ServiceNow partner program ups standards, differentiation

ServiceNow's perspective guidance

The ability to differentiate partners stems from a finer delineation of partner metrics. For example, ServiceNow will tell a partner how many deal registrations, new-logo wins and ServiceNow technical resources it needs to have to participate in the program as a Consulting and Implementation partner. Achieving a particular customer satisfaction score is another partner metric.

We get really clear and really transparent in terms of what we expect from our partners -- we try to be very prescriptive.

"We get really clear and really transparent in terms of what we expect from our partners -- we try to be very prescriptive," said Erica Volini, senior vice president of alliances and channel ecosystem at ServiceNow. Volini joined the company in 2021 from Deloitte Consulting, where she was a principal and human capital leader.

The criteria vary according to the routes to market, but focus on what Volini called the "three C's": capability to deliver, competency through ServiceNow product knowledge and certifications, and customer success.

ServiceNow aims to be similarly explicit with requirements for the program's three main tiers: Specialized, Premier and Elite. Those tiers will map to the routes to market. A partner could be a Specialized, Premier or Elite partner in the Consulting and Implementation category, for instance.

Erica Volini

The matrix of tiers and routes to market let partners "pick and choose where they want to focus," Volini said.

Customers, meanwhile, can better match partner qualifications to their requirements, she added.

"We give them much more nuanced information on which partner is specifically qualified to execute the scope of their program," Volini said.

Partner differentiation

Partners said they value the program's clarity regarding partner qualifications and the opportunity to better differentiate themselves within the ServiceNow ecosystem.

Previously, ServiceNow's partner program used a point system that rated partners across 37 areas. The approach let many partners level up to the highest tiers of the program.

Michael Lombardo

"It was a point system where almost everyone was elite," said Michael Lombardo, CEO at GlideFast Consulting, a ServiceNow partner based in Waltham, Mass. "If everyone is elite, nobody is elite."

ServiceNow will retire that system February 28, at which point the company will freeze partners' status in the old program. They will then have 18 months to address the new program's requirements to retain their status, such as the Elite level.

Lombardo said he wants the Elite level to be a high distinction to achieve. He said the forthcoming program changes will take into account whether partners are certified on all aspects of the ServiceNow platform and the number of successful customer deployments they've conducted.

"We want to be recognized for doing great work," he said. "Let's hold partners accountable for implementation success."

Wojahn also viewed the more rigorous partner qualifications favorably.

"Higher, more differentiated standards are good for our clients," he said.

Customers will be able to assess partner capabilities through ServiceNow's updated partner finder. The improvements "will make it easier for customers to find the most qualified partners by skill, location [and] service quality," Wojahn noted.

Other benefits

Michael Vadini, CEO at Infocenter, a ServiceNow partner with headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., cited ServiceNow's RiseUp program as an essential part of its partner ecosystem efforts. RiseUp intends to train 1 million people as ServiceNow-certified professionals by 2024. The program also aims to place newly trained ServiceNow specialists with partners.

Michael Vadini

The availability of trained personnel is central to ServiceNow's recurring revenue aspirations, Vadini noted. Company management has set a target of reaching $16 billion in subscription sales by 2026. "The talent has to be there to do it," he said. "RiseUp is making a deliberate commitment to a level of talent growth and talent development so, when you add it all up, we have the force required to get the job done."

Vadini also pointed to co-creation as a "major pillar of the new program." With co-creation, partners and customers collaborate to create new offerings on the ServiceNow platform. Co-creation, or co-innovation initiatives, have emerged in cloud ecosystems as a way to customize cloud services to meet clients' needs.

In the ServiceNow ecosystem, a key task will be promoting co-created offerings to customers within vertical markets and to ServiceNow's sales teams.

"We don't want new solutions to live in isolation," Vadini said.