How AI Can Help VARs Find Opportunities, Navigate & Win – Use Case #2

Second AI Use Case for Public Sector VARs – Winning Product Combinations

Traditional Approach: Finding the most advantageous combinations of products often relies on the VAR’s knowledge of available OEM programs, certifications, and discounts. This process is inherently limited by the VAR’s specific experiences and relationships.

AI-Enhanced Approach: AI can analyze historical data on past awards involving various combinations of products to find patterns and combinations that have been successful. By using information about OEM programs, certifications, and available discounts, AI can recommend combinations that offer competitive advantages. Moreover, AI can uncover hidden synergies between products that may have been overlooked, thereby providing VARs with unique bundling opportunities that can outmatch competitors.

Data-driven Bundle Optimization

AI can analyze vast datasets to show which product combinations have historically led to successful bids. To illustrate, it might find that combining cybersecurity software with specific hardware increases the win rate due to complementary functionality, enabling VARs to create more compelling bids.

Dynamic Discount Leveraging

By understanding specific details of OEM discount programs and how they have been successfully applied, AI can suggest the most effective combinations of discounts and products. An AI system might identify a strategy that leverages end-of-quarter OEM discounts in conjunction with bulk purchase discounts, effectively reducing costs for certain product bundles.

Certification and Program Advantage Utilization

AI can identify opportunities where a VAR’s specific certifications or program memberships give them a distinct advantage, such as offering exclusive products or additional services. This could lead to situations where, for example, the combination of AI insights with membership in a specific OEM’s platinum program allows a VAR to offer a unique combination of products and services, increasing the bid’s attractiveness by a certain percentage.

 

**Scott Keough brings over 30 years of leadership experience in B2B SaaS, working with firms serving VARs, integrators, and OEMs. His expertise spans planning, business development, sales, and service delivery for cloud, IT infrastructure, and AI offerings. With a proven record of bootstrapping startups to profitability and positioning them for rapid growth, Scott excels at setting strategy, architecting solutions, building teams, and providing governance and guidance—qualities that uniquely position him to contribute significantly as a board member to firms in the reselling industry. Scott co-founded a procurement SaaS firm where he most recently was instrumental in the acquisition of his firm by a JMI Equity private equity-owned platform company, Unanet.