The last two decades of SaaS development have changed the way customers are buying software. What was before a lengthy process with presentations and demonstrations, is now turning into a seamless experience where future customers are getting first-hand experience with the software from the first minute. You don’t need to rely on sales demonstrations to understand how a product works – you can check it for yourself. The role of sales specialists is now more focused on consulting about how to use PLM software in the best possible way.
Old PLM Sales Stories
The world was not always SaaS and I still remember that. I was working for Dassault Systemes and was involved in the SmarTeam business. Selecting PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) software involved lengthy workshops around a table. A vendor would present a slide deck explaining how the software was supposed to work, followed by a demo. The prospective customer would then digest the results and trust that everything would work “as promised” in the PowerPoint slides. I recall how IBM presented a product using video (not live) demos. The reason was simple – IBM was the gold standard of quality. If a product was “sold by IBM,” it meant the product worked, and there was no need to prove it during live demos. Afterward, you had IBM’s word that a solution would be delivered and would eventually work. This was the norm back in the 2000s.
Following the decision to purchase the product, we delivered the software, installed, configured, and sometimes customized it, and finally, after a few months or more, the customer could start using it. By that time, the sales demo was a very distant past that no one really remembered. The unfortunate experience of many companies after the installation was to say – Now forget what sales told you and we will show you how the product really works.
Fast Forward to Nowadays and the 2020s
Over the last 20 years, SaaS (Software as a Service) technologies have revolutionized the world. SaaS applications are available online for immediate registration and use. There is no need to install and customize the software. The demand now is for simple registration, instant account creation, and… free trials. In my article today, I want to talk about why a “trial” is important and how OpenBOM’s trial user experience stands out.
SPOILER: You can register for free and start the OpenBOM trial right now. No need for validation, corporate emails, and contacting sales.
The Vision of OpenBOM
OpenBOM’s vision is to provide a seamless, easy, and simple mechanism to try all OpenBOM functions without any prerequisites, just by clicking on “Start Free Registration.” This is where the OpenBOM experience differs from other PLM vendors and competitors.
When you click on “Register for free,” OpenBOM gives you instant access to an OpenBOM account – not a form to contact sales, not a request for a corporate email, and not a long questionnaire asking what you want to do with the software.
The main reason OpenBOM does this is very simple: we want everyone to get firsthand experience with the software, to learn how OpenBOM works, to load the data, use the software by your team. This experience is important for your organizational learning and helps you to build the right roadmap for your organizational digital transformation.
A completely free and instant OpenBOM trial eliminate potential confusion that can be created by fake comparison tables shared by competitors about what OpenBOM software can or cannot do.
What Can You Do During the OpenBOM Trial?
As a user registered for the trial, you get access to the OpenBOM production environment (not a demo server with limited data), and not a step-by-step interactive video demo. You can install all out-of-the-box integrations, and configure your team account with unlimited storage and an unlimited number of users.
The new account is created instantly after you register to OpenBOM and you can operate it immediately with a generated demo data set. You can load an unlimited amount of data and do everything you need.
Trial gives you unlimited usage of all out-of-the-box integrations including CAD integrations, so you can seamlessly extract and generate an entire product structure with all BOM information, and all derivative files (STEP, STL, PDF, DXF, etc.) completely automatically.
Integrations with both desktop and cloud CAD tools are available.
OpenBOM Online Support
Our vision is to provide a unique user experience to our prospects during the trial. This includes interactive online support. At any moment, you can click on the “Support” button and submit a ticket with screenshots and videos.
This creates a unique experience where you can interact with OpenBOM support, consult about features and functions you want to use, and discuss implementation strategies.
Why is Trial Important to create your unstoppable PLM Implementation Playbook?
Check my article about the PLM playbook. The main point in the unstoppable playbook philosophy is a collaborative learning experience. Most companies are building and improving their digital processes. They are looking to escape Excel and other legacy tools.
For them, it is extremely important to be able to experiment with real tools and not follow out-of-the-box “scripts” presented as “Best Practices” from PLM vendors.
Conclusion
At OpenBOM, we focus on delivering an ultimate, unique user experience for everyone who starts using OpenBOM. You have a variety of monthly and annual subscriptions to choose from, you can do a trial and experiment with the tool without any commitment, using any email address. We believe in transparency and experience, not magic comparison tables presenting competitors in red and ourselves in green.
Check it out for yourself – REGISTER FOR FREE and see how OpenBOM can help you.
Best, Oleg
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