Finding the perfect ServiceNow partner for your business

All ServiceNow partners differ, and it’s critical that your business chooses the right one specific to its needs. In order to unlock the full value of the Now Platform, we’ve put together a list of important steps to consider when comparing partners and deciding on the right one for you. This will help ensure the most successful and productive implementation possible.

5 Steps to find the best ServiceNow partner

   1. Consider your budget

The obvious first step before proceeding with anything else is thinking about your company’s budget. ServiceNow is a significant investment given that they’re the market leader in service management (whether this be IT, Customer Service, HR, etc.), and so only paying for necessary functionalities is essential. It would be a huge disappointment to find a partner that you like and meets all of your requirements, only to then realise you can’t attain the budget to invest in them.

   2. Check the partner on ServiceNow partner finder

After understanding your costs, you want to ensure that the prospective partner has been recognised for their expertise – i.e. that they are visible on the ServiceNow partner finder and that they have an accolade associated to their work (i.e they have been awarded Elite Partner status).

ServiceNow verifies their partners based on criteria including CSAT scores, number of certified trainers and product implementation expertise (e.g. Customer Service Management, HR Service Delivery etc.).  The partner tiers range from registered to Global Elite, so the stronger a company is in each area, the higher the tier is likely to be. Take a look at their track record, too: read up on the context of the company, how long they’ve been working with ServiceNow and particular clients, and their customer success stories. Asking for referrals might also be a useful way to gain maximum visibility before making a decision.

There are also specialist partners for certain aspects of the platform – for example, ServiceNow’s range of enterprise workflow apps which are designed to complement and extend the platform, or the ServiceNow Service portal. This factor is worth considering when making your decision, too.

   3. Assess the size and location of the partner

The size of the company and where they are based is important to address as well. There are many large consultancy firms which now have a dedicated ServiceNow practice, but smaller sized consulting firms specialising in ServiceNow may have a more focused approach to individual client requirements. They're likely to have lower pricing as well, but then bigger and more established firms will be stronger in terms of resources. Your company may need a super focused approach that only a small firm will be able to give you, or require more scope of resourcing that a bigger partner would be better off providing!

Geographic location is also worth considering, even though the pandemic has meant that work has become much more remote. If you’re searching globally for a partner, you may find one that looks like a great fit but their team will be on an entirely different schedule to yours! In addition to this, some partners can only operate in certain locations in line with their Partner Agreement. It’s important to consider this in your decision making to ensure that the engagement will be feasible.

   4. Are they equipped to install every aspect of the ServiceNow suite?

Some partners will only be specialised in a couple of ServiceNow applications. While your business may only be requiring one or two of these at the moment, it’s definitely sensible to prioritise partners who are experienced in the full platform. This way, if the need for a different application arises in the future, you are already aligned to a familiar and trusted partner and so won’t need to search for a new one (saving massively on time and money).

   5. Think about the long-term relationship

You want to think about the value of the partner in the long-term, and not just the initial implementation. Ensuring that the partner can provide ongoing support is crucial, given the level of maintenance post-go-live that a platform as intricate as ServiceNow requires. Look into whether they offer ongoing support strategies that are compatible with your organisation and the main stakeholders within it – looking elsewhere for support will again be extremely time-consuming and costly.



Other considerations:

It’s just as important for the partner themselves to make sure that they’re joining forces with the right client, too. For this reason, Unifii do encourage prospective clients to explore what other partners offer in relation to us – we always make sure that the customer has made an informed decision and that the relationship will benefit both parties as much as possible.

There may well be further aspects that you and your team might need to consider, but these are the main tips that Unifii considers top priority when weighing up your options.

If you’d like to understand more about Unifii’s way of working, our delivery methodology or our customer base then please do get in touch!