Business Empowerment Program for NI Alliance Partners

Building Stronger Businesses

In addition to developing NI product and system proficiency, NI understands that Alliance Partners must become proficient at managing and growing successful system integration businesses. Exotek has created a Business Empowerment Program that help NI Alliance Partners gain the knowledge and skills necessary to manage professional system integration companies expected by NI customers with larger opportunities.

Note: Partners can self-select any service and Exotek can customize these offerings to meet specific needs.

Small Business

10-40 people, $2-10M USD

Entrepreneur led small company
Need scalable business practices
Create stability and repeatability

Business Acumen Workshop

This course covers the essential elements of a successful system integration business according to the Exotek BASIC diamond model. Based on proven best practices of other system integration companies, you will gain key insights as well as implementation approaches to equip your company for the future.

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  • Dates: TBD
  • Location: National Instruments Headquarters, Austin, Texas
  • Cost: $1750 USD (In advance, via electronic payment), second person from same company $950 USD
  • Course size: Limited to 20 participants, but may be cancelled if insufficient registration

To register or find out more information, email us directly at info@exotek.com

Objectives​
This course covers the essential elements of a successful system integration business. From content based on proven best practices of other system integration companies, you will gain key insights about these elements as well as successful implementation approaches. Using our years of consulting system integration companies, we will discuss the areas of greatest difficulty for growing integration. After learning from our seasoned instructors, you will return to your company with the ability and confidence to take concrete steps to equip your company for the future.

Audience
If you are the owner or senior manager of a company with 10-40 people and a total revenue of $2-10M (USD), this 2-day classroom training session conducted in an engaging interactive fashion is ideally suited for you. And, leaders of larger organizations find this course an excellent check-up of their entire business.

Features

  • ​Highly relevant classroom case studies and examples with immediate applicability
  • Delivery by knowledgeable instructors with years of system integration consulting experience
  • Limited classroom sizes to ensure maximum interaction and knowledge absorption
  • Overall accelerated learning curve on system integration company business management
  • This focused, in depth training is not available anywhere else

Business Coaching / NI Liaison

Exotek provides up to 4 hours of monthly coaching calls to support the system integrator to define and implement the right practices and processes. Exotek also has an Austin-based resource that can engage with NI Corporate resources on behalf of the Alliance Partner. The NI Liaison keeps the partner abreast of NI strategies and involved in related activities.

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  • Calls: Typically one hour per week (up to 4 hours / month)
  • Commitment: 6 Months
  • Cost: Est. $1000 USD (per month)

To register or find out more information, email us directly at info@exotek.com

Your feedback and inputs on APNA’s Business Practices were very valuable…Baskar Ceri, Partner Channel Manager, INDRA Region

Accountability
As small business owner, you often don’t spend enough time thinking about where their business is going, as opposed to the urgency of the day job. Exotek’s coaching can ensure that you spend more time working on your business, not just in it. By take time with an Exotek coach each week to look at your business and review your goals, you can increase your accountability to yourself and your business.

Confidence
Whether or not you have a team around you, running your own business can be lonely. There is no one to turn to when the chips are down. Exotek can reassure you that you are doing the right things for your business. Exotek can help you establish your business direction and what are your best opportunities. We help you overcome your pre-conceived notions based on your previous experiences to embrace the possibilities of the future.​

Perspective
We can help you evolve your business outlook by better understanding your business’s unique value, so you can devote your attention to your best customer opportunities. Our objective view can help you get out of a rut or take your business to the next level. Success in business is often about making incremental improvements across the board. Exotek coaching can help you find your way forward.​

NI Liaison
As an Alliance Partner, your business is predicated on getting the most of your NI relationship. Understanding all the program benefits and navigating through a large company like National Instruments can be daunting for a small business owner. Exotek also has an Austin-based resource that can engage with NI Corporate resources on behalf of the Alliance Partner. The NI Liaison keeps the partner abreast of NI strategies and involved in related activities.

Medium Business

25-75 people, $5-25M USD

Improve accountability to drive business
Enhance processes and structure
Focus on growth and increasing capacity

Effective Growth Strategies Workshop

This course focuses on how NI, the test and measurement industry, and its customers are constantly evolving creating both disruption and opportunity for NI Alliance Partners. The NI ‘system evolution’ is creating an inflection point for both NI and its partners. System integrators are grappling with approaches to adapt and growth their businesses to embrace these changes, overcome challenges and thrive in the emerging marketplace.

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  • Dates: TBD
  • Location: TBD
  • Cost: $1750 USD (In advance, via electronic payment), second person from same company $950 USD
  • Course size: Limited to 20 participants, but may be cancelled if insufficient registration​

To register or find out more information, email us directly at info@exotek.com

Objectives

  • Creating a differentiated corporate strategy designed to meet your objectives for growth
  • Aligning your organization, effect change, and drive accountability in your leadership team
  • Devising marketing campaigns using your unique value to target high potential customers
  • Hiring effective salespeople and working with NI Sellers to secure optimal opportunities
  • Improving your project methodologies and optimizing technical re-use
  • Identifying new business opportunities for post-sales services
  • Developing solid financial processes with key metrics required for keeping score and optimizing your business growth and profitability
  • Optimizing your approaches for documenting practice, continuous improvement

Audience
If you are the owner or senior manager of a company with 25-75 people and a total revenue of $5-25M (USD), this 2-day classroom training session conducted in an engaging interactive fashion is ideally suited for you.

Features

  • Highly relevant classroom case studies and examples with immediate applicability
  • Delivery by knowledgeable instructors with years of system integration consulting experience
  • Limited classroom sizes to ensure maximum interaction and knowledge absorption
  • Overall accelerated learning curve on system integration company business management
  • This focused, in depth training is not available anywhere else

Quarterly Business Planning

Rock-solid and highly productive quarterly planning sessions help an SI leadership team to focus on key objectives and resolve issues quickly to improve the overall performance of the company. Exotek facilitates a review of last quarter’s priorities, a check of vision alignment, the resolution of current issues, and the establishment of next 90-day priorities. By the end of the day-long session, the SI leadership team will be goal-aligned with clear priorities and accountability.

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  • Engagement: One meeting per quarter; plus calls up to 12 hours per quarter
  • Commitment: One year minimum
  • Cost: Est. $4000-5000 USD (per quarter, plus travel expenses including travel time)

To register or find out more information, email us directly at info@exotek.com

“With Exotek guidance, Noffz overcame hurdles of a growing company by identifying gaps with a detailed best practices matrix/point system. We have increased our business with double digit growth each year and we doubled our head count since working with Exotek.” – Markus Solbach, Managing Partner/Director Sales & Marketing at Noffz

Typical Agenda
Exotek facilitates these quarterly business planning models based on proven methodologies like the EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) developed by Gino Wickman.

Part 1: Check-In and Expectations (30 minutes)
Exotek will begin by asking each member of your leadership team to share one personal and business best from the previous quarter. In addition, they give an update on what they feel is and isn’t working in your organization. They then share their expectations for the quarterly planning session. This check-in serves a segue from the previous quarter and maintains understanding each other’s perspective on the current state of the company.

Part 2: Previous Quarter Priorities (30 minutes)
Exotek will lead the Leadership team through a review of last quarter’s priorities and determine your completion percentage with a minimum standard of 80 percent of all priorities. We will give your team the opportunity to talk about what worked and what didn’t regarding priority setting and achieving for the quarter. Ultimately, your team has the opportunity to constantly improve by learning from the past, and then moving forward as smarter, better, faster planners of the future.

Part 3: Current Issues (1 hour)
Next, Exotek will ask your team to review your vision and plans for your organization – to confirm that everyone is still 100 percent aligned and focused on the plan to achieve it. With this clarity, we can then identify the top issues, problems, concerns, barriers, and obstacles as well new ideas and opportunities. The goal is to identify 20-30 items in every quarterly session.

Part 4: Next Quarter’s Priorities (2 hours)
Exotek then facilitates your team determination of the top (3-7) priorities for the coming quarter. Your team discusses, debates, and ultimately decides the top priorities for the company. Once the priorities are clear, each individual Leadership Team member sets what their top (3-7) most important individual priorities are for the next quarter. This will create the focus for your organization for the next 90 days.

Part 5: Tackling the Key Issues (2–4 hours)
Exotek will then assist the Leadership Team in problem-solving exercises for the most important issues. Starting with number 1 issue, we will identify clearly the real issue. Then Exotek will facilitate openly and honestly discuss of that issue. Ultimately, we will determine the best course for resolving the issue. Once we have a plan for the first issue, then go to the next and continue for as much as time allows.

Part 6: Benefits and Concerns (10 minutes)
By the end of each quarterly planning session, your team should feel 100 percent on the same page with a clear understand of the priorities and how to resolve all key issues. Exotek will conclude by asking each team member to share their overall feedback on the day, whether their expectations were met, and their rating of the day (on a scale of 1 to 10) with an expected average of 8. If that is not achieved, we will work with your team to understand and improve the process.

Large Business

50-250+ people, $15-50M+ USD

Validation of industry best practices
Desire for further executive development
Expansion into new businesses/markets

Leadership Roundtable

Exotek leads the Leadership Roundtable for senior executives to have frank discussion on industry issues in a confidential and non-threatening environment. The group meets 4 times a year for a 1.5 day scheduled retreat. Exotek leads the group through discussion areas to help bring focus, new information, and external points of reference to the conversation.

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  • Meetings: One meeting per quarter
  • Commitment: One year
  • Location: Rotates among member companies
  • Cost: Typically $1K-2K USD per quarter (one-year in advance, electronic payment)
  • Roundtable size: 8-10 member companies

To register or find out more information, email us directly at info@exotek.com​

Mandate

  1. Address key leadership issues facing companies next growth hurdles.
  2. Focus is external and internal issues.
  3. Explore issue resolution and improvement suggestions to implement in your business.
  4. Gain critical feedback from your peers and hold each other accountable.
  5. Use platform to facilitate personal and professional growth.

Structure

  1. Four “in person” meetings per year (e.g. Feb, May, Aug, Nov)
  2. Meeting duration of ~1.5 days each.
  3. Limited participation (target of 7-8 member companies with a maximum of 10).
  4. 1 guest participant from member company at any meeting (subject to pre-approval).
  5. Exotek is facilitator and meeting organizer.
  6. Exotek prepares and/or coordinates agenda and materials for each meeting.
  7. Participants take notes as required.

Agenda (Typical)

  1. Agenda set prior to each meeting – based on key items from previous meetings.
  2. Specific agenda of meeting subject to group consensus.
  3. Arrive night before meeting – on your own.
  4. Day 1: (approx. 8:30 am -5:00 pm) Meet at hosting company, working lunch (provided by host), continue over dinner meeting (dinner arranged/covered by host), adjourn.
  5. Day 2: (approx. 8 am – 12 pm) Meeting at host company, adjourn – individual participants may leave according to travel requirements.
  6. Day 1 and Day 2 timing may be reversed if required to meet other scheduling constraints.

Costs

  1. Your time.
  2. Annual fee: $4K-8K USD per year per company per roundtable paid to Exotek – non-refundable. No discount for missed meetings. A second full time participant from the same company will be an additional $500-1,000 USD.
  3. Travel costs are participant’s responsibility (includes transportation, lodging, and some meals).
  4. Rotate host meeting locations around member companies. This may change to a standard meeting location in future that is more readily accessible by all group members, subject to group consensus and any potential cost adjustments.
  5. Hosting costs responsibility of hosting company – includes meeting facilities, lunch, dinner, etc. (approx. once every couple of years on average).

Participant Criteria
The following are guidelines only for potential new group members and may be adjusted on an individual basis subject to group member consensus.

Company

  1. Must be an engineering services company
  2. Must have target revenues > $5M USD across all locations.
  3. Must be growth oriented.
  4. Must have certain business areas of strength, unique or relevant.

Person

  1. Must be a visionary, integrator, or accountable for one of the major business function (sales/marketing, finance/administration, operations) according to the Traction model.
  2. Must not part of another integrator peer group.

Other

  1. Must be accepted by current members – no direct conflicts or competition issues.
  2. Must sign mutual confidentiality agreement.

Participant Guidelines & Protocol

  1. Participants expected to fully participate and share information.
  2. Participants must attend most meetings. We may request withdrawal if two missed meetings.
  3. No engagement activity should be considered collusion (real or perceived).
  4. We will replace members lost through attrition, as necessary and available.
  5. Any new member companies must be unanimously approved by existing members.
  6. Substituted participants must be unanimously approved by existing members.
  7. Member(s) can request another member withdraw from roundtable if unanimous consent.

Topics (Typical)

  1. Benchmark participants’ financials and other operational performance KPI’s.
  2. Current state of the industry and economic conditions.
  3. Review of current state of business for each member.
  4. Strategy/Business Plan Assessment/Reviews.
  5. Hosting group member to present their business strategy overview.
  6. Leveraging vendor relationships

Business Assessments/Audits

Exotek leads the industry in system integrator bench marking, assessment, and certification. The 2-day review of your company’s processes and systems will help the integrator set goals and identify key areas of corporate development. Exotek produces a confidential report card and strategic assessment with critical information on the health of the complete organization including approaches for corrective actions.

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CSIA Certification Audit

We’re proud to be chosen by the Control Systems Integrator Association (CSIA) to conduct the audits that will help establish important professional standards across your industry. CSIA members know better than most the benefits of rigorous standards — in technology, in quality, and in business practices. As experienced CSI professionals and consultants to the CSI industry, Exotek joins many of our fellow CSIA colleagues in supporting this initiative to promote excellence and maximize client confidence in our field.

The CSIA Certification Audit involves a 2 day strategic review of your company’s processes and systems. After the audit, Exotek produces an independent and confidential report card that only you will see. This report card and strategic assessment provide you with critical information on the health of your complete organization. If corrective actions are needed, the report outlines how to accomplish these. Only when you have passed the audit and are ready to join the program is CSIA notified of any audit activity.

There are many benefits to the CSIA Certification Audit and these are just a few. Call or email us to book your audit.

Systems Integrator Executive Assessment

Integration businesses are unique in structure, and by nature difficult to manage. Each one is an expression of its owners and the industry it serves. The executives of system integration companies often have very few resources they can draw upon to review current company situations and strategic directions. That’s where we come in.

Exotek provides you with a structured consultation that examines all aspects of your business. Through a 1 day session, Exotek spends time reviewing and discussing the issues that key managers face and then our team formulates pro-active solutions to these problems. The outcome of the assessment is a well-articulated report that identifies short and long term activities that have the greatest potential to leave a positive impact on your company.

Take the time to learn more about your business – contact us now to book your Systems Integrator Executive Assessment.

NI is committed to our platform. Partners are an essential element of our ecosystem to help our customers create solutions.

– Alex Davern, CEO of National Instruments

Leveraging Our Industry Expertise and Opportunity

Exotek is a full service management consulting firm focused on the systems integration industry with an in-depth understanding of all the aspects of your business that contribute to your success. We strive to tailor our offerings in a way that best helps you meet the unique challenges you face in growing your business. To help Exotek better understand your business priorities and determine how Exotek can best assist you, please e-mail us so that we can schedule a time for further discussion.

We look forward to working with you.