Frequently Asked Questions about bethebrand

We usually work to 8-12 week deployment plan but have helped clients get up and running in 6 weeks. We get the base application ready in the first week and then facilitate a number of iterative workshops to capture configuration requirements which are applied in (near) real time.

Loads. Our client services team facilitates the scoping and configuration workshops, performs the initial configuration and delivers client training. Once live, we provide enhanced support, system administration services and ongoing training, alongside regular update and product development reviews.

We provide and update a risk and issues log as part of the project management of each deployment. These are reviewed and risks (and risk mitigation) are discussed throughout the deployment process.

We provide second level support as standard which means that we respond to issues raised by client-side system guardians/ administrators. This can be enhanced with first level support and / or system administration services if required.

Typically the users who have been involved in the configuration workshops are invited to perform user acceptance testing on the configured system. This usually involves running some campaigns and projects through the system to ensure that the configuration aligns to the business process requirements. System testing is performed by our technical and client services teams as part of our release cycle procedure.

For core marketing users we propose two ½ day sessions in groups of up to 10 in a classroom environment. Client Services present and demonstrate a component of the system before helping the 10 users do the same. For non-core users remote training (either live or video) is used to guide them through the system.

We provide a user guide and an administration guide as standard but have enhanced this with video and quick start guides, posters and mouse mats in the past.

Yes. We can quickly update system style sheets to reflect your brand, fonts, colours as needed. We cannot redesign the structure/ layout of pages.

Very. We have made a significant investment to build a configurable solution. Why? So that the solution can rapidly evolve to meet client needs without requiring code to be changed and testing to be done. This means changes can be made to data entry forms (ie asset data and briefing forms) and work flows in real time.

Less time reviewing, less time briefing, fewer version reviews, quicker print ordering, quicker final approvals, increased brand consistency, less time creating reports, less time re-creating content, less time looking for artwork, more time creating campaigns, more control.

This varies a lot... the best we have had reported is a return of 10 times the investment (ie the system cost £25,000 but saved £250,000).. which is a cracking result.

Yes - existing users are very helpful in contributing their time to talking about both the system and our great client services attitude and approach.

Yes – numerous clients have had their system audited and their promotions processes reviewed; typically with minimal changes being proposed.

Less time reviewing, less time briefing, fewer version reviews, lower final approval rejection rates, more on-time delivery of marketing assets.

This is a time and materials cost driven by the modules in scope, number of assets to upload, number of users to train etc. Set-up costs are unlikely to be less than £5,000. We can provide a price matrix to give a top line budget on request.

The solution is licensed on a concurrent user basis (shared licenses) with a base line cost for 50GB of storage capacity. We can provide a price matrix showing how the cost per user falls as volumes increase on request.

There is no charge for patches. The system release management time to perform and test upgrades is chargeable.

Concurrent users are users who are actively using the system at the same time. A user counts as a concurrent user for licensing for a 20 minute period after each page refresh they make. This means inactive users cease to count as using a license 20 minutes after they stop using the system.

No. Bethebrand is offered as a SaaS

Super secure - Security, privacy and confidentiality is taken very seriously and we get third parties to conduct penetration testing (hacking attacks) on the application to make sure we stay ahead.

The application is dual site hosted at two data centres in the UK; both of which are Tier 1 (the best available) and the associated network access and infrastructure is managed by Peer 1 (one of the worlds leading hosting services providers).

We have a primary hosting site with a secondary one providing the back up / business continuity capability. Data is continuously updated from the primary site to the secondary site to minimise data loss in the event of having to flip to the secondary site.

We have a clear decision making map for triggering a redirection to the secondary site in the event of the primary site becoming inoperable. In addition, our business continuity procedures map out how we will continue to provide client support in the event of an emergency.

The standard method is via a user name and password (the complexity of this process is a configurable option) but we also provide a log in authentication tool (so users logged into corporate networks are automatically logged into the application) and can integrate into client specific user management tools.

Yes. We provide APIs for third party systems to extract data as standard (via webservices).

They will need to be on an internet browser - recent verions of IE, Firefox, Chrome or Safari. They will also need to be connected to the internet.

Yes – both of these are clients and the system is used successfully at different clients using both environments.

They will need to be on an internet browser - recent verions of IE, Firefox, Chrome or Safari. They will also need to be connected to the internet.

We manage a number of release cycles (1-2 per year) for upgrades and ask that clients are not more than two years behind the current release. This does not mean 1-2 upgrades per year as clients can move from an older version to the lastest in one go.

These are released either as patch updates to earlier versions (and the change migrated up through versions) or released in a later version and the client migrated up, as appropriate.

Yes. Each client has a staging site for testing updates (and training users) prior to updating the live version.

We provide the solution on a hosted basis, minimising the IT footprint.

Very little. Usually there is some firewall permissioning to perform and a review of our security and business continuity procedures. Sometimes an upgrade of desktop browser versions is required.

24/7/365. We provide notice in advance for scheduled downtime which we perform during periods of low user activity.

All clients have second level support, meaning our support desk responds to queries from client side system administrators. We do offer a first level support service to support system guardians when needed. The support desk operates to UK and East Coast USA working times and UK working days.

Email or phone is the best way to initiate a support ticket. We prefer email as screenshots of the issue can be submitted which helps the team replicate and resolve the issue.

Yes. We have a consistent set of SLAs across all clients with four levels of priority (and associated response times).

A user guide and system administration guide (pdfs) are provided as part of the initial deployment. These are updated inline with each upgrade release.

Our support desk is UK based and delivered by real people who sit next to (and talk to) the technology team. We do use an automated ticket system to manage the support ticket internally but the feedback to the clients is via people, not automated tickets.