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We wanted to share some exciting news with you. After an uncertain year that will go down in history for many reasons, we are extremely proud to announce that ASM Technologies has again seen double-digit, organic growth across our UK, German, and French businesses.

Like most businesses around the world, we entered the financial year with an uncertain view of what the pandemic would bring for the business, coupled with the economic concerns of entering a national lockdown and having to enable our employees to work from home securely, all within a matter of days.

Through the technologies of the strategic vendors that we partner with, the robust systems we have in place and the hard work and dedication of our Business Systems team, we were able to mobilise quickly and secure our remote workforce, and continue to provide an excellent, valued service to our customers who were also facing the same uncertainty.

We feel incredibly fortunate to have been in a position this past year where we have been expanding the business and have successfully recruited and filled many new positions. We’ve continued to be the partner of choice for Europe’s largest System Integrators and Value-Added Resellers and have not only retained existing customers and expanded into new regions, but also acquired new international customers too.

“I’ve always been extremely proud of the team’s ability to adapt and work in a way that best suits the needs of our customers and the projects at hand, but even more so this past year”

said Iain Tomkinson, Sales Director.

“The dedication and resilience that has been shown whilst working from home in delivering some really important projects has made me incredibly proud to work for ASM. I wanted to pay a special thank you to the team at our warehouse facility, who have quickly adjusted to social distancing whilst consistently making sure our customers are receiving their orders. I look forward to continuing to work with our customers on some great projects this coming year and welcoming the challenges that are thrown at us and am reassured in knowing that we have the best possible team to navigate what comes our way”.

We have lots to look forward to in this coming financial year, including moving into our brand new, state-of-the-art Cheshire HQ office. Watch this space for more info on this soon.

Digital Marketing Executive, Molly Oakley started with ASM in July and is working from home for the first time. In this blog, she shares her experience of remote working for the first time, her thoughts of starting a new job during lockdown and the advice she would give to others looking to start a new role remotely.

How did you feel about starting a new role from home during lockdown?

I was quite apprehensive about starting a new role from home during lockdown because I had never worked from home before so didn’t know what to expect. I was however very excited and very lucky to be starting my new role during this uncertain time and was looking forward to getting back to doing what I love and learning even more about the IT industry.

How did ASM support you starting your new role working remotely?

Any worry I was experiencing ahead of starting my role quickly disappeared when I spoke with my manager as she assured me that I would have my induction completed in person (socially distanced of course) and I would learn about the policies and procedures at ASM and receive all my equipment that I needed to fulfil my role. On my first day, I was introduced to both founding directors of ASM and was greeted with a warm welcome which was lovely. My manager got me set up with equipment and arranged for skype calls with each member of the management team and various other colleagues. It was lovely to meet the different people I would be working with and gain an understanding of their role. I also attended virtual coffee mornings with colleagues from different teams who I wouldn’t be working as closely with which helped me gain a better understanding of the wider business but also broke the ice and allowed me to have more informal conversations and get to know them much better.

Were there any challenges you faced starting a new role remotely and how were these overcome?

I was quite worried initially about how the communication with colleagues would be, specifically if I was unsure about a task I had been set or something was not working. In previous roles, I had never worked at home so I’d never needed to use video conferencing systems and although I vaguely knew how to use them, I didn’t realise how sophisticated they were and how many features they had. Upon discovering these features and receiving training on how best to use them, my mind was instantly put to rest as I had the confidence that I could communicate easily with my colleagues and raise any issues I had with ease and efficiency.

How did you find the process of building relationships with your new colleagues remotely?

I really enjoyed getting to know my colleagues and building relationships with each of them. I was assigned a buddy when I started who was someone I could go to (aside from my manager) who could answer any questions and be a friendly face/voice. My buddy was Sam Scott who you’ll hear from in another new starter blog and he started at ASM just as we went in to lockdown so aside from the two people he met at his interview, he met all colleagues virtually too. My manager thought that he would be a good fit as a buddy for me as he had been through the same recruitment process as me and could answer any questions from first-hand experience. Technology has played a vital part in making it possible for me to build strong personal and professional relationships with colleagues and partners. There is something much more powerful about a video call compared to a voice call in being able to build relationships with people. I’ve found it easier getting to know people in their natural home environments. Without technology, I think my remote working experience would have been very different and felt a lot more isolating.

What advice would you give to someone starting a new role remotely?

I would say keeping an open mind is important because my experience has been amazing and although I had my worries at the start, the support from all my colleagues at ASM has been amazing and any worries I had very quickly dissipated.

Sam Scott, Business Development Manager, started with ASM during the first UK lockdown. In this blog, he shares his experience of remote working right from the start, building relationships with colleagues and customers and any challenges he faced along the way.

How did you feel about starting a new role from home during lockdown?

I’d worked remotely and, on the road, previously, so the idea of home working wasn’t alien to me. I think what I really felt was excitement for the new challenge and a responsibility to become a tangible part of the business. Metaphorically becoming another oarsman, rowing our way through the unprecedented and complex seas of Covid-19.

How did ASM support you starting your new role working remotely?

If ASM was an act on Britain’s got talent, I’d of swiftly slammed my hand down on the golden buzzer!

I had the warmest of welcomes, warmest as a word doesn’t really do it justice. The support I’d received prior to my start, on my first day and throughout my time here has been incomparable to what I’ve experienced before. I guess, also, that we all have a sense of wanting to be a part of something. I can safely say that thanks to the family feel and outstanding support I’ve had, ASM have really made me feel part of something! More so than I would have expected.

Being forced to work remotely due to Covid can put you in that fight or flight mode. Adapting to a landscape that changed seemingly every week can be challenging and mentally draining. I remember having probably similar thoughts to many other people that; come the end of June, well be back to normal, then thinking the same about the end of July and so on. Thanks to the planning and support from my team I’ve been able to negate those challenges and focus on how we can help each other adapt whilst we meander our way through the new normal.

Were there any challenges you faced starting a new role remotely and how were these overcome?

No specific challenges work wise. Although, my work laptop and mobile phone were delayed by a day which was only natural whilst the country dealt with the surge of demand and difficulties of adapting to lockdown. Easiest first day of my life! I would like to point out that I am part of the single screen brigade and anytime I’m asked what my ‘set up’ is, I’m greeted with revolt and disbelief that I can work with less than three!

I enjoy working remotely as there are so many clear benefits of doing so. Less hours in the car, flexibility, saving time and money, more quality time with the Guinea pig! But of course, there’s a glaring obstacle we all face in the form of a pandemic.

Yes, there are days where the amalgamation of work and home becomes mundane and things we all enjoy don’t quite feel the same. However, remote working is what you want it to be and I’m thankful I’ve been able to lean on a team for inspiration and guidance.

With that said, I’d simply add that yes there are challenges BUT there always will be wherever you work.

How did you find the process of building relationships with your new colleagues remotely?

Some that know me will say I’m an interesting character baring any other descriptions that may not be suitable for this blog! I learnt a very important lesson at a very young age that I should know my audience which I’ve taken onboard but would still stand by the fact that we are all human and our faces were born to smile. If I can do nothing else apart from blessing you with crow’s feet in later life, that’s a job well done in my rather worn and unkept book! I’ve enjoyed the whole process of virtually meeting my team but I’m bleeding to meet my team in the flesh as soon as possible!

What advice would you give to someone starting a new role remotely?

Genuinely be interested in what you are doing! Being interested and intrigued by your work makes the days more enjoyable whilst working remotely. Also sip from as many fountains of knowledge as you can; grab a pint glass and fill it up!

At ASM, we are extremely proud of our workforce and are committed to developing skills and experiences across the team. Investing in our people is a vital part of the culture at ASM and lends itself to our core values as our people are our greatest asset and make all the difference. Our team is made up of driven individuals who are constantly contributing and adding to the wider team. Our dedication and determination mean that we can best serve our clients and generate real long-term value and benefits.

We are exceptionally proud of Leanne Ogden, Head of Business Development for being shortlisted as a finalist for CRN’s Women in Channel awards Outstanding Returner category. For this category, the judges were looking for someone who has been inspirational in returning successfully to a career. In this blog, we allow our readers to get to know the woman behind the nomination and gain an understanding of Leanne’s personal and professional journey so far.

Tell us about your role at ASM?

As Head of Business Development, I am responsible for managing the growth and development of our reseller account base and the external team. We pride ourselves on building and maintaining strong relationships with our key clients, helping our customers to explore the latest emerging technologies within the market to save our customers money and disrupt the status quo. As a team we look at innovative ways to add value to our existing clients using our extensive partner network to offer new opportunities. A typical week (pre Covid) for myself and the team involved four days a week on client sites. I think I speak for all the team when I say that we each thrive off the variety the role brings and the need to be ready, think on your feet and to expect the unexpected.

What led you to this career?

My mum. She is truly the inspiration for pretty much everything that I have achieved. Without her I am not sure what I would have chosen as a career. It’s true to say that I never really had any burning desire to work in the channel, in the beginning I just needed a job, and to quote my mum at the time “a proper job”. When I was offered my first job in IT, initially I declined it as I was scared. Scared that I couldn’t do it, scared of the unknown, scared that as a 21-year-old girl, I wouldn’t succeed. It was at this point that my mum stepped in with her words of wisdom and gave me the encouragement I needed and assured me that I could do it and would be successful. Fast forward 16 years and I absolutely love working in the channel – no two days are ever the same and I thrive in a fast-paced environment and working with ever evolving technologies. I only hope that one day I can be just as good an inspiration to my daughter.

Tell us about an accomplishment that you are proud of?

I have worked on several of ASMs key accounts, but my biggest achievement to date must be taking one of those accounts from a relatively small spend with ASM to now being our largest customer, transacting across multiple countries. Whilst this took around 12 – 18 months to achieve I loved every minute of it. There were lots of early mornings, late nights and overnight stays but there is no better feeling than living and breathing the success as it happens over time.

What personality trait do you most credit your success to and why?

I am a very organised person and believe that my approach to life and work have helped me to build a successful career. Whilst trying to juggle a busy work and home life, organisation is critical. In my role, I often have multiple deadlines to meet whilst supervising the team and managing my own account base so being organised enables me to work through my never ending to do list.

Good luck to Leanne as a finalist for the Outstanding Returner award at the CRN Women in Channel awards – we have full faith in you and look forward to watching you continue to grow in what will be an exciting future at ASM.

I wrote my intentions for 2020 down on the first day back at work. Be efficient, learn and communicate – it was all a bit fluffy, even by my own admittance.

Two days in and I was packing a bag for a working week in Orlando, Florida. “When are you going on your holiday” everyone would ask, and I would bite. Inside I’m thinking… work hard at school kids, get a good job, be good at it and you too could be packing your sun cream with your laptop. After a few weeks’ family time over Christmas, new year is the perfect time to go on a business trip, soak up some Vitamin D between meetings, and escape the cold, dark mornings. Yet I felt the need to play it down. If anything, family and colleagues should feel sorry for me – I had to put my Dry-Veganuary on hold.

One of ASM’s strategic vendors LogMeIn (now rebranded to ‘GoTo’) had invited us to their 3-day global Sales Kick Off event at Universal Studios. The theme was “Be the Catalyst”. They were embracing Channel Partners in a big way, letting us into their world and treating us like their own.

It’s not easy for a vendor to navigate a multifaceted $Billion business towards the channel. Not least because THE CHANNEL, is not one thing, it is many channels. Traditional channels and shadow channels want differing things from a vendor partner. The old Telecoms channel that is morphing into the UCC (Unified Communications and Collaboration) channel, behaves differently from the CySec (Cyber Security) specialist channel, which differs again from the new emerging/disruptive tech channels pushing the likes of A.I (Artificial Intelligence) and RPA (Robotic Process Automation). It’s horses for courses as the old British proverb goes.

LogMeIn have solutions that fit into each of these channels and more besides. Could “Be the Catalyst” as a theme, be relevant to their direct sales teams AND their channel partners, or is it as fluffy as my own new year’s resolutions? I was just glad not to hear anything like the launch of a Platinum-Gold-Silver Partner Program. Even A.I can surely come up with something more 2020 than that.

Whilst meeting and socialising with the LogMeIners, there was a great sense of team, yet the talks and awards seemed more focused on individual performance. CEO Bill Wagner summed this up quoting the weekends NFL play-off debutant Deshaun Watson saying, “Somebody had to be great – why not me?” Right on theme with being a catalyst. I love a sporting analogy and with that quote, I was ready to be motivated.

COO Marc Van Zadelhoffs catalyst story kept the motivation high with the type of energy and enthusiasm you get at a Microsoft or Apple product launch, living up to his very credible pedigree.

The US high fiving and whooping culture was perfectly counter balanced by the quintessential charm of SVP Worldwide Sales Chris Manton-Jones. LogMeIn’s very own Mr Darcy.

Enter another outsider, Lisa Bodell. She reset my new year’s resolutions within 10 minutes, and those of probably all 1200 people in the room. 1. Ask Killer Questions. 2. Kill a Stupid Rule. 3. Be Chief Simplifier. Then she told us just to try just 1 of these things. She is my kind of influencer.

Evidence of success and future growth was aplenty. The Channel message was effectively ratified with proof of higher AOV’s (Average Order Values) and greater chance of upsell/cross sell when partnering with the channel. They didn’t use the word “stickiness”, but I think it fits well here.

Next up, the channel partners from across the globe were given a glimpse of things to come. It was a soft launch gently easing us into their more cohesive new focus, rather than a grand “ta-da” moment. An immaculate big bang theory of channels colliding to form a new world would’ve been a tough sell. The refreshing theme of the success stories were people and relationship centric rather than too product or channel program heavy. Some role playing was threatened by thankfully avoided.

And so, to beer and cocktails by the pool. Not on the formal agenda, but a welcome choice of location for a breakout meeting with EMEA Channel Sales Director Gerald Byrne and some of his team.  I say meeting, but when I was proper belly laughing to the point of tears, it was easy to forget to take minutes!

Universal Studios City Boardwalk and Harry Potter World were exclusively ours for that evening. I say “ours” because I was feeling very much a part of the LogMeIn family by that time.

The second full day of proceedings dived deeper into the varying parts of their business, yet the focus remained deliberately, and refreshingly, on case studies and success stories. Prestigious customers were there to champion the products and the process of engagement. The channel message remained strong.

The final evening was an awards ceremony. After celebrating with the winners and some great conversation, I did the classic escape trip on route to the bar. This time I was not the last man standing – how very sensible of me.

In summary this was an excellently organised event. LogMeIn are an established successful company, who are evolving and innovating. The overriding take-away was that this is a “people” driven business where relationships with customers and partners, and colleagues are key to its success. They communicated their message well and are keen to learn about how the channel can make them more efficient. Perfectly on theme with my own and ASM’s intentions for this year. Well done and thanks to the LogMeIn team.

Stephen Dale

Account Director – Systems Integrators – sdale@asmtech.com