Find manage and coordinate capable certified partners Find
Find, manage, and coordinate capable, certified partners
Find, manage, and coordinate capable, certified partners Partners are critical to implementing and capturing value from Service. Now®. In addition to providing critical skills for technical deployment, partner organizations have access to a large knowledge base from previous engagements—successes and failures—to build lessons learned for better implementations. Do not treat partner relationships as transactional and contractual. This can limit the value that partners can provide. Having partners participate in strategy and governance conversations increases their ability to provide the right constructive advice and improve the value you realize from your Service. Now implementation. Insight: Finding and managing a certified Service. Now partner Use a structured process to find, evaluate, select, onboard, and manage a partner that will help you capture the full value from Service. Now. This should include the following actions: • Define explicit partner requirements such as required skills and certifications, development processes, SLAs, and incident and support processes. • Seek partners with experience in your industry. Ask for customer references and NPS scores to validate partner quality. • Build assessments and scorecards to select and evaluate your partner, as well as to measure your partner’s performance. Use these measurements to provide continuous feedback to your partner. • Finally, identify a strategic partner relationship with a partner who demonstrates they will be a key contributor to your organization’s transformation and innovation. Use your strategic partner's experience and knowledge to promote your business outcomes. Key implementation steps Start 1. Define and establish a partner strategy Improve 2. Search for prospective partners 3. Evaluate prospective partners 4. Select and onboard a partner 2 Optimize 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 1 a: Define partner requirements Define what you need from an implementation partner upfront. Different partners may be more suitable depending on your organization’s requirements. Having requirements prepared ahead of time will help you be more effective in the partner evaluation and selection process. Define partner criteria to support the Service. Now implementation List the ongoing support you expect the partner to provide, such as: List the skills and experience with Service. Now products you need your partner to have, considering: The ability to provide product training to administrators and/or users Implementation expertise in the Service. Now product(s) the partner will implement Their involvement in process and data mapping The availability of dedicated project management resources with applicable experience that can be paired with your project management team The number of Service. Now-certified professionals on staff (to include up -to-date certifications in the specific Service. Now product(s) the partner will implement) The ability to provide guidance and/or resources to support change management and governance Customer satisfaction ratings and testimonials/references from prior Service. Now implementations Document your expectations for how your partner will deliver incident and support processes. The geography or geographies the partner serves Relevant industry expertise Define your preferred channels for support: in person, self-service portal, chat, email, phone, and/or mobile. Define the internal process your organization will use to submit and escalate issues to the partner. Steps 1. Define and establish a partner strategy 2. Search for prospective partners 3. Evaluate prospective partners 3 4. Select and onboard a partner 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 1 b: Define partner metrics Establishing service level agreements (SLAs) early helps to support the partner evaluation process and promotes accountability once the partner is selected. To ensure partners are supporting your organization’s defined business outcomes, partners should also have defined goals for how effectively they teach your internal team new skills and improve optimization. Define metrics for the partner to be included in the contractual agreement Define SLAs such as: Guarantees the certification and backgrounds of the partner’s staff assigned to your organization Motivate partners by defining contractual incentives that create rewards for going above and beyond continuous improvement metrics: Overachievement on specific SLAs (e. g. , internal staff with new skills or delivering ahead of schedule) Expected time frames for responses and processes to escalate and resolve issues (e. g. , the mean time to repair) Identification and delivery of new innovations (e. g. , uses for artificial intelligence (AI), added capabilities that allow the organization to address new markets, or new business models created) Financial remediation for failure to meet SLAs Identification and delivery of service improvements (e. g. , more efficient processes or improved automation) Practitioner insight: SLAs should be living documents— as organizational priorities shift, SLAs should be amendable to reflect new requirements. Steps 1. Define and establish a partner strategy 2. Search for prospective partners 3. Evaluate prospective partners 4 4. Select and onboard a partner 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 1 c: Build an evaluation team Engage the right internal roles early in partner exploration and selection. These stakeholders will provide the right expertise to support the decision-making process, help gain support from business partners, and be involved in onboarding and managing the partnership. Create a cross-functional evaluation team to ensure an effective evaluation is conducted Create a partner evaluation team of key stakeholders that will lead the review of prospective partners and decide on the final selection. As possible, include stakeholders from: Legal Procurement Finance (as a prerequisite, make sure you work with finance to have an approved, set budget for partner services) Vendor management Program management Service. Now executive sponsor Now Platform® owner Members of the steering committee (if applicable) Conduct a kickoff session with this team (scheduled and run by your implementation project manager) to establish a common understanding of the business case and partner requirements and to explain the team’s roles and responsibilities (e. g. , evaluation and selection decision). Steps 1. Define and establish a partner strategy 2. Search for prospective partners 3. Evaluate prospective partners 5 4. Select and onboard a partner 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 2: Search for prospective partners Having a comprehensive partner strategy in hand will help provide guidance in researching and identifying prospective partners. Create qualification assessment criteria for prospective partners, including factors such as: Select four to six partners to target with requests for information Work with procurement to write a request for information (RFI). Industry reputation and experience Distribute your RFI to prospective partners that meet your qualification assessment criteria and ask for a response within 15– 20 days. Number of years in business Defined business requirements you can identify publicly Receive and evaluate responses with the partner evaluation team and create a short list of three to four partners. Assemble a list of potential partner candidates Start by reviewing partner options on the Service. Now Find A Partner site. Practitioner insight: Evaluating a larger number of partners can drain resources and dilute the effectiveness of the assessment process. Send your RFI only to a handful of partners that best meet your criteria. Ask your Service. Now account executive for recommendations. Attend Service. Now events such as Knowledge to meet with multiple potential partners all at the same place. Attend local Service. Now User Groups (SNUGs) to talk with Service. Now customers to ask for referrals and their experiences with partners. Research partners on sites like Hoovers and community groups like the Service. Now Community, which provide a way to get previous customer references. Ask for referrals from the personal networks of evaluation team members. Steps 1. Define and establish a partner strategy 2. Search for prospective partners 3. Evaluate prospective partners 6 4. Select and onboard a partner 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 3: Evaluate prospective partners Choosing the right Service. Now partner is vital in ensuring a successful implementation. Your choice of an implementation partner is just as important as your choice to use the Now Platform, but many organizations do not put enough effort into properly vetting partner quality during the selection process. Notify partners that, through the RFI evaluation, they’ve been selected for the next stage of the evaluation process Narrow down and evaluate remaining partner candidates (Continued) Schedule “partner evaluation days, ” led by your partner evaluation team: Work with your partner evaluation team to write a request for proposal (RFP) and include the requirements defined in Step 1 a. (Work with procurement to use your organization’s standard format). Provide partner candidates an agenda of topics you want them to cover during the scheduled time. This should include the candidate’s company business model and financial status/solvency, partnership methodologies (including support, development, implementation, and escalation), pricing, industry relationships, and references. Ask for a minimum of five customer references that represent peers who are similar in size, data complexity, and industry. To test drive the partner candidate’s ability to deliver the specific needs of your organization, provide them with requirements for a current service request (e. g. , requesting a laptop or a building maintenance request) related to a challenge you may be having, and ask them to develop and present a proof of concept (POC). This should not just be a standard product demo but a translation of the product delivery requirements—a “proof point” that the partner can deliver value. Provide a due date for submission (e. g. , 30– 45 days). Narrow down and evaluate remaining partner candidates Review submitted RFP forms with the partner evaluation team and use an established scorecard process (one that’s either developed by the partner evaluation team or one that uses standard formats from your organization’s vendor management and procurement functions) to identify two to three partner candidates for final evaluation. Create a partner evaluation form for the partner evaluation team, including criteria from the defined partner requirements (e. g. , the partner capabilities defined in Step 1 a, management and culture, reference checks, etc. ). Contact customers listed by partner candidates as references and interview them on their experiences. Collect and score partner evaluation forms. Ask partner candidates to provide a final project proposal, including a statement of work (SOW) and pricing. Ask about overall satisfaction, business value realized, and any challenges experienced and how the partner resolved them. Steps 1. Define and establish a partner strategy 2. Search for prospective partners 3. Evaluate prospective partners 7 4. Select and onboard a partner 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 4: Select and onboard a partner Use your evaluation process to carefully select a partner, negotiate to each other’s mutual benefit, remove contract ambiguity, and create a well-defined partner onboarding plan. Select a Service. Now implementation partner Onboard your partner and prepare your internal team for transition Make a final decision on partner selection based on a thorough review of the final partner proposals and scorecard results. Create a RACI to spell out what roles the selected partner will take on relative to key internal staff, such as the Now Platform owner, the executive sponsor, procurement, and other stakeholders. Work with your procurement, legal, finance, and vendor management teams to negotiate, develop a contract, and sign with the selected partner. Identify and include in the RACI any internal stakeholders who will be part of the overall implementation. Prepare a communication plan to announce and educate internal teams on the results of partner selection. Embed the partner requirements defined in Step 1 a into the contract (e. g. , the SLAs, training, or support model). Provide access to internal tools such as the network, the Now Platform, and any legacy systems and/or data for the new partner to ensure their services, security, and data are protected and the partner has access to what they need to perform their services. Practitioner insight: When possible and appropriate timing-wise, hold off on notifying other candidates from your short list after selecting your preferred partner until you feel comfortable that final negotiations with the selected partner are going well. Negotiations can fall apart quickly for unforeseen causes, so hold on to other options. Steps 1. Define and establish a partner strategy 2. Search for prospective partners Practitioner insight: A clear onboarding strategy helps reduce early problems and paves the way for a mutually beneficial partnership. 3. Evaluate prospective partners 8 4. Select and onboard a partner 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 5 a: Manage your partner's performance One of the key components of managing a successful partnership is to employ a process to monitor the performance of the partner. To do this, you’ll need to create a partner management scorecard. Continually monitor partner performance Create a partner management scorecard that you’ll present as part of a performance dashboard Review performance metrics periodically for improvement opportunities. Initially measure the key performance indicators (KPIs) reflected in the contractual SLAs. Make the partner aware of their performance issues on a weekly basis. Include a corresponding timeline and set milestones that are in sync with the performance indicators. When opportunities for improvement are identified, adopt a mutually agreed upon improvement plan. Include time-, quantity-, and quality-based metrics that can provide insight into the partner’s ability to meet the SLAs. Service requirements and vendor capabilities change, so keep SLAs updated at least semiannually. Incorporate risk assessment to monitor the potential risks associated with people, process, and technology in the implementation project. Find opportunities to demonstrate the value your partner helps your organization achieve. Steps 1. Define and establish a partner strategy 2. Search for prospective partners 3. Evaluate prospective partners 9 4. Select and onboard a partner 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 5 b: Monitor the partner relationship Working with partners requires good relationship and project management to ensure the relationship is productive and the partner is accountable. It’s critical to coordinate, measure, and manage the partner to ensure your Service. Now solution provides optimal value to your organization. Assign resources to manage the partner relationship Set up lines of communication to kick off and manage the partnership Assign someone within your organization to own the relationship with the partner (e. g. , Now Platform owner). This assignee should be the key interface between the two organizations and will own the day-to-day management, including leading the implementation project, handling escalations, and building mutual trust. Conduct a joint partner kickoff meeting that your assigned project manager will run collaboratively with the partner counterparts. Allow the team to meet and get to know one another. Review the key elements of the project scope. Assign a project manager to the Service. Now implementation to work in tandem with the relationship owner. The focus for the project manager should be to make sure the implementation project stays on track, monitor the implementation process and risks, and manage any reporting and communication between the partner and your internal project team. Educate parties to make sure everyone has a common understanding of the project and their roles and responsibilities. For example, you might use a RACI. Review the implementation timeline. Identify any potential risks to quality and a timely delivery of milestones. Review the partner contract semiannually to identify opportunities for renegotiation due to periodic changes in industry standards, technology adoption, and the regulatory environment. Conduct quarterly business reviews (QBR) including the partner, the Service. Now account team, your internal implementation team, and your executive sponsor to review performance, address issues, and identify opportunities for innovation. Practitioner insight: Communication between your internal stakeholders and the partner should happen frequently (the timing varies based on the role). Establish a well-maintained line of communication to avoid misunderstandings and proactively address issues before they become problems—this also builds trust. Steps 1. Define and establish a partner strategy 2. Search for prospective partners 3. Evaluate prospective partners 10 4. Select and onboard a partner 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 6: Develop a strategic partner relationship All partnerships have some level of importance, including ones that serve your day-to-day operational and transactional needs. But these are not necessarily strategic to the transformation and long-term success of your organization. To be considered strategic, a partner should be considered an extension of your organization. The partner should be jointly participating in governance, not just at the technical level, but also as a major contributor to the development of your strategic roadmap. Identify whether your partner has the characteristics of a strategic partner Jointly assess new opportunities with the partner They have a demonstrated track record of meeting or overachieving on SLAs. Provide your partner access to business unit leaders to discuss Service. Now opportunities. They openly provide insights and support for digital transformation. Engage your partner to educate business partners using demos, prototypes, and proofs of concept. They collaborate on innovation opportunities. Include the partner in strategic activities Educate your partner on your company’s vision, mission, strategy, and business goals so they can contribute to your strategic business outcomes. Ask your partner to influence or improve the definition of your Service. Now roadmap. Practitioner insight: Establish joint ownership of any intellectual property (IP) that may come out of innovations you develop with strategic partners. This can provide an incentive for partners to innovate if the partner can share nonproprietary aspects of innovations you develop with other customers. Include your partner in organizational change management and governance activities. Use your partners’ ability to inject industry best practices into your organization. Steps 1. Define and establish a partner strategy 2. Search for prospective partners 3. Evaluate prospective partners 11 4. Select and onboard a partner 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 6: Develop a strategic partner relationship (Cont. ) When you have multiple strategic partnerships, run strategy insight days to get the most value out their combined experience and collaboration Schedule for one to two days. Invite your Service. Now team (e. g. , the Now Platform owner, lead project manager, service owners, executive sponsor), along with other business and functional leaders who may wish to connect and discuss any strategic initiatives. Build an agenda for the meeting and send it to partners in advance for suggestions and preparation. Conduct introductions, including any messaging your Service. Now executive sponsor would like to deliver. For example, your sponsor may want to encourage partners to work together to offer innovative ideas that will help the organization achieve its goals, as well as highlight where it can reallocate its spend to better align with strategic imperatives. Brief strategic partners on key business challenges, strategic goals, and requirements. Articulate the goals of the meeting, such as enhanced product integrations, joint transformation initiatives, sharing industry trends, etc. Conduct workshops to uncover joint innovation ideas. Capture the results of the meeting and incorporate any tasks or initiatives created as a result, and follow up on improvement during future meetings. Steps 1. Define and establish a partner strategy 2. Search for prospective partners 3. Evaluate prospective partners 12 4. Select and onboard a partner 5. Manage your partner 6. Develop a strategic partner relationship © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
KPIs and stakeholders Key performance indicators Stakeholder map Essential KPIs Nice-to-have KPIs • • • # of partner escalations % achievement of contractual SLAs % staff maintaining product certifications % availability of partner support staff % of assigned training complete % on track to go-live % of business value achieved # of strategic partners identified • Internal team feedback on “ease of working with” partner # of innovations implemented Responsible/accountable Consulted/informed • • • CIO Senior IT leadership Vendor management office Now Platform owner 13 Development teams Service owners Governance boards Process owners Service desk staff Incident management teams © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Customer Success Best Practices Service. Now’s Best Practice Center of Excellence provides prescriptive, actionable advice to help you maximize the value of your Service. Now investment. Definitive guidance on a breadth of topics Created and vetted by experts Strategic Best practice insights from customers, partners, and Service. Now teams Critical processes Management Expert insights Technical Distilled through a rigorous process to enhance your success Tactical Designed for: Platform owners and teams Practical Actionable Valueadded Expertvalidated Based on thousands of successful implementations across the globe Common pitfalls and challenges Executive sponsors Proven to help you transform with confidence Service and process owners Get started today. Visit Customer Success Center. 14 Contact your Service. Now team for personalized assistance. © 2020 Service. Now, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
- Slides: 14