Lewis Howard
10.12.2022
6 min read
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Solutions: the small team that’s driving massive impact
At Tractable, we talk a lot about solutions and how we're solving complex problems by applying Artificial Intelligence (AI). Crucial to the results we bring is our team of technical and pre-sales consultants, aptly named the Solutions team.
What is ‘Solutions’ at Tractable?
Solutions leverages deep technical knowledge of Tractable's products and applied AI, alongside domain expertise in technology transformations. They help customers assess the technical and financial viability of deploying AI to solve real, operational challenges. This includes immersive demos to bring the tech to life, proof-of-value (PoV) tests to validate the business case - often return-on-investment (ROI) - and designing production-ready solutions that can be deployed quickly and seamlessly.
Internally, Solutions acts as the conduit between product, engineering and go-to-market (GTM) teams. They keep the GTM team up-to-speed with the latest product evolutions and provide customer feedback and insights to the product team. Because Solutions bridges the sales and implementation stages, they often have the best view of new prospects and customers compared to anyone else in the organization.
Solutions as a value multiplier
There are two main differences between the Solutions team at Tractable and any other SaaS business. Firstly, we’re value-obsessed. What that means is we deep-dive into the business to identify where our customers need to derive the most value. We then collaborate with technical teams to fine-tune the solution to those needs before delivering the technology. Critically, we have a rigorous and systematic approach to continuously measuring value and optimizing ROI. As we’ve previously written
, partnering with organizations to maximize ROI is a cornerstone of the way we work. Yogi Shivdasani, VP of North America Supply Chain for LKQ, says it best,
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“Tractable is far more advanced than anything else out there. They’re a great partner and dug in to understand the specific needs of our organization, and moved fast to take us all the way from initial testing to production at scale. Tractable is obsessed with positive results and realizing any ROI."
The second point of difference is the quality of our team. Our Solutions team - as well as our Delivery and Customer Success teams who we work so closely with - are made up of incredible talent from top-tier tech, operations and strategy consulting firms. And we augment your team with that talent. Together, we can bring a combined wealth of experience in delivering technology transformation for global businesses to every customer. We troubleshoot and take action alongside you for both short and long-term results, often becoming trusted advisors and partners alongside Customer Success.
In many ways, it’s like having an F1 team by your side. Our AI is a finely tuned, highly performant and rigorously tested engine that’s continuously adapted for the conditions it faces by the top 1% of experts in their field.
The point about continuous optimization and roll out is a serious one. Deploying AI in organizations is a journey rather than a one-time activity. Positive transformation quickly gathers momentum and support. But the fit has to be right from the start.
To help explore all the potential opportunities for impact, we have developed a proprietary framework and series of workshops that open up conversations on a number of levels. We:
- help educate customers on the evolution of applied AI, the benefits and the risks
- map workflows and identify the highest value areas for deploying AI based on business needs
- overlay Tractable solutions with a clear value framework
- prioritize and smart sequence use-case delivery
- provide a clear roadmap and route to value
With this approach we make the journey of deploying AI clear, compelling and valuable. While the process helps us align on additional use cases, we also align on what we won’t do, equally important.
A great example of where the framework has been used to great effect is with a top-tier French insurer. We started small with a specific use-case, proved the value and are now actively exploring new product developments that could disrupt the market and deliver breakthrough value for the organization and their customers.
A great example of where the framework has been used to great effect is with a top-tier French insurer. We started small with a specific use-case, proved the value and are now actively exploring new product developments that could disrupt the market, and deliver breakthrough value for the organization and their customers.
Where do we go from here?
The future of solutions at Tractable is all about making it quicker and easier for customers to validate the value of Tractable’s applied AI solutions. This comes down to building out the processes, tooling and open ecosystem to better enable customers to self-serve demos and trials - so they can really get their hands on the product.
For customers this would allow them to make more informed buying decisions and for us, it would streamline the sales cycle, enabling us to focus more on customer collaboration that ensures seamless implementation and the development of a future roadmap for greater AI adoption. Everybody wins.
Interested in seeing what we can do for your business?
If you’re curious about what we can do for your business get in touch with us and request a demo today.
For those interested in working for Tractable, read on:
We spoke to Lewis Howard - Head of Solutions EMEA and APAC - about the solutions team and what it takes to be part of it.
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Working in a rapidly scaling organization means you always have to evolve, adapt and mature, both in terms of customer-facing propositions and internal process, structure and ways of working.
What are some of the day-to-day challenges that Solutions faces? What do you find interesting and challenging about your job?
Working in a rapidly scaling organization means you always have to evolve, adapt and mature, both in terms of customer-facing propositions and internal process, structure and ways of working.
For me, this is what makes working at Tractable (and specifically within Solutions where we’re on the bleeding edge of pitching new propositions) super exciting, varied and interesting, but also very challenging. We’re developing new propositions all the time, so keeping up with the latest things coming out of Product, Engineering and Research teams can be a lot to take in.
Although the pace of change is exciting for some, it isn’t for everyone and it requires the team to be agile and comfortable with ambiguity.
What skills from your previous professional experience are the most useful for you and support you during your journey at Tractable?
- Having worked both in “industry” in large organizations and also in professional services organizations gives empathy and understanding of the real operational challenges that customers face
- Operating at different levels (front line operations to the board room), being able to wear different hats, adjust style, messaging and approach to different audiences (often in the same meeting!)
- Ability to jump into the detailed analysis and quickly synthesize into key insight
- Knowing the detail and real front line challenges gives a huge amount of credibility and trust
What would your advice be for someone considering whether to make the move from a large blue-chip company to a deep tech start-up?
I’d say do it! Working in a rapidly growing company gives you opportunities to get involved with and experience things you would not ordinarily or easily be able to experience in large, well-established companies.
You’ll have a hand in growth strategy, fundraising, organizational design, recruitment, defining ways of working and process, developing new value propositions and more.
It’s hard work for sure, the pace of change is quick and you have to be prepared to roll up your sleeves and do the work, but the learning opportunities are unlimited and exciting.