Vicki Miller is a DBA Client Technical Specialist, with more than 20 years of experience in ECM and Process Automation. Her number is on speed dial for countless customers who value her knowledge and commitment to their success. Vicki is hosting a Lunch N Learn webcast on Wednesday, March 31 at 2 PM ET (11 AM PT) to share a new resource for customers, called “Seeing Is Believing.” To register free, go here: ibm.biz/BdfYBU
DJ: Hi Vicki, thanks for doing a Community Spotlight. Let’s start with the new series you’re starting. What is “Seeing Is Believing?”
Vicki Miller: It’s an IBM demo site as well as the opportunity to participate in "Office Hours" and other forums, where a customer can get access to “Assets of information” that IBM has created to help with evaluations or to get them enabled. For example, maybe they're evaluating something for a project and they're not aware of what's out there from IBM Business Automation or maybe they're just looking for the opportunity to learn more. There are quite a few types of assets available, from demos and click-through user experiences to full Hands On Labs. On March 31, we’ll introduce "Seeing is Believing" to everybody, making sure they know how to get access assets. You might start with some video demos, for example, and work your way up to a 15-minute product tour. And then, once you get past that level, you might want to start getting deeper into Hands-on Labs.
DJ: Nice, so what will you do on the March 31st webcast?
Vicki Miller: We’re going to show the current state of the IBM Demo site and how to maneuver through it, how to grow into it, as well as how to request the use of assets because there's a lot of stuff to offer. A customer can start easy and work their way through to better understand what's available to learn from. And we want to be sure that customers have a way to contact us to ask questions as well as provide access to additional assets and potential workshops, especially if it's a Hands On Lab. Office Hours will provide one-on-one meetings with an assigned client technical professional to follow up with them. Our Lunch and Learn series are being recorded such as a recent "What did I get with IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation" event, and in the future, “What do you get with IBM Business Automation Workflow?"
DJ: Vicki, you are well known through the IBM ECM and Process Communities. You help IBM User Groups produce Events, you put on your own Events and now you’re doing a lot more Digital Events. How did you come to IBM Digital Business Automation?
Vicki Miller: Before I joined IBM 20 years ago, I had a career in application consulting followed by data management at Informix. I’ve been a consultant, a developer, tech support specialist, and director of development and when I joined Informix, I worked on the relational database team, doing some application development, working with key database partners like Peoplesoft and moving into technical sales. Eventually, I started working with a new Informix group focused on Digital Asset Management and I discovered the world of Content Management. When IBM needed ECM skills, I jumped at the chance. I stepped into a Technical Sales role and I've been doing it ever since, because I love it.
DJ: You do a lot to support our user groups and I know you stay very close to the customer. Is that the job or your passion?
Vicki Miller: Absolutely my passion. I mean, I wouldn't be happy doing my job if I couldn't be close to the customer, that's just me and my personality. So if I could help a customer solve a problem and get to know them more on a personal level to develop a good rapport, that's what really makes me tick. I just want to see them succeed. Yeah, that's me.
DJ: Do you miss traveling to visit customers?
Vicki Miller: Yeah, absolutely I was traveling quite a bit over the last two years in particular, and that gave me the opportunity to have those face-to-face conversations. Today video conferencing helps and I find myself on remote calls all day long. I've gotten used to this and we are working with customers to engage them in Communities and events that create more of a social experience. This has been very helpful to making a better connection with the customer.
DJ: Why is Community important for customers?
Vicki Miller: I think it's very important for our product to have an open channel for feedback from the customer to IBM. And it’s very important that our customers feel like they're being kept up to date and informed about our strategy and direction. That's what bringing customers together in a Community does. It brings people together to talk to each other and share experiences and help each other. To me, there's nothing like having a customer speak about what they've done to solve a problem with our solution. I think it's very powerful. I really enjoy that. And I think that customers appreciate it.
DJ: I think they do too. What else do you do for fun?
Vicki Miller: I like doing outside activities, anything to do with music and traveling for fun most. It's a little more restricted these days, but I've been doing a lot of yoga lately and outdoor exercising like Tennis, walking and hiking. With my love for Travel, I've been working my way into short weekend trips close to Los Angeles, like going down to San Diego and to Las Vegas, just to get away. And I’ve been finding outdoor events where you can go listen to live music and do a little dancing. I can’t wait to get back to traveling to explore and see people again.
DJ: Thank you Vicki. I look forward to bumping into you at an airport real soon!
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