A checklist to help you evaluate whether your partner is giving you the service and expertise you deserve

The Sitecore landscape is large and can be confusing. Over the past several years, digital technology has advanced—at times faster than users can keep up with, and the messaging from solution implementation providers can muddy the waters even more.

I’ve worked in the Sitecore ecosystem for 15 years and believe that it’s critical for companies to periodically evaluate their partner relationships to ensure that goals and objectives are aligned and that each party is delivering their very best.

Change Is Hard

With any partnership there are natural areas for improvement. No one is perfect, and communication and expectations at times need some fine tuning.

If you have a Sitecore partner that you have worked with for a year or more, it may seem easier to stay the course rather than shop around to see what else is out there. After all, the time and work involved in making a shift can feel like a waste of energy and resources—which are on short supply these days. Building a new partnership is more than just comparing pros and cons and picking who fits your needs on paper.

That said, not every Sitecore partner (even those who have Platinum designation) is capable of delivering the latest composable technology and product implementations and has the experience to give you the insights you need to decide what your digital roadmap should include.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1.     Do they really know Sitecore?

It may sound crazy, but having a Platinum Partner designation may not be enough to indicate that your partner is giving you the best possible guidance and service. Partners may have a large number of their team certified on Sitecore, but that does not necessarily mean that those resources actually work on Sitecore. Being certified simply means that you have passed the exam—but does not mean that the resources who work on your project have delivered on the most recent Sitecore products.

2.     What Sitecore badges do they have?

You should choose a partner who is not only badged in the product(s) you are using, but who is badged in all of them (that are available). Without the expertise in the additional Sitecore composable products, they may not be in a position to advise you on your future roadmap. Having a badge indicates that the partner has several tech resources certified and has successfully completed an implementation of the product.

3.     Do they have any offerings in the Sitecore Partner Catalog?

Look for a partner who has invested in their Sitecore practice with R & D. These are the partners who have worked extensively with the Sitecore products and have tested the limits and extended the platforms. Partners who have contributed to the catalog know the pitfalls to avoid and will not use your project as a training exercise for their team.

Even better, find a partner who has innovated and developed accelerators that you can benefit from. XCentium has several of these, including an XM Cloud version and an OrderCloud version which have saved our clients at least 30% on both project cost and timeline.

4.     What is their relationship like with Sitecore?

It’s important that your Sitecore partner can help you navigate the ecosystem and be an advocate on your behalf. Clients who get the most from their Sitecore investment have strong relationship with both their Sitecore reps and their implementation partner. Having clear, transparent communication among all 3 parties helps you with speed to value and staying ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting new tech, upgrades, and pricing.

5.     What do they know outside of Sitecore?

Having a partner who only knows Sitecore limits what they can do for you to find opportunities to fine tune or lighten your tech stack.

Look for a partner who knows Sitecore inside and out AND who knows many other composable platforms, as well. They should be able to advise and share insights from their work with other similar clients and show you examples of how Sitecore integrates with other systems.

What's next?

Once you’ve considered the above questions, please reach out to me here or connect with me on LinkedIn. We are always happy to discuss your questions or to share our point of view.

Take a look at Part Two of this series which focuses on finding the right cultural fit in your Sitecore Partner.