ServiceNow Partner Tiers: Everyting You Need to Know

ServiceNow partner tiers are there for a simple reason: to make it easy to find an organization that will best fit your needs and help you secure continuous ServiceNow wins. There are five designations available to ServiceNow partners, and each of them is earned through proven excellence in the ServiceNow ecosystem. The higher the tier associated with a given organization, the more experience they have with implementing the platform for their customers and achieving long-term, valuable results. 

ServiceNow Partner Tiers

The following designations are the current tiers available to ServiceNow partners:

• Registered Partner:

  For partners that are new to ServiceNow and have met the minimum qualifications for the program but have not achieved measurable activity or certifications yet

• Specialist Partner:

  Provides specialized skills in one or more specific ServiceNow products
• Premier Partner: Specializes in fewer than five ServiceNow products in several regions
• Elite Partner: Focuses on five or more ServiceNow products across several workflows—Employee Experience, IT, and Customer Service—and is established in several geographies
• Global Elite Partner: An Elite partner that has especially deep industry domain expertise, digital transformation skills, global scale, and a commitment at the CEO level to ServiceNow practice 

On top of these five tiers of ServiceNow partnership, there are also four programs to choose from: Sales Partner Program, Services Partner Program, Technology Partner Program, and Authorized Training Program. Based on what you’re looking for in a ServiceNow partner, these programs can help you narrow your search and find what works best for your organization. 

>>> Recommended Reading: Check out our Partner page all about being a ServiceNow Elite Partner, click here <<<

What Determines ServiceNow Partner Tiers?

ServiceNow evaluates which designation an organization falls under based on several important measurements of breadth and depth. The following factors are the four Cs of ServiceNow partner tiers that determine where any given partner falls:

• Capacity: The number of people at your company certified with ServiceNow technology
• Competency: Specializations in your organization based on the number of certifications
• Customer success: Validated by published criteria, including implementations meeting minimum customer satisfaction scores
• Capability: A qualitative assessment of a partner’s digital transformation skills, industry expertise, and scale

Strong performance in each of these areas can help organizations be sorted into more prestigious partner tiers, a clear sign that they have established themselves as a ServiceNow partner with a deep understanding of the platform. This is an essential aspect to keep in mind for any company searching for a partner that will help them drive significant ServiceNow results.

How Have the ServiceNow Partner Tiers Changed?

ServiceNow was founded in 2004 with the goal of making work easier for people. Since then, it has adapted to best suit the needs of its users. In 2019, ServiceNow drastically changed its partner program. Before its transformation, the ServiceNow team offered three levels of partnership: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Because of the connotation associated with these levels, many considered the rankings to be a direct reflection of the importance of an organization, with each level representing a tier of organizations that were good, better, or best. Because this was certainly not the case, ServiceNow reevaluated the tiers, releasing the new designations that are still in use today.

Additionally, prior to this change, all partners were measured in the same way, regardless of whether they had invested in areas like change management, business process reengineering, and industry expertise, or just worked on training and certifying people. Now, ServiceNow looks at two sets of criteria: 1) partners’ depth of Servicenow solutions in their practices and 2) their maturity. This significant transformation has encouraged equal opportunities for partners as they continue to adopt more ServiceNow solutions, as well as clarified what services these partners provide.

What Do the Tiers Mean for Your Business?

A ServiceNow tier ranking is a huge achievement. There are also a number of benefits partners can offer an organization to help their customers drive more valuable ServiceNow results, including the following:

• Use of the Find A Partner Listing on the ServiceNow website
• Eligibility to sponsor ServiceNow events
• Education training discount (services only)
• Strategic business planning and review eligibility
• ServiceNow demo instances
• And more!

As you continue to explore possible partners in your goal to maximize your investment in ServiceNow, keep these things in mind. 

• Tier ranking tends to indicate more experience. While it’s possible for a partner to quickly take on large clients and specializations and achieve a high tier quickly, it’s not common. It’s much more likely that an organization has achieved their ranking slowly by building experience and growing their skills over years of work. 
• You don’t need to partner with a Global Elite Partner to see results. While it may seem like partners at a higher tier of partnership will be able to deliver the best results, working with a ServiceNow partner at any level will help you secure important wins. Consider your business goals and evaluate which capabilities in a partner are most important to you.
• Partner leveling isn’t based on sales or certification goals. Partners aren’t tiered based on the sales they achieve: They’re placed based on their commitment to ServiceNow, which means that those at higher tiers have expertise with the platform, not just sell at higher levels than others. 
• All partnerships have an equal annual program fee. Because every partner pays the same program fee every year, organizations don’t achieve higher tiers because they pay more—they earn them with hard work and experience.

The partner tiers are a valuable tool to use in your search for an organization that can help you drive digital transformation and achieve consistent results. 

>>>  Click here to learn how to maximize your ROI using the ServiceNow Platform with Crossfuze, a ServiceNow Elite Partner <<<

How Can You Maximize Your ServiceNow ROI?

Whichever designation your tiered partner earns, ServiceNow is more than just an investment: It’s a tool whose widespread adoption needs to be planned and implemented across your organization. Here’s what you can do to ensure that you maximize the ROI of your ServiceNow investment and continuously achieve your business goals. 

• Build a strong business case. Based on the needs of your organization, you’ll need a clear assessment, roadmap, and cost-benefit analysis that you can use not only to drive adoption but also show to all involved stakeholders. 
• Set up a timeline. As you plan to drive phased implementation and adoption of ServiceNow, define what your short- and long-term goals are, taking into account your stakeholders, current technologies, and key team members. Then, decide when you’d like to drive each phase of the transformation. 
• Invest in a ServiceNow partner. Any partner tier reflects an organization’s deep experience and expertise in the platform and shows that they have gone through extensive onboarding and certifications. Jump into the ServiceNow Partner Finder to explore available partners for your business needs.

Ready to drive your digital transformation goals with ServiceNow? We’re here to help! If you’re searching for a ServiceNow partner that will help you drive your own digital transformation and achieve your goals, Crossfuze is a ServiceNow Elite partner, making it a top 1 percent partner for delivering long-term, consistent success globally. Reach out to us at LetsTalk@crossfuze.com to learn more. 

Looking for a ServiceNow Partner? Check out the video below all about what to look for, and thanks for visiting!