Shared Intelligence is the Real Competitive Edge Partners Enjoy with Crayon

Traditional product margins are being shredded faster than ever. With razor-thin margins on product sales and an increasingly complex technology landscape that is now innovating at an incredible rate, partners are at the point where survival means deepening services capabilities without being able to find the money for investment in headcount and capabilities. 

Building every expertise in-house is prohibitively expensive. How could an organisation possibly hire for AI, cybersecurity, and data strategy expertise while also meeting rapidly shifting customer requirements? The answer lies in a model that Crayon is pioneering with genuinely collaborative partnership.

What this essentially means to partners is access to expertise on tap, delivered by people who understand the commercial realities of running a services business. The benefits of this in “plugging the gaps,” can’t be underestimated, as Stephen Swavley, director of Navigatum, said. 

"A good example of that is when one my lead engineers was on holidays and one of our major clients had a significant Azure issue. It was on a Saturday morning… I pinged an email off to Crayon and within two hours, they had a solution for us. That relationship we've got with them and the commitment that they're showing to us that makes me want to stay a Crayon partner," he said. 

This is the "metal sharpens metal" philosophy in action, meaning peer-level collaboration between business strategists and technical experts that creates genuine value for everyone involved. Some might be concerned about “dependency,” but rather, to Crayon and its partners, it’s a case of knowledge transfer that builds partner capabilities whilst ensuring no one ever walks into a customer situation unsupported. 

Intelligence That Actually Matters 

Another issue that the channel regularly comes up against is vendor noise. Every technology company wants to convince you their solution is the next big thing, but separating genuine trends from marketing fluff requires independent, data-driven insights. Most partners simply lack the bandwidth to go through this to the level of detail that they’d like to. 

Consequently, many partners report that Crayon’s ability to help them cut through the noise has been particularly valuable. 

"Crayon Connect has been really interesting this year. It’s been a bit more advanced in terms of market insights," Rebecca Swinfield, CEO of Solentive, said. "The attraction from working with Crayon for us is the partnership model in terms of connecting us to other MSPs. They help us with go-to-market, and to navigate the Microsoft ecosystem." 

The power of this approach becomes clear when partners need to guide clients through major strategic decisions. Instead of relying on vendor-driven messaging, they can present evidence-based recommendations that actually serve the customer's interests. It's the difference between being seen as another reseller and being valued as a trusted adviser. 

At the core of the Crayon’s ability to deliver this depth of engagement with its partners is the Technology Advisory Group. 

This Group provides strategic-level guidance on commercial strategy, solution development, and vendor selections at no additional cost to partners. It's like having a team of senior consultants on permanent retainer, ready to jump into everything from crisis resolution to complex solution architecture. 

For the partner, this model accelerates capability building in ways that traditional hiring simply can't match. If they need licensing expertise to structure deals that protect your margin whilst delivering the best customer outcomes, it's there. Or they can also leverage it as a resource to launch new cloud services while accelerating through years of development. 

The direct access and support also help partners to navigate the maze of vendor programs across cloud, productivity, cybersecurity, and continuity. 

Ultimately, what Crayon aims to provide is the opportunity for business model transformation support that shifts the relationship with partners from one-off deals to sustainable recurring revenue streams. Partners benefit from expanding their service offerings, deepening their technical expertise, and tackling more complex opportunities without the risk of adding headcount that may not be sustainable long-term. 

This approach transforms challenges into opportunities. Weekend emergencies become demonstrations of capability. Complex customer requirements become chances to showcase expertise that extends far beyond what any single team could develop internally. 

The most successful partners are those who recognise that competitive advantage in today's market doesn't come from going it alone. Rather, it comes from intelligent collaboration that amplifies their capabilities whilst maintaining their independence and client relationships.