Abra Workforce Connections Policy 10/2004

Overview

A top priority for Abra Workforce Connections (AWC) is having satisfied customers, asthey will be a major factor in the ongoing success of this new Abra product. Customer satisfaction will be strongly influenced by their experience with the installationand implementation of AWC. To help ensure this, we are putting in place some additional policies, effective immediately. The details of these policies are covered in later sections, but in summary they are:

  • Policy 1: AWC Certification. The AWC Certification covers selling and implementing AWC. It does not cover installation of AWC (see policy 4 below). To complete your AWC Certification, partners certified prior to 10/1/2004 must either attend the Benefits Enrollment webinar or attend a second two-day AWC Certification class.
  • Policy 2: AWC certification is attached to individuals, not firms. The individual who attends the certification class must be the person who performs the implementation. An AWC Certification cannot be transferred to someone who has not attended the full AWC Certification class.
  • Policy 3: Unsuccessful AWC installations. Partners who fall into this category will be required to undergo the full two-day AWC Certification class again before they can implement AWC.
  • Policy 4:AWC Installation Certification. A separate certification is required for the installation of AWC. The installation of AWC includes the set-up of the technical environment and the installation of the AWC software prior to implementation. This certification is available at no extra charge. Partners who do not have this certification must either use the Best Factory Installation Service or must contract with a partner who is AWC installation-certified.

Background to the Policies

Best has automated as much of the installation process for AWC as possible. In some cases, the installation will be straightforward, simply following the steps in the wizard. At other times, it will require some technical knowledge, especially where the client has applications already running on their servers, or wants to install AWC onto multiple servers.

Many of you have met Russ Houchen. Russ is a valuable new member of our AWC sales and support team, and has three primary roles:

(a)Deliver the installation training portion of the AWC Certification class.

(b)Provide pre-sales support for certified AWC partners.

(c)Deliver a full “Factory Installation Service” to customers, which will guarantee that they have a successful installation.

As you know from certification, Russ has extensive technical experience, and a number of partners are already utilizing his knowledge as they prepare for their installation. Following communication with partners who are involved in some of the first customer implementations, it has become apparent that we need a set of policies in place to provide clear direction to partners on where and when in the installation process to use Russ, or other business partners with strong technical knowledge.

Policy 1. AWC Certification Requirements.

To be a certified AWC Partner, you must meet all of the following requirements:

-Be an Abra Suite certified business partner

-Attend a 2-day AWC certification class

-Pay the AWC Certification fee

-Score above 80% on the AWC Certification Test

-NEW: If you took the AWC Certification class prior to 10/4/2004, EITHER attendance at the Benefits Enrollment Webinar OR attendance at an additional AWC Certification class.

AWC Certification allows partners to sell, implement and train on AWC. There is a separate certification for AWC Installation (see Policy 4 below).

Details of the Benefits Enrollment webinar are at the end of this email. If you have already taken one AWC class, and wish to take a second, you may do so at no extra charge. You may take a second class in lieu of attending the Benefits Enrollment Webinar.

Policy 2. AWC Certification is attached to an individual.

The implementation of AWC requires some very specific product knowledge, which is presented in a two-day certification class. Other ways of gaining product knowledge, such as reading the certification materials, do not convey the same knowledge as class attendance. Therefore, the individual who does the implementation and training at a customer site must be the same individual who attended the AWC certification class.

It is not possible to “transfer” AWC Certifications between named individuals in a firm. Every person who wants to implement AWC must personally attend the AWC Certification class.

Policy 3. Unsuccessful AWC Implementation.

Partners who have an unsuccessful AWC implementation, defined as a customer who wants to return AWC because of their implementation experience, must re-attend the full two-day AWC Certification class if they intend to continue selling and implementing AWC.

Policy 4: AWC Installation Certification.

Installation of Abra Workforce Connections refers to all of the steps that must be taken in order to display the login page of AWC and successfully login as the Master user. In order to do this, the operating system, database, and network connections must have been correctly configured, and Abra Suite 7.4 and AWC software must have been correctly installed.

The criteria for AWC Installation certification are as follows:

-Certified individual must have monitored two successful AWC Installations (either onsite or via remote connectivity tool).

-Certified individual must have monitored at least one multi-server AWC installation (either onsite or via remote connectivity tool). This is defined as an installation involving two or more servers.

-Certified individual must have taken the AWC Installation Test and scored 85% or higher.

Business Partners may designate one or more people within their firm who are certified to perform installations, and theseindividuals may perform all of that firm’s installations. That individual may also be used by other partners who need installation expertise, instead of using the Best Factory Installation Service. As this is a technical certification, the person taking the AWC Installation Certification does not need any other Abra certifications. There is no charge for the AWC Installation Certification.

Partners who do not have someone with an AWC Installation Certificate on staff must either use the Best Factory Installation Service, or must use the services of a partner withan AWC Installation-certified individual, for all of their installations.

Partners who choose to use the Best Factory Installation service must contact Russ Houchen () two weeks prior to the scheduled start date of their installation, in order to start the planning process. We have included a description of the Best Software Factory Installation Service for your information. Please note that this document must be signed by the customer. All partners will earn a margin of 20% on the Factory Installation Service, credited once the invoice has been paid.

Once installation is complete, any AWC-certified business partner may perform the implementation (i.e. the configuration of AWC). We will not support customers who perform either the installation or implementation themselves: A certified Business Partner must always be present(either onsite or connected via a remote tool).

Installation Test

In order to have an objective assessment of a partner’s technical competency with AWC, we have created an Installation Test. The test covers technical topics relating to AWC installation, including operating systems, networking, database configurations and security. This test is currently available, and will be sentupon request to AWC partners. Itmust be taken by everyone who wishes to install AWC.

Please contact Mike Long () if you would like to receive the test.

Benefits Enrollment Webinar

We are running regular Benefits Enrollment webinars. These three hour training events provide additional information on the Open Enrollment and Life Event set-up that was not available when the first AWC Certification classes were delivered. The schedule of webinars is available on PRO, and we plan to offer them through December 2004.

Pre-Sold AWC Customers

If you have already sold AWC to a customer, and did not include time or budget for installation in your proposal, please contact Ken Madley () as soon as possible. Ken will work with you on an acceptable approach for the customer.