Professional Service Providers in the Demand Generation business are confronted with rapid changes within their existing customers, who are embracing the digital transformation within their marketing and sales value chain. While traditional go-to-market approaches via tele- or direct marketing are getting out of fashion and are yielding lower results, are looking for solution providers offering services in a new digital environment, that also correspond with their customer base.

Over the course of 18 months several internal projects were launched, however those projects did not deliver sufficient depth and innovation to cope with the transformation challenge at hand. Axivas needed to skills and resources, they currently did not have. A decision needed to be taken, whether external consultants should be engaged or new hires be incorporated. A third option – with TELANTO – seemed most relevant after studying the possibility to work with a group of students, proposing fresh ideas for unsolved challenges. With the help of the TELANTO advisors, Axivas defined their challenge at hand, to leap the best result from a collaboration with a academic institution. After the initial kick-off meeting the group of students starting working on Axivas challenge within the milestones and objectives defined prior to the start awarding solutions.

After 90 days of collaborating with the group of students, Axivas received a solution proposal along their expected deliverables and content, for implementation (which Axivas opted to do with the winning team of the students). Many aspects of TELANTOs Academic Business Network deliver true Benefit. Contrary to internal teams, the group of students was able to take a look at Axivas’ company assets from a different angle. Through the access to latest trends and research as well as faculty supervision, the students were able to develop an innovative approach. Given the work was handled by students in a different location, it gave the management of Axivas enough space to not intervene in solution proposals, but stayed close enough to monitor progress and work on deliverables. The solution proposed by students is currently being implemented, based on the 3-step plan elaborated by the 5 team members. Axivas added an extraordinary incentive to the mix, it is the group of students themselves, who is part of a multidisciplinary team at Axivas to oversee and manage the implementation. One of the students have already been offered a permanent job at Axivas. A hire, Axivas would not have done, if it wouldn’t be for the prior collaboration and the opportunity to evaluate competences and skills of students, prior engaging in a job commitment.