Salesforce Strategic Consulting Partner or Implementation Partner?

What’s the Difference Between a Salesforce Consulting Partner and an Implementation Partner?

The world of Salesforce Partners can be complex. Some partners specialise in specific industries, some only work with businesses of a certain size, and some only take on projects that involve certain products in the Salesforce cloud.

But one of the most important distinctions between Salesforce Partners is their approach. This makes the difference between a Strategic Consulting Partner or an Implementation Partner.

If you’re not sure what the differences are between the two and which type of Salesforce partner your business needs, consider the following:

Relational vs Transactional

Implementation Partners focus simply on a “transactional” approach to their work. This means that they focus on the short-term value they can add to your business, typically being through the completion of pre-determined projects. Once that project is complete, the working relationship is complete, unless there is another client-identified project in the works. 

Whereas Strategic Consulting Partners work with a “relational” approach, meaning that your partner continues to look for ways to add long-term value to your business outside of the initial project that sparked the relationship. Instead of completing a project and closing the chapter on your working together, these partners will continue to work with you to get the most out of your solution, be it through post-implementation support or maintenance of the Salesforce instance.

Identifying Business Needs

An Implementation Partner will work with businesses to implement the solutions that their Salesforce account rep has determined to be the best fit.  These partners may recommend complementary add-ons but don’t typically take on developing the overarching solution.

But a Strategic Consulting Partner like Consleague will work with businesses to identify their needs, wants and goals for a solution, and then determine the optimal Salesforce solution stack that will meet those needs.

Solution Engineering

An Implementation Partner will do very little solution engineering if any. Should any component of the proposed solution not work due to technology restraints or otherwise, they may propose an alternate option, but it’s unlikely they’ll re-engineer the whole build. 

Once a Strategic Consulting Partner has an understanding of the business needs, their team of Solution Engineers and consultants create a comprehensive strategy to ensure your business is getting the best-fit Salesforce solution. These strategies are unique to each client but typically involve detail-oriented plans for solutions and complimentary add-ons, implementation plans, and important considerations. 

Types of Staffed Resources

Implementation Partners typically only have the resources on hand that are required to complete the projects they take on. Some Implementation Partners also rely on third-party resources to offset costs to clients.  

Strategic Consulting Partners like Consleague typically have teams with a diverse resource mix to ensure that, regardless of the project they take on, the in-house knowledge is there. That means that not only are there Salesforce Developers and Architects, but domain-specific Consultants, Solution Engineers, and Engagement Managers to ensure that every project is a success. 

Process Re-engineering

Implementation Partners may not have the ability to take on re-engineering requests, depending on the specificity of the project. Should a blocker arise or an integration requirement fails, businesses may need to go back to Salesforce to find a solution.

Given the breadth of knowledge, a Strategic Consulting Partner has, their team can re-engineer or reimagine a project’s limits if it’s not a perfect fit. Should unforeseen blockers appear during implementation, these partners will work diligently to find a solution that meets or exceeds expectations without a second thought. 

Change Management Strategy and Training

Depending on the Implementation Partner you rely on, change management and training may be the responsibility of another party or fall into their realm of responsibility. Many Change Management companies will work with Implementation Partners to offer businesses a comprehensive project framework, though divide project responsibilities throughout its duration.

To ensure that your team is trained and ready to work within the confines of their new Salesforce solution, Strategic Consulting Partners will develop a change management and training strategy with your team. Training sessions with team leads and/or admins ensure that all the important knowledge transfer is complete, and the management team is prepared to answer any questions about the new solution. 

Looking for a Salesforce Strategic Consulting Partner for Your Business?

If you’re in the market for a Strategic Consulting Partner, then Consleague is the team you’ve been looking for! Our team of consulting experts, developers, and solution engineers are well equipped to support you on your Salesforce journey, be it starting from zero or enhancing your existing organisation.

Set up a call with us today to discuss your requirements in more detail.

Source: https://www.stratus360.com/