05 Mar 2013 Tradeshift – the way it looks from the Intuit side of the fence
In the fast moving space that is e-invoicing, like many other areas of business, the impressive announcements of vendors can become tiresome. Claiming customers that everyone claims – promises of new approaches and ludicrous claims about the use of bleeding edge technology that turn out to be no more than smoke and mirrors. Tradeshift’s announcement of a partnership with Intuit was genuinely impressive but it’s not till you hear the other side of the story – the Intuit version of events – that you get to see what the true significance is.
I’m in New York at the Tradeshift analyst day, headlined Tradeshift – the Power of the Platform. There’s a good turnout here – Jason Busch and Henry Ijams and a pleasant surprise to see Susie West here too. The highlight was the presentation from Eric Dunn from Intuit on the Tradeshift partnership and it illuminated the detail of why this partnership is important. Eric explained that there were four key elements to their rationale for getting together with Tradeshift.
1. Compatible visions – the future isn’t paper based and neither does it have to be complex. Eliminating paper processes and simplifying business are core principles of both Tradeshift and Intuit.
2. Modernity -Tradeshift doesn’t have the disadvantage of archaic technological baggage. Their mobile centric and SOA based technical platform delivers a future proof design that is compatible with the Intuit vision.
3. Market traction – Tradeshift are winning business and they’re winning big customers. For all kinds of reasons, the client success stories don’t get into the public domain but get close to Tradeshift and their customers and the traction that they’ve developed in their short life is impressive.
4. Finally – the team. Tradeshift people are passionate and focused but their killer attribute is – they get it right. Intuit have seen it with their own eyes and, according to Dan, the faith they’ve put in Tradeshift is being validated again and again as they work together.
The Intuit deal marks a significant milestone in the Tradeshift story but it’s also a significant milestone for Intuit too. Business, for every business, is getting easier.
Pete Loughlin can be found on twitter @peteloughlin
