Meet Socius - Kreischer Miller and learn why they feel they've made the right choice with Socius as a Master VAR.

1. MICROSOFT PARTNER SOLUTION
Kreischer Miller
Partner Solution Case Study
HEADLINE: REGIONAL ACCOUNTING FIRM ALIGNS MICROSOFT DYNAMICS PRACTICE
WITH MASTER VAR TO AID GROWTH
PARTNER PROFILE
With more than 200 members,
Kreischer Miller is a leading
independent accounting, tax, and
advisory firm that has served the
Greater Philadelphia area since
1975.
BUSINESS SITUATION
Kreischer Miller had a strong
Microsoft Dynamics GP practice
focusing on core accounting
functions, but wanted to build its
technology and vertical industry
capabilities to attract a broader
range of clients.
SOLUTION
In July 2012, Kreischer Miller
joined forces with Socius, a
Microsoft Dynamics Master VAR,
expanding their client offering
and enabling them to reach
prospects outside their region.
BENEFITS
• Adding more customers
• Expanding scope of services
• Accessing Socius’ deep
practice expertise on asneeded basis
• Hiring an additional FTE to
keep up with growth
Situation
Kreischer Miller has been a leading accounting firm in the Philadelphia area for decades, and
built a strong Microsoft Dynamics GP practice over the past several years, as well. But the firm
recognized that they couldn’t easily staff and manage a practice that could address the broad
range of technology and vertical industry solutions available to Microsoft Dynamics clients.
“In order to provide a more comprehensive solution, we needed more resources,” said Sassan
Hejazi, director of technology solutions at Kreischer Miller. “Not year-round, but on an asneeded basis. With our current practice, we couldn’t keep an on-staff expert in each of the
technical areas busy on a year-round basis.”
Kreischer Miller recognized the opportunity to expand their practice by being able to offer
specialized solutions such as HR, CRM, manufacturing, SharePoint, and custom application
development, backed by the firm’s sterling reputation and commitment to client satisfaction.
Solution
Kreischer Miller investigated the Microsoft Master VAR program, and entered into discussions
with Master VAR partner Socius.
“We were very excited about the Master VAR program,” said Hejazi. “We felt that working with
Socius made a lot of sense for us. To be able to blend in the Socius resources—from a practice
management perspective, or when we need a deeper pool of resources—makes us much
better equipped to add value for our clients.”
Benefits
Depth of Expertise: The ability to access consultants with deep experience in their specialties
on an as-needed basis has been the greatest advantage of the Master VAR program for
Kreischer Miller. “We had a client that needed a really sophisticated project accounting
solution, and we were able to tap into a Socius consultant with more than 10 years of
expertise in that area.”
Broader Solution Offering: In addition to Kreischer Miller’s core competencies in Microsoft
Dynamics GP, the firm can now confidently represent additional solutions such as Microsoft
Dynamics CRM, and know that they have the Socius practice management and technical
expertise to back them up.
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Expanded Growth Opportunities: Being able to offer a wider range of solutions to a broader range of customers has given Kreischer
Miller added confidence to attract and secure new clients at a faster rate than they had forecast.
“When we joined forces with Socius, we set a 12-month goal for new customer adds,” said Hejazi. “After only six months, we have
already hit those goals. We are very bullish on the Microsoft technology stack, and we are very bullish about the opportunity in front of
us.”
Selling the Cloud: Hejazi recognizes selling cloud-based solutions are “a huge undertaking” for most Microsoft Dynamics partners.
Kreischer Miller’s initial efforts in representing Microsoft Dynamics as a cloud-based solution hadn’t delivered the results, or the control,
they wanted. But with Socius, Kreischer Miller now has a proven process for selling cloud-based solutions, with the technical systems
and support to back it all up.
“With Socius, they have a Cloud Services team, and they take care of all of the details. Selling in the cloud is a very different business
model—if you’re small, you can’t even think about it. Now, when we have a client who asks if the solution can be in the cloud or onpremises, we can say, ‘It’s your choice!’”
Order Desk Efficiency: Hejazi appreciates the fact that Socius has dedicated resources who can focus on the ordering process, and
keeping track of Microsoft promotions and price changes. Socius also manages the enhancement plan renewal process centrally,
enabling its Master VAR associates to spend less time managing processes, and more time selling. “It allows us to focus on what we do
best, and we know someone has our back.”
Results
While only six months into the Master VAR program, Kreischer Miller is already seeing some very promising results. The firm is
attracting and closing new deals, selling a broader range of solutions, and effectively representing technologies, such as cloud services,
which had previously not been a part of their core practice.
Master VAR-related sales goals forecast for the first year have already been achieved in the initial six months, and Kreischer Miller feels
the fatter pipeline justifies adding a new FTE to the team.
Key Takeaways
Hejazi strongly encourages other partners considering the Master VAR program to do their own research and see if the model makes
sense for their business.
“If you’re interested in growing your business, if you’re willing to work to keep your skills up to date, the Master VAR business model
makes a lot of sense.”
For more information about Socius’ MasterVAR program, call 800.589.6614 x2500 or visit our website at www.usmastervar.com
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The Power of Partnership