For Kevin Talentino, CEO of Virtual Technologies Inc. (VTI), the world of A/V and instructional tech is secondnature. After 30 years in the industry, he has created a role for himself as the cornerstone in a wholly unique, customer-oriented partnership with OneScreen and Team 1st.
In the old days, supply chains used to be straight lines. Manufacturers made product, distributors transported it and resellers arranged details for the end user. Those days are ancient history. Supply chains are now tangled and stretched to their limit with subcontractorsscattered around the world. Direct-to-consumer channels and cross-chain partnerships complicate the relationship between these three essential actors in the supply chain.
In the rarest of conditions, manufacturers, distributors and resellers can strike the perfect balance through mutual trust, respect and complementary skill sets. That is precisely how you can characterize the three-way partnership bringing together manufacturer OneScreen, distributor VTI and reseller Team 1st.
Supporting Resellers Across the US
Kevin Talentino, known to friends as KT, observed, “In this business, cashflow is king. Amazon has accustomed everyone to getting what they want now, no waiting. The reseller who can get the product through the door has the biggest advantage.” KT excelled at bringing name recognition to the high quality OneScreen brand, not through marketing materials but in face to face meetings. While setting up new resellers, KT travelled all over the US conducting demonstrations, teaching resellers how to market and sell the product, and providing initial hands-on training for resellers and end users.
KT and VTI ensure that resellers will have product in hand when they need it most. When KT found that Team 1st Technologies, the premier reseller/integrator in Albuquerque, NM, was forging new territory in Texas, he positioned VTI to be their supply chain. Historically, gaps in shipping have been negligible, but with the outbreak of COVID 19, KT saw the need for large quantity stock of OneScreen. At this time, David Dworsky, President of Team 1st Technologies, Kevin Talentino, and Sufian Munir of OneScreen, jointly secured a deal in West Texas, bringing OneScreen to schools across the region.
KT with Toni Talentino, his wife and business partner at VTI.
A Template for Winning Customers
“Financial planning is the key,” KT said. “For many resellers, the big struggle is with how to get the financing to land big deals. Customers are not going to wait anymore. If you have the products they need, you win.”
With the West Texas deal secured, the schools were ready to install OneScreen Hubware and Touchscreens immediately. Schools needed to get going quickly to work with funding. Had VTI not been positioned to deliver such a large quantity of product so quickly, the deal may have been in the wind. Meanwhile,
OneScreen made sure that even more smart screens were being built and shipped out to replenish stock. All the same time, Team 1st got to work installing OneScreen smart screens in the schools and supporting the end-users. The balance of manufacturer, distributor, and reseller had never been more effective in this industry.
KT and family.
VTI/ Team 1st / OneScreen: The New Customer-First Model
When KT brought together Munir and Dworsky, all three could see that something entirely new was happening. The industry had never seen this type of integrated supply chain, and it was obvious that customers would be the winners in the end.
OneScreen CEO Sufian Munir said, "The moment I met KT and Dave, I knew that they valued the same things we do - putting customer needs first, selecting only the highest quality components and supporting the customer long after the sale. It is really as simple as that."
While OneScreen may work with other distributors (VTI has a sharply defined territory) and VTI may work with other resellers, the model that the three developed together has identified a massive, unfilled market need in the US.
Dworsky said, “I’m handling the end-users, making sure they are happy and everything runs smoothly from the installation to the next deal. Sufian is making sure that OneScreen produces the best quality products out there at the price points that make sense. Everything in-between is KT.”
KT rounded out this concept, “I can get the financing done for the dealer. I can hold inventory to make sure they have what they need to close the deal. If they need a credit line, split funding, package financing, whatever. If they need net 60-day terms instead net 30-day terms, we can do that with our resource partners. Some can even get net 90-day. It depends on our relationship with the reseller and the needs of the customer.”
The results over the past few years have been a staggering spike in OneScreen sales for VTI and Team 1st, along with a host of satisfied customers. As this new partnership evolves, the three have already begun planning for what comes next.
What that might be remains a mystery for now. “You’ll just have to wait and see,” KT laughed.
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