Sunday, December 07, 2014

The Customer Engagement Executive for SuccessFactors Cloud Customers

In the SAP Cloud Customer Office there is a role called the Customer Engagement Executive (CEE). I believe that this is a very valuable role for customers and SAP SuccessFactors employees. The Customer Engagement Executive acts as the champion of the customer within SAP and SuccessFactors,  and becomes the single point of contact for the customer once the cloud software is made available for the customer to start their implementation. The CEE engages during the onboarding phase and stays through the execution and adoption phases until the end of the contract.

I have had good personal experiences with these colleagues. When a customer reaches out to me and asks about multiple areas for which there are multiple product managers or leaders, I connect the customer with the Customer Engagement Executive. This ensures that the customer gets what they want and at the same time I don't drop the ball on my current assignments. Many customers have a dedicated CEE assigned to them. The services of the customer engagement executive is one of the several cloud services available to customers who choose cloud products from SAP.



When you consider buying a cloud solution, it is important to consider the services provided by the vendor after the purchase. Although every SaaS vendor knows that service is important, not every vendor has the organizational manpower, global reach, experience and expertise to provide such services. It is a bit like buying a car. A particular car may be good. But if the car manufacturer does not provide service stations in the city or country you are in you may be better off buying a car from a a manufacturer who can support you through out your ownership of the car.

Providing such good service is good for the service providers too. Car manufacturers know this very well. That is why most manufacturers provide free or subsidized services for a certain period that keeps the customer coming back into the dealership regularly. This also ensures that they are aware of the customers problems and can sell the customer more cars when he or she is ready to buy one. Everyone benefits from good service.

If you are customer or a partner, check with your account executive to see if there is a CEE assigned to you. It is useful to have a CEE to help you reach the right people inside SAP and SuccessFactors.
If you are an SAP SuccessFactors colleague who wants to help a customer but do not have the time to bring all the experts together, consider reaching out to the CEE and connecting the customer with the CEE. SAP and SuccessFactors colleagues, check this page for more details. Check the white paper there to read about all the programs and the people responsible. You need to be on the SAP network to see the page.



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