2007 Microsoft Office TAP RD

Situation: To prepare for the launch of the 2007 Microsoft Office system, the Microsoft Information Worker Marketing Division wanted to establish proof-of-concept deployment programs in key companies and markets. It also wanted to leverage customer success stories emerging from the programs for use in launch-related marketing campaigns.

“I hired Projectline to help oversee a multi-year, $3M+ customer early adopter program because I needed a project manager who could be dropped into a chaotic environment and add immediate value with minimal upfront training. I was incredibly pleased with the work.” – Product Manager, Microsoft Corporation

Solution: Based on its unique experience in both having managed numerous Technology Adoption Programs (TAPs) and having generated customer evidence from them, Projectline was tapped for the job. Projectline orchestrated customer sign-up and approval, centralized the management and data maintenance of more than 70 customers worldwide. Projectline also facilitated day-to-day communications and information sharing between multiple evidence production teams, Microsoft product managers, Microsoft Consulting Services, and several Microsoft partners.
This work helped generate over 30 solution briefs, 15 business value case studies, five technical case studies, five videos, and assorted customer quotes and PR references.

Benefits: Projectline saved significant time and stress for Microsoft product managers in the whirlwind of a product launch by enabling them to hand off the execution of a vital and highly visible program. Projectline also helped deliver a positive experience to enterprise customers from more than 18 countries, and from industry sectors ranging from healthcare and education to telecommunications, manufacturing, and government.

Results:

• Simplified cross-team coordination
• Large program visibility and reporting
• Reduced management time by product managers
• Credibility built with customers