Resellers on red alert

Consistency is vital in business. But maintaining standards while the players around you are changing is a difficult task; just ask Sir Alex Ferguson.

Having lost only one man to suspension, Fergie's defence has collapsed and started making schoolboy errors, leaving the entire team languishing in a feeble third place (for the moment at least).

But, like the Chinese symbol for the word - which can signify 'opportunity' or 'disaster' depending on the context - change is not necessarily a bad thing.

And with so many shake-ups in management going on in the channel last week, the law of averages says that at least some of them must bring new opportunities.

Distribution has seen considerable change lately, with Ideal losing Ian French and Computer 2000 (C2000) losing Julian Klien.

C2000 appointed a new UK managing director last week, Steve Lockie, who has just finished working in the Emirates. Let's hope the UK climate - in all senses of the word - doesn't put him off.

Ingram Micro also had a reshuffle last week after the resignation of one of its of stalwarts, Michael Grainger, who was president and chief operating officer.

Greg Spierkel, president of Ingram Europe, will take over, along with Kevin Murai. Hans Koppen will now become president of Ingram Europe.

Many industry watchers have also speculated that Microsoft has appointed a new UK managing director, although the software giant wasn't offering any details.

With so many changes in management, it will be up to each firm and individual to maintain the standards that customers and resellers are used to. And each new arrival should remember that people always support what they help to create.

Getting VAR input on the new operations or processes that inevitably come when new management arrives will mean a smooth transition and the growth of new ideas and opportunities. These should all help to keep businesses firmly out of the Red.

Paul Briggs is on holiday.