Plan.com has launched what it claims is the first ‘smart intelligent’ partner portal, labelling it a “game-changer” within the UK mobile industry.
The O2 airtime distributor will launch ‘V4’ to its partner base in the near future to help them process elements in their business they wouldn’t have been able to do directly with a network and in a much quicker timeframe.
A key feature of this is a live feeds section on the front of the portal, which updates every second to provide partners with real time alerts on all developments with their customers around their contracts and usage.
The standout element is a partner being immediately notified when a customer touches down in another country,where they can add any data bolt-ons to their tariff in order to reduce the potential risk of bill shock when they return to the UK.
An alert in this live feed area might also notify a partner that a new connection has gone from ‘provisional’ to ‘pending’, working as a live link between the dealer principal and their sales team, and thus reducing the lengthy time it might take to find out this information through other avenues.
As opposed to them having different screens in an office to notify them of changes, they can determine what alerts different people see such as those around sales and finance.
Features
A panel across the home page at the top of the portal also takes partners to any particular area and by visiting any of these, further elements can be accessed and information changed or added.
This might include seeing which of their customers were about to overspend; which were approaching the end of their contract up to six months in advance; which have the potential to earn the partner the most money; a breakdown of how much upfront commission could potentially be earned; deal quote to conversion rates for each of the sales team and if any customers are having difficulties paying their bills.
Other standout elements are the partners being able to download full customer reports that can be sent onto other areas of the business, view how many active SIM are on the accounts and which might have voice, text and data bars placed on them, notified when a SIM has been activated in another country so a roaming bolt-on can be added and what customers are using certain devices.
Widen the gap
Plan.com co-founder Keith Curran claimed the launch of V4 will widen the gap it has formed between its distribution rivals, taking its V3 portal to a whole new level.
“V4 is a truly groundbreaking portal that provides partners with everything they require but also everything they aren’t expecting, taking it to a whole new level.
“This portal has been developed in a certain way and linked into a Plan.com APM connection, meaning the partners will be able to do things they have never been able to do before and an awful lot quicker.
“From day one,we have always tried to reinvent distribution and with the launch of V4, that gap is only widening. This rein- vents what a portal can do and this has clearly struck a chord with partners. We thought V3 was a game-changer but this takes it to a whole new level.”