2015 2015 North American Mobile Forms Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Award Frost & Sullivan 2015 1 We Accelerate Growth
Contents Background and Company Performance... 3 Industry Challenges... 3 Strategy Innovation and Customer Impact... 4 Conclusion... 6 Significance of Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership... 7 Understanding Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership... 7 Key Benchmarking Criteria... 7 Best Practice Award Analysis for ProntoForms Corporation... 8 Decision Support Scorecard... 8 Strategy Innovation... 9 Customer Impact... 9 Decision Support Matrix... 9 The Intersection between 360-Degree Research and Best Practices Awards... 10 Research Methodology... 10 Best Practices Recognition: 10 Steps to Researching, Identifying, and Recognizing Best Practices... 13 About Frost & Sullivan... 2 Frost & Sullivan 2015 2 We Accelerate Growth
Background and Company Performance Industry Challenges Frost & Sullivan notes that the North American mobile forms solution category represents an increasingly critical product niche that originated in the traditional mobile workforce management (MWM) market, but now finds application in a variety of other environments (energy, facility management, utilities, retail, hospitality, etc.). Mobile forms address such clear business needs and can provide such impressive results that they have quickly become a standalone offering. Depending upon the business use case, mobile forms are being purchased both with and without other accompanying capabilities such as analytics. Frost & Sullivan estimates that the total market opportunity in this region alone is over 22 million subscribers for companies with less than 500 employees and an additional 20 million subscribers for companies with more than 500 employees. Market growth is being driven by a number of factors; however, Frost & Sullivan independent analysis suggests that the key challenges for vendors in this competitive sector include: 1. Effectively addressing prospective customer concerns regarding implementation costs and return-on-investment (ROI). 2. Carefully crafting an ecosystem of top-tier technology and channel partners. 3. Clearly differentiating their product against current and future competitors. The annual Frost & Sullivan Mobile Enterprise Applications Survey reveals that cost remains a top-of-mind purchase barrier for a significant percentage of mobile apps customers. Two cost categories are of particular concern: overall cost of implementation and any incremental software customization expense. As a result of these concerns, prospects can view the ROI for a mobile app such as mobile forms as being unclear. Innovative vendors report to Frost & Sullivan that they clearly recognize these concerns and create a pricing model that is affordable for their target market. These vendors also promote and clarify the positive business impacts of mobile forms and work to define ROI in weeks - not months. Strategic partnerships are a must in the mobile forms market. Partnering with high quality technology players can be an effective way to stay at the cutting edge of developing new product capabilities and solutions. One must also carefully identify and evaluate distribution channel voids, creating channel partnerships that effectively position and market one s product portfolio to the desired target segments. Finally, the last thing a vendor wants is for its offerings to be viewed as commoditized solutions. Frost & Sullivan agrees that competitive leaders are regularly evaluating their product s technology roadmap, soliciting customer feedback, and keeping their mobile forms solutions state-of-the-art. Today s mobile enterprise customer is becoming much more sophisticated in its expectations of vendors and their products. Mobile forms providers must Frost & Sullivan 2015 3 We Accelerate Growth
be able to satisfy these more sophisticated demands - or give way to other competitors who can. Strategy Innovation and Customer Impact Strategy Effectiveness The ProntoForms business strategy focuses on balancing short-term needs with long-term vision, and that means doing the following things well: 1) defining the optimal target market, 2) designing a cutting-edge solution, and 3) building a strong partner network. The company targets the 50-200 subscriber space, with the goal of satisfying the needs of work groups i.e., groups of employees organized around a common business mission utilizing common business processes. These work groups can be standalone small and mid-sized businesses or departments within a much larger enterprise. They also offer significant growth potential, as Frost & Sullivan research reveals that typically one-half of current mobile app customers plan to expand their deployments within 12 months of initial implementation. Frost & Sullivan appreciates the fact that ProntoForms is very consciously NOT targeting enterprise-wide settings and therefore is wisely avoiding direct competition with the large corporate software suite vendors (such as SAP and Oracle). Both Competitors 2 and 3 also target the SMB segment; however, they have not built a coherent strategy around potential enterprise prospects. Continuous product enhancement is a key value at ProntoForms. While many of its competitors treat mobile forms as just one feature of a much larger product category (mobile workforce management), this business application is the only area of focus for ProntoForms. This has resulted in a very robust solution, with a richer set of capabilities. These include a variety of data capture features, easy backend integration, and an open and modern REST API. The solution is cloud-based, which translates into the scalability, flexibility, ease of management, and affordability that today s work groups need to stay competitive. The company has chosen leading channel partners that demand top-tier solutions and will work with ProntoForms to make that happen. While the Competitor 2 solution offers a somewhat similar set of capabilities (a major exception is analytics, which is discussed below), Competitor 3 s product is not as rich or capable. Smaller companies like ProntoForms recognize the need for strong channel and technology partnerships. A key relationship is with AT&T, the preeminent North American wireless carrier in the area of mobile enterprise applications. The company also partners with Tier 1 Canadian operators, Bell and Rogers Wireless. AT&T has identified mobile forms as a highpotential product line and has taken a number of actions to support and boost ProntoForms profile and success in the U.S. market. These actions include: 2) Including AT&T Mobile Forms monthly per-user subscription charge on AT&T s own monthly invoice to the customer, 1) White labeling the solution under the name AT&T Mobile Forms, 3) Introducing AT&T Mobile Forms to its supplier ecosystem, 4) Promoting and co-marketing the AT&T Mobile Forms product, and 5) Collaborating on the overall product roadmap, as well as on Frost & Sullivan 2015 4 We Accelerate Growth
promotions, bundles and integration with other AT&T solutions to to meet the carrier s always-high standards and those of its customers. Both Competitors 2 and 3 have also established partnerships with a selection of North American wireless carriers, yet none of these have provided the product development and promotional support that ProntoForms has enjoyed from AT&T for the AT&T Mobile Forms product. Competitive Differentiation There are at least four key advantages that ProntoForms has created to differentiate its mobile forms product from those of other major competitors. First, the solution itself is more user-friendly, intuitive, and feature-rich. For example, the number of clicks required to achieve a function are kept to a minimum; pre-filled form data makes the input process faster; higher data volumes are easily handled; advanced enterprise level security; integration with backend systems and cloud services is streamlined; monthly releases are seamless and invisible. Second, the company offers a sophisticated, cloud-based analytics capability that promises to convert the high volume of data collected via its mobile forms into useful, actionable analytics. ProntoForms currently offers three levels of analytics assistance at this time. Third, the company s relationship with wireless carriers, especially AT&T, is unmatched. Fourth, AT&T encourages collaboration between ProntoForms and other key AT&T technology suppliers, presenting further opportunities for new business both domestically and globally. Neither Competitor 2 nor 3 can differentiate on this level. Price/Performance Value The ProntoForms solution is cloud-based and available on monthly per-user subscription basis. As a result, customers do not have to purchase on-site servers or hire personnel to manage the application. They can avoid unnecessary capital expenditures and instead budget mobile forms as a monthly operation expense. This provides the level of affordability that today s businesses require, and even makes it easy for LOBs (lines of business) within larger companies to add mobile forms to their own budgets. ProntoForms is available in two versions: Standard ($9.95/user/month) and Pro ($19.95/user/month). The Standard solution is prepackaged and offers the most popular form templates. These templates can be edited, branded, and fully deployed within an hour. The Pro version is more customized and designed to meet more complex needs. In addition, the company offers an array of deployment, management, training, and analytics services as optional add-ons. Both competitors also offer cloud-based solutions; however, Competitor 2's offering is more expensive, and Competitor 3 charges similar prices for a comparatively underfeatured product. Frost & Sullivan 2015 5 We Accelerate Growth
Customer Purchase Experience ProntoForms sells primarily through carrier channels like AT&T. (Frost & Sullivan research surveys repeatedly reveal that the wireless carrier is the premier preferred mobility partner for small and mid-sized businesses.) Because buying behavior within enterprises is changing and that more decision-makers are very comfortable visiting application storefronts to gather preliminary information on prices, features, and customer ratings, there is a strong focus on reaching customers in a variety of ways. Customer decisionmakers may participate in free via an app store, which typically means downloading the software and establishing a trial account. ProntoForms asks for the user s vertical industry during the trial registration process and then uses that to auto load the forms that are most relevant to that particular industry. The result is a more customized trial experience for the user and, hopefully, more immediate value-add that turns into a sale. Competitor 2 offers a free trial via its own application store, but does not target vertical specific forms as effectively. Competitor 3 offers occasional trials via its website. Neither Competitor has wireless carrier partners that proactively promote and support the purchase of their mobile forms products. Customer Ownership Experience ProntoForms strives to keep the customer highly satisfied throughout their ownership experience. The intuitive design of the product ensures ease of use for the worker (which, in turn, ensures cooperation and avoids employee resistance). Upgrades and updates are seamless, handled in the cloud, and kept painless for the customer. Multiple form factors (smartphone and tablet) and mobile operating systems (ios, Android, BlackBerry, Microsoft Windows) are supported. And 24/7 support is available via phone and email. Brand Equity ProntoForms is a small Canadian company that is reporting impressive year-over-year revenue growth and steadily building its brand presence. The company has been wise enough to forge partnerships with strong brands such as AT&T and Bell. In fact, AT&T introduced its own branded version of the ProntoForms product AT&T Mobile Forms in August 2014. As a result, ProntoForms brand equity is significantly stronger than that of either of its two strongest competitors. Conclusion Mobile forms solutions the wireless forms that are available directly on an employee s smartphone or tablet constitute a breakout category in the mobile enterprise applications space. Frost & Sullivan points out that ProntoForms recognized the potential of mobile forms before anyone else and is a leader in growing this category. The company Frost & Sullivan 2015 6 We Accelerate Growth
offers a rich product, affordable pricing, expert support, and the kind of best-in-class channel partners that spur innovation and opportunity. With its strong overall performance, ProntoForms has earned the 2015 Frost & Sullivan Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Award. Significance of Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Any successful approach to achieving top-line growth must (1) take into account what competitors are, and are not, doing; (2) meet customer demand with a comprehensive, value-driven product or service portfolio; and (3) establish a brand that resonates deeply with customers and stands apart from other providers. Companies must succeed at these three things brand, demand, and positioning to achieve best-practice levels in competitive strategy. Frost & Sullivan 2015 7 We Accelerate Growth
Understanding Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Driving demand, brand strength, and competitive differentiation all play a critical role in delivering unique value to customers. This three-fold focus, however, must ideally be complemented by an equally rigorous focus on strategy innovation and customer impact. Key Benchmarking Criteria For the Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Award, Frost & Sullivan analysts independently evaluated two key factors Strategy Innovation and Customer Impact according to the criteria identified below. Strategy Innovation Criterion 1: Strategy Effectiveness Criterion 2: Strategy Execution Criterion 3: Competitive Differentiation Frost & Sullivan 2015 8 We Accelerate Growth
Criterion 4: Executive Team Alignment Criterion 5: Stakeholder Integration Customer Impact Criterion 1: Price/Performance Value Criterion 2: Customer Purchase Experience Criterion 3: Customer Ownership Experience Criterion 4: Customer Service Experience Criterion 5: Brand Equity Best Practice Award Analysis for ProntoForms Decision Support Scorecard To support its evaluation of best practices across multiple business performance categories, Frost & Sullivan employs a customized Decision Support Scorecard. This tool allows our research and consulting teams to objectively analyze performance, according to the key benchmarking criteria listed in the previous section, and to assign ratings on that basis. The tool follows a 10-point scale that allows for nuances in performance evaluation; ratings guidelines are illustrated below. RATINGS GUIDELINES The Decision Support Scorecard is organized by Strategy Innovation and Customer Impact (i.e., the overarching categories for all 10 benchmarking criteria; the definitions for each criteria are provided beneath the scorecard). The research team confirms the veracity of this weighted scorecard through sensitivity analysis, which confirms that small changes to the ratings for a specific criterion do not lead to a significant change in the overall relative rankings of the companies. The results of this analysis are shown below. To remain unbiased and to protect the interests of all organizations reviewed, we have chosen to refer to the other key players as Competitor 1 and Competitor 2. DECISION SUPPORT SCORECARD FOR COMPETITIVE STRATEGY INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP AWARD Measurement of 1 10 (1 = poor; 10 = excellent) Frost & Sullivan 2015 9 We Accelerate Growth
Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Strategy Innovation Customer Impact Average Rating ProntoForms 10 10 10.0 Competitor 2 8 7 7.5 Competitor 3 7 7 7.0 Strategy Innovation Criterion 1: Strategy Effectiveness Requirement: Strategy effectively balances short term performance needs with long-term aspirations and vision for the company Criterion 2: Strategy Execution Requirement: Adoption of best-in-class processes to support the efficient and consistent implementation of business strategy Criterion 3: Competitive Differentiation Requirement: Unique competitive advantages with regard to solution or product are clearly articulated and well accepted within the industry Criterion 4: Executive Team Alignment Requirement: The executive team is aligned on the organization s mission, vision, strategy and execution Criterion 5: Stakeholder Integration Requirement: Strategy reflects the needs or circumstances of all industry stakeholders, including competitors, customers, investors, and employees Customer Impact Criterion 1: Price/Performance Value Requirement: Products or services offer the best value for the price, compared to similar offerings in the market Criterion 2: Customer Purchase Experience Requirement: Customers feel like they are buying the most optimal solution that addresses both their unique needs and their unique constraints Criterion 3: Customer Ownership Experience Requirement: Customers are proud to own the company s product or service, and have a positive experience throughout the life of the product or service Criterion 4: Customer Service Experience Requirement: Customer service is accessible, fast, stress-free, and of high quality Criterion 5: Brand Equity Requirement: Customers have a positive view of the brand and exhibit high brand loyalty Frost & Sullivan 2015 10 We Accelerate Growth
Decision Support Matrix Once all companies have been evaluated according to the Decision Support Scorecard, analysts can then position the candidates on the matrix shown below, enabling them to visualize which companies are truly breakthrough and which ones are not yet operating at best-in-class levels. DECISION SUPPORT MATRIX FOR COMPETITIVE STRATEGY INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP AWARD High ProntoForms Customer Impact Competitor 2 Competitor 3 Low Low Strategy Innovation High Frost & Sullivan 2015 11 We Accelerate Growth
The Intersection between 360-Degree Research and Best Practices Awards Research Methodology 360-DEGREE RESEARCH: SEEING ORDER IN THE CHAOS Frost & Sullivan s 360-degree research methodology represents the analytical rigor of our research process. It offers a Emerging Technologies Industry 360-degree-view of industry challenges, Evolution Smart Cities New Business Technology Cultures trends, and issues by integrating all 7 of Obsolescence Demographics Crowd Career Sourcing Development Industry Frost & Sullivan's research methodologies. Expansion Country Risk Too often, companies make important Buying Competitive New Vertical Behavior Benchmarking Markets Capital Investments growth decisions based on a narrow Competitive Strategy CEO understanding of their environment, Availability Emerging of Competition Capital leading to errors of both omission and New Applications Branding Economic and Trends Positioning commission. Successful growth strategies Needs Growth and Implementation Segmentation Growth Perceptions Strategies Sustainability are founded on a thorough understanding GeoPolitical Stability Industry of market, technical, economic, financial, Convergence Disruptive Technologies customer, best practices, and demographic analyses. The integration of these research disciplines into the 360-degree research methodology provides an evaluation platform for benchmarking industry players and for identifying those performing at bestin-class levels. Frost & Sullivan 2015 12 We Accelerate Growth
Best Practices Recognition: 10 Steps to Researching, Identifying, and Recognizing Best Practices Frost & Sullivan Awards follow a 10-step process to evaluate Award candidates and assess their fit with select best practice criteria. The reputation and integrity of the Awards are based on close adherence to this process. STEP OBJECTIVE KEY ACTIVITIES OUTPUT 1 Monitor, target, and screen Identify Award recipient candidates from around the globe Conduct in-depth industry research Identify emerging sectors Scan multiple geographies Pipeline of candidates who potentially meet all bestpractice criteria 2 Perform 360-degree research Perform comprehensive, 360-degree research on all candidates in the pipeline Interview thought leaders and industry practitioners Assess candidates fit with best-practice criteria Rank all candidates Matrix positioning all candidates performance relative to one another 3 Invite thought leadership in best practices Perform in-depth examination of all candidates Confirm best-practice criteria Examine eligibility of all candidates Identify any information gaps Detailed profiles of all ranked candidates 4 Initiate research director review Conduct an unbiased evaluation of all candidate profiles Brainstorm ranking options Invite multiple perspectives on candidates performance Update candidate profiles Final prioritization of all eligible candidates and companion best-practice positioning paper 5 Assemble panel of industry experts Present findings to an expert panel of industry thought leaders Share findings Strengthen cases for candidate eligibility Prioritize candidates Refined list of prioritized Award candidates 6 Conduct global industry review Build consensus on Award candidates eligibility Hold global team meeting to review all candidates Pressure-test fit with criteria Confirm inclusion of all eligible candidates Final list of eligible Award candidates, representing success stories worldwide 7 Perform quality check Develop official Award consideration materials Perform final performance benchmarking activities Write nominations Perform quality review High-quality, accurate, and creative presentation of nominees successes 8 Reconnect with panel of industry experts Finalize the selection of the best-practice Award recipient Review analysis with panel Build consensus Select winner Decision on which company performs best against all best-practice criteria 9 Communicate recognition Inform Award recipient of Award recognition Present Award to the CEO Inspire the organization for continued success Celebrate the recipient s performance Announcement of Award and plan for how recipient can use the Award to enhance the brand 10 Take strategic action Upon licensing, company may share Award news with stakeholders and customers Coordinate media outreach Design a marketing plan Assess Award s role in future strategic planning Widespread awareness of recipient s Award status among investors, media personnel, and employees Frost & Sullivan 2015 13 We Accelerate Growth
About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages almost 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from 31 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com. Frost & Sullivan 2015 14 We Accelerate Growth