“This is not what we thought we were going to get.”
That statement is heard in many Microsoft Dynamics 365/CRM deployments, and most of the time, it is on the negative side. This is either because the customer expected a different process or team dynamic during the deployment, or the business objectives the customer had at the beginning of the deployment are not being met. Regardless of the reason, finding and working with the right partner is the most critical factor that can affect the success of a project or deployment.
In Episode 2 of the CRM MVP Podcast, 5x Microsoft MVP and Elev8 Solutions CEO Gus Gonzalez discusses how important it is to find the right partner, the most popular reasons why some CRM deployments fail, the 3 things you need to know when selecting a partner, and how to find the right partner to work with.
Top 3 CRM MVP Rules for finding the right partner:
- Avoid white board Consultants.
If you are having conversations with a partner who simply says “Yes, we can make that happen” to everything you ask for, it might feel right at first, but it will always come back to haunt you. You need to work with an organization who can leverage all of their experience to point you in the right direction.
- Avoid working with partners who want to “boil the ocean”.
After hundreds of deployments and perhaps thousands of interactions with other Microsoft MVPs and Solution Architects, it is 100% clear that the best strategy for Microsoft Dynamics 365 or CRM deployments is a phased approach. Start small and grow the footprint of the solution within the organization over time. This allows the team to learn valuable lessons along the way and adjust if necessary in a constant evolution of deployment success.
- Avoid working with partners who are incompatible with your project commitments and expected business outcomes.
This actually goes both ways. You don’t want to work with a partner who keeps you in the dark with the big decisions and does all the work without involving you because it’s “faster and easier.” If do you want to be involved with the delivery team or the deployment itself, then you should absolutely work with a partner who will involve you in the process, as we do here at Elev8 Solutions. However, if you want a partner that can take the wheel and make the decisions your input couldn’t influence anyway, then you should find and work with a partner who can support you in that way to best meet your needs.
So, where do I go to find the right partner?”
Seek out the advice from a Microsoft Sales Professional (MSP). These MSP’s know and work closely with many partners and are acutely aware of who would be the best fit for your organization based on what you need to get out of Microsoft Dynamics 365, your industry, and budget. In addition, conferences and local events give you an excellent opportunity to not only learn from experts while you are there, but also to interview potential partners. If you don’t have the ability to attend one of these large conferences, look for local meetings. The CRM User Group has dozens of local chapter meetings all around the world, you can simply visit CRMUG.com and find a local meeting to attend and learn alongside other users.
Want to learn more from Gus about choosing the right partner? Listen to the full episode at http://crmmvppodcast.com/or subscribe on iTunes. Please take a second to leave a review and follow us on Twitter for new episodes or to suggest topics for future episodes.
Are you ready to take the next step? Contact Us to find out why Elev8 Solutions is the preferred partner for organizations seeking total CRM success.