AMD's Sales Operations Team
Company: AMD, Sunnyvale, CA
Company Description: AMD (NYSE: AMD) designs and integrates technology that powers millions of intelligent devices, including personal computers, tablets, game consoles and cloud servers that define the new era of surround computing. AMD solutions enable people everywhere to realize the full potential of their favorite devices and applications to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Team Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Operations Team of the Year
Nomination Title: AMD's Sales Operations Team
Tell the story about what this nominated team achieved since the beginning of July 2012 (up to 525 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
As sales becomes more and more international, large-scale companies continue to face the challenge of cross-market alignment and comprehensive, real-time reporting, both of which play major roles in evaluating performance, developing strategy, and driving overall success.
As a worldwide leader in the semiconductor industry, AMD has a robust presence around the globe. Its sales team – through the AMD Fusion Partner Program – oversees channel operations. Prior to last year, the AMD distribution channel lacked cohesion and deep analytic capacity.
To rectify the problem, the sales team designed and implemented a brand new Business Management System (BMS) that would enhance reporting and ally coworkers and strategies in every region. It has been an overwhelming success.
Before BMS
Prior to BMS, AMD had limited visibility into design wins and intelligence around in-quarter performance, and a lack of alignment across markets. While reports were available following each quarter, there was no centralized resource that outlined and explained performance. BMS set out to change this.
The Plan and Execution
Recognizing the value of vastly improved measurement and reporting, the sales team – led by vice president of worldwide business and channel lead, David Kenyon –conceptualized, created, and rolled out BMS.
It was introduced in three transformative phases and included eight stages of development. This was a massive, worldwide undertaking set in motion and carried out by the distribution team and using input and mobilizing resources from across the entire company.
The BMS Era
With a vital international presence, AMD’s scope is global. BMS made alignment and performance tracking across all regions possible, creating a consistent view, allowing for the easy analysis of findings, and more importantly, enabling quick and efficient evolution of processes and strategies.
Key developments included a harmonized market opportunity map (MOM) which optimizes strategy across regions, price bands, and designs; thorough tracking of progress six months in advance of each quarter; and standard design performance, which highlighted risks and links to consumption, inventory, and sell-out attainment.
Practical Benefits
Drastically improving tracking, the new BMS model introduced a variety of practical tools:
1. Inventory tracker: allowing for easy tracking, forecasting, and, ultimately, the prediction of resulting revenue
2. SPOT: creating more accurate sell-out targets
3. BDE retail forecast: enhancing the reporting and tracking of sell-out goals by MNC, regions, retailers, platforms, and MAF planning
4. Design win tracking: report platform opportunities and track wins and losses
5. Sell-out attainment: close gaps in regional and retail assortment
6. MNC planning process: employ MNC strategy to plan incentives, designs, units, and revenue across regions.
Additionally, the new system aligned regional processes, providing data and analytics for better predictability and, as a result, better business outcomes.
The Results
BMS vastly improved communication and overall efficiency, while it also ensured stronger strategizing and allowed for the ongoing recognition of new business opportunities. But it went further than that.
BMS has contributed to the harmonization of 722 partners, created a regional price band strategy, achieved MNC penetration by market, driven trust across functions, increased sell-out and market share, cultivated organization trust, and saved millions of dollars in headcount and related expenses per quarter. Ultimately, BMS created an efficient, data-driven, agile and aligned team.
Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated team:
David Kenyon, Vice President of Worldwide Business Management
David Kenyon is a global sales executive with a proven track record of success, not only in sales but also in marketing, strategy, and finance roles within the highly competitive semiconductor, communication, and storage industries.
In his current role as AMD’s Vice President of Worldwide Business Management, David is responsible for sales operations including planning, forecasting, and funding global revenue across the corporation. David also leads AMD’s go-to-market efforts across all channels and geographies developing integrated and coordinated MNC plans and driving consistent channel strategy focused on revenue and share growth.
David has a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University, and bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from Loyola Marymount University.