that followed that I had implemented the Bitsing program, the "incremental turnover" has grown 168%!
And I’m not talking about a thousand euros, but about millions. I believe that everyone is very happy with this and I have also received a lot of international attention for this. This will of course help in the implementation of new programs. It has a long-term effect.”

“What would you like to give the reader?”
In relation to the Bitsing methodology, I would like to say: take it to you. The information, the methodology, try to find data points within your organization to support it. Go analyze the data and throw your own sauce over it. That's possible. You make it applicable yourself. Have fun with it. Also use it as ‘the confirmation of your thought, of your idea of your concept."
“I picked it up because I wanted to change something. My goal was to improve our program with the method, and that has amply succeeded. In everything I do, I try to make things even ‘smarter’ and more efficient.
There is room for this kind of new ideas with us, but you have to keep proving yourself. So, we still use a relatively large amount of MS Excel as an analysis tool. I am now looking at newer BI software to improve the insights even further. Data engineering and Data modelling (Big Data tooling) is in development at the moment and I think we can make the next step in that, because:

“If you do what you’ve always done, you get the same thing you’ve always gotten.”