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This guest post is co-authored by CloudSmart and RISCPoint.
CloudSmart specializes in providing sales intelligence solutions for software vendors utilizing the AWS Marketplace. With a customer base of hundreds, they deliver actionable insights through the CloudSmart Insights dashboard, specifically tailored for each seller. The company’s goal is to offer a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that enhances go-to-market (GTM) strategies by equipping clients with a comprehensive dashboard filled with valuable insights regarding sales, marketing, and product performance.
By eliminating the guesswork for AWS Marketplace sellers, CloudSmart removes the necessity for manual report generation and analysis. They present sales data, forecasting, and visualizations without requiring expertise from business intelligence (BI) specialists or data scientists. This also encompasses discrete customer information, which can be utilized in the AWS co-sell process for subscriber accounts and payer account domains related to free trials, paid listings, or BYOL offers.
In this article, we explore how CloudSmart collaborated with Amazon QuickSight to enhance the speed, user experience, and depth of data offered to one of their significant clients, RISCPoint, known for its expertise in cybersecurity and compliance.
The Need for Enhanced, Embedded Data Analytics
Upon reviewing RISCPoint’s existing architecture and systems, CloudSmart identified non-optimal workflows that presented an opportunity for improvement. RISCPoint was still extracting raw CSV data from the AWS Marketplace and manually sifting through it to derive insights. The lack of standardization in processes, coupled with varied software and tools employed by RISCPoint sellers, hampered their ability to efficiently assess their GTM strategies and sales performance. Consequently, the turnaround time for reports was prolonged, leading to slower strategic decision-making in the fast-paced realm of online software sales. By partnering with a capable BI and data analytics provider, CloudSmart aimed to positively influence customers like RISCPoint.
Prioritizing the Importance of Data Analytics
RISCPoint outlined three primary reasons for partnering with CloudSmart, driven by Amazon QuickSight Embedded Analytics. The fact that RISCPoint’s clientele operates within the AWS ecosystem via Marketplace further ensured the systems would function effectively.
- Serverless Architecture: QuickSight’s serverless framework allowed RISCPoint to significantly cut down on operational time and resources, enabling them to concentrate on their core business objectives rather than managing data insights.
- Embedded Analytics: Integrating QuickSight into CloudSmart Insights permitted AWS Marketplace sellers to leverage existing systems, minimizing the need for extensive configuration and facilitating easier access to desired data.
- APIs for Automation and Extension: QuickSight’s embedding APIs empowered RISCPoint to seamlessly connect new datasets for intuitive analysis.
Building One-Stop Insight at Speed and Scale
CloudSmart’s collaboration with RISCPoint aimed to deliver embedded data analytics that prioritized user experience, comprehensive datasets, and prompt, actionable insights. With QuickSight, they integrated data directly from AWS Marketplace seller profiles into the CloudSmart Insights solution, providing RISCPoint with a robust foundation for business intelligence and accurate KPI measurement. Access was securely managed through corporate single-sign-on systems, ensuring rigorous data protection while delivering curated visuals and dashboards within CloudSmart’s offering.
By leveraging AWS capabilities, they achieved remarkable speed and scale, drastically reducing the time required to uncover vital data trends and insights that influence their GTM strategy.
Major Sales Impact, Delivered Intuitively
The integration of QuickSight through the CloudSmart platform had a profound effect on RISCPoint. The marketing, product, and sales teams saw their capacity to collect and analyze data revolutionized. A core value of CloudSmart is presenting complex information in an easily digestible manner, eliminating the requirement for specialist data skills. QuickSight’s straightforward visualizations allowed for quicker adjustments to the GTM strategy, enabled a data-driven sales approach, and facilitated effortless tracking of marketing ROI.
The impressive results included:
- A 50% increase in sales opportunities
- A 20% reduction in average deal age
- A 60% increase in average deal size
Additionally, the transition to AWS Marketplace contributed to a 15% rise in customer close rates. Operationally, RISCPoint transitioned from compiling monthly reports to sharing insights daily, expediting strategic decision-making.
Looking to the Future
CloudSmart has ongoing plans to enhance features for their clients, building upon their partnership with QuickSight. Future initiatives include integrating Amazon Q in QuickSight, an AI-driven tool that utilizes large language models to streamline BI accessibility. Users will soon be able to inquire naturally, similar to conversing with a colleague, and receive results based on their queries.
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