How to Evaluate A3
 
We understand that your decision to purchase A3 is a strategic one and our goal in designing our web site and in organizing our sales process is to create a fast, resource-efficient way for all members of your team – business, IT, and executives – to get the information they need.

This page – "How to Evaluate A3" – is a guide to effective use of A3 resources, including this web site and our sales and technical staff. Based on classic buying methodologies and on feedback from our customers, this four-step process for evaluating A3 can save you and your team time. Above all else our team at A3 is committed to showing you how our software can exactly meet your needs, and if we cannot, we want to help you find this out early to save you time and distraction.

Step 1 – Solution Fit. The "Long List"

Take a look at our Customers. Read the captions. Are they doing things similar to what you want to do? Review the Solution pages. Are we describing your needs? Look at the Customer Stories. Can you see yourself in these stories of pain and renovation through spreadsheet automation?

Step 2 – Budget and Architecture Assessment – Ultra-thin Client. Lowest TCO.

It's now time to introduce the other perspectives on your team. IT, Finance and Operations will be asking, for example, about architecture, price and ease of Use. All of which are pieces of the ultimate analysis: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). To prepare for this discussion read our Whitepaper and the Product pages. Learn about the value of our ultra-thin client (we believe the thinnest in the industry), unified platform, deepest Excel integration, and highly sophisticated support for the leading relational and OLAP technologies, including Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services and Hyperion Essbase.

Are you interested in a hosted solution? With A3 Modeling you have a choice. You can license or subscribe. Subscription can be compelling if you lack access to IT infrastructure or resources, or if IT overhead costs are high. In general since A3 Modeling is based on Spreadsheet Automation Server technology, it has a lower total cost (TCO) to deploy and maintain. The A3 Modeling Server can be licensed starting at $25,000, or alternatively subscriptions are available from $2,500/month.

Now it's time to schedule a demo! Bring your colleagues up to speed by sharing links to our Home page, Solutions and Customer pages (or if they are IT oriented, distribute links to the Home page, Product pages and the Whitepaper).

In the demo we'll take a deep dive into the solution and the architecture, and we'll begin showing you how A3 Modeling can meet the strategic needs of your key decision makers.

Step 3 – Achieve Consensus – A3 Modeling Appeals to Everyone!

Executives appreciate timeliness and attention to detail. We're here to help.

As you introduce A3, be sure to share the appropriate web site links which communicate in language each decision maker will understand. Executives may ask for additional demonstrations of the product, even custom demos using your own spreadsheet models and data under formal non-disclosure agreements. IT decision makers might ask for more detail on total project cost. They may want to conduct a pre-sale project scoping session to arrive at a firm estimate and an accurate TCO.

Whatever the request, we're prepared to respond.

Step 4 – The Decision

Customer References: Executives will want to know that they are in good company. You'll want to connect with A3 customers to understand their experience with A3, and to learn the real-world customer experience of working with us. Finally, it is likely that an executive decision team member will wish to make a personal connection with an executive at A3. This is where confidential company information can be exchanged and high level goals of the solution and the relationship can be reviewed.

Once a decision is made, you will quickly find yourself in the capable hands of our experienced and highly credentialed training and Services team to schedule your "Foundation", where together we will construct a solution design document and project plan.

Congratulations! You are on your way to self-sufficiency and success!