Few questions before you start
The decision was made – you are about to begin an extraordinary journey in the digital world of ServiceNow. Perhaps you are already the Platform user, want to add new capabilities and modules or upgrade your instance to the latest version. Maybe it’s your first time with ServiceNow. No matter if you’re planning a new ServiceNow implementation or developing an existing service or instance, you need a trusted ServiceNow partner to be your project guide. There are many ServiceNow partners, but finding the right one for your organization can be – but does not have to – quite a challenge. How to choose a trustworthy and committed ServiceNow partner? What criteria should you pay attention to?
Best practices – 10 things you should think about while looking for the best implementation partner
Define your expectations
There is no one way to choose a ServiceNow partner, but here are a few best practices, that will make your decision easier. To find the right ServiceNow partner, you need to answer a few questions about your organization. Why do you want to implement ServiceNow? What are your business needs? What do you want from your ServiceNow implementation partner? How do you imagine your business cooperation? What is important to you? Defining your expectations is the key to successful and long-term business cooperation. Having done it, choosing a partner will be much easier.
Verify the experience
One thing you should definitely pay attention to, is how experienced your ServiceNow partner is. What clients are working with the company, what implementations have been performed so far? The experience is a key factor that increases the chance of successful delivery, the customer satisfaction, customer success and project cooperation. Many years of practice are a guarantee of the ServiceNow company’s value, stability and expert position. A partner company who has done a lot of projects, but does not rest on its laurels, certainly has the potential to deliver value and be a good business partner.
Find a partner who shares the same values
There must be chemistry between you and your ServiceNow partner team. Your successful journey to success will not be simply about following your partners’ orders, but also about mutual respect and cooperation. It is a good start if you share the same views on work culture practices and values, and when you have a common denominator. Sharing the same values is not only the key to customer satisfaction. It is the crucial factor that makes a true partnership possible.
Find ServiceNow partners that work with the best
It is worth checking whether there are large, global companies in your partner’s portfolio of customers and business implementations. The market position, brand value and recognition of clients and customers your partner cooperates with, is a proof of its success and trustworthiness. If the partner works with the best customers, provide customer success and all sides are satisfied with this cooperation, there is a good chance that your business collaboration will also be fruitful.
Ask for industry references
In addition to strong market position and rich portfolio of clients, it is worth checking whether a partner has any references or expertise in your industry. If your client or organization deals with, for example, insurance, your partner should have already been responsible for consulting, implementation or servicing a client in this field. You can be sure that, as a result of previous consulting experience and expertise, your partner knows your business, its specifics, trends, challenges, problems and solutions. This knowledge facilitates further cooperation.
Check ServiceNow certifications
Detailed information on all certified partners can be found on the ServiceNow website. There, in the Partner Finder tab, you can read a description of the company, the scope of implementation it specializes in, areas of activity and a list of certificates.
Firstly, you should check whether a partner is certified in the services and modules you are interested in implementing. The certificate is a proof of your partner’s knowledge, expertise, specialization and capabilities and that these two factors are still developing. A good sign is that the potential partner has expert certificates, such as Certified Technical Architect and Certified Master Architect. In this case, you can count not only on extensive technical knowledge of ServiceNow, but also on real business support and expertise in translating your needs into the system architecture.
Ask your partner for a plan
The ServiceNow implementation is a part of a larger business & digital transformation. A good enterprise ServiceNow partner is not just a performer, but a real partner — your advisor, guide, and companion through this process. Your ServiceNow partner should support you and have a long-term plan for this cooperation.
It is really important to have business transparency. A reliable, trustworthy enterprise ServiceNow partner is ready to get resources and implement changes within the specified timeframe to your business needs and keep your organization running. However, you should be aware that implementing ServiceNow is a process. A good ServiceNow partner not only enables you to get resources and start implementations quickly, but also has a plan for the Platform development. Thanks to this strategy, you can fully use ServiceNow’s potential value for your own business needs.
Get information about additional services
If your ServiceNow partner provides additional Change Management services, it is a perfect solution. Advising on customer service management solutions during the implementation process and preparing your organization for the upcoming changes are additional values. Employees are used to a certain model of customer service management operation in the company. For example – holidays, purchases, incidents, requests, etc. have been reported in 10 different portals so far. Suddenly, employees can do it all in one place. This requires not only a change of approach and habits, but also a systemic change. A good implementation partner will support this. Training and proper communication of the upcoming changes are necessary. It’s good if your ServiceNow partner takes care of this issue.
Verify the number of specialists working for your ServiceNow implementation partner
The employees are the strength of your business. The strength of ServiceNow partners are the qualified specialists who deal with the Platform implementation, operations and development processes. Thanks to their knowledge, skills and experience, you are in good hands.
Information about the number of certified ServiceNow specialists in the company is also available on the ServiceNow website in the Partner Finder tab. In our many years of practice, it happened many times that large global companies asked us for help. Although they had a lot of work in the field of service and platform implementation, there was no one to do it. Our specialists with the appropriate certified qualifications, expertise, knowledge and experience were happy to help.
SPOC – your ServiceNow Elite Partner
SPOC is a ServiceNow partner you can trust. Since 2010, we have been cooperating with the largest companies and organizations in the world. We implement and own solutions, develop the Platform, conduct training, deliver, and provide customers and partners with the necessary support. We started as a team of a few people; today we are an Elite Partner, one of ServiceNow partners that works with the best. Furthermore, we are growing and developing together with ServiceNow. It will be a pleasure to become your business partner and work together on the success of your organization.
